United States Department of Labor

OVERVIEW

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), time spent traveling during normal work hours is considered work time and employees must be paid for this travel time. Generally, time spent commuting is not work time. The FLSA is administered and enforced by the Wage and Hour Division of the Employment Standards Administration.

COMPLIANCE ASSISTANCE MATERIALS

BASIC INFORMATION

• Handy Reference Guide to the Fair Labor Standards Act - Answers many questions about the FLSA, including what the Act does and does not require.
• Questions and Answers About the FLSA
• Chapter 31 - Wage and Hour Division's Field Operations Handbook - Describes hours worked under the FLSA.

FACT SHEETS

• Hours Worked Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) - Provides general information about what activities do and do not constitute compensable time under the FLSA.

E-TOOLS

• elaws FLSA Advisor - Addresses key wage and hour topics, including detailed explanations of what activities do and do not constitute time for which employees must be compensated, including travel time.

APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS

• The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
  Establishes minimum wages, overtime pay, recordkeeping and child labor standards for private sector and government workers.
• 29 CFR Part 785 - Regulations defining hours worked under the FLSA.

DOL CONTACTS*

• Wage and Hour Division
  200 Constitution Avenue, NW
  Room S-3502
  Washington, DC 20210
  Contact WHD
  Tel: 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243)
  TTY: 1-877-889-5627
  
• Local Offices

• For questions on other DOL laws,
  please call DOL's Toll-Free Help Line at 1-866-4-USA-DOL (1-866-487-2365). Live assistance is available in English and Spanish, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Additional service is available in more than 140 languages through a translation service.
  Tel: 1-866-4-USA-DOL (1-866-487-2365)
  TTY

*Pursuant to the U.S. Department of Labor's Confidentiality Protocol for Compliance Assistance Inquiries, information provided by a telephone caller will be kept confidential within the bounds of the law. Compliance assistance inquiries will not trigger an inspection, audit, investigation, etc.