Research suggests UK workers 'unaware of entitlement to paid travel time'

13 May 2019

Research carried out by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has suggested that four in ten UK workers are 'unaware' that they are entitled to be paid for the time they spend travelling between work appointments.

As part of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) legislation, workers have the right to be paid for time spent travelling between appointments. According to the research, only 39% of employees are aware of this entitlement.

HMRC recently revealed that nearly £24.4 million is owed to 220,000 workers who have been incorrectly paid. This represents a significant rise when compared to 2018's figure of £15.6 million.

'We are leaving no stone unturned and are cracking down on employers who fail to pay the NMW and NLW,' said Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst.

'All workers deserve a fair day's pay for a fair day's work and, as our latest figures demonstrate, we are recouping more money than ever before for people that have not been paid correctly.'

Meanwhile, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) urged employers to 'ensure they are meeting their responsibilities to employees'.