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Creating a Time off in Lieu policy

Katherine

Hi All

I am looking for some advice in creating a fair and reasonable time off in lieu policy.

We currently have a UK sales team who prefer to stay overnight rather than travel later in the day past their normal daily contracted hours, this can be an expensive option so looking at offering TOIL instead.  Would this be reasonable from a business perspective or would travel to a customer for a sales meeting be expected as part of their role therefore is that more dependent on their salary?

Also we have a number of staff who need to travel abroad, sometimes this travel is at a weekend and their working time may extend in a day beyond the normal 9-5. There are a number of different ways this is being managed currently so we would like to give more consistency around this. 

I had been thinking, after reading a previous forum post that a day TOIL for travel to another country would work and time back for actual working time beyond the 5pm finish.  Alternatively would it be better to go along the lines of hours worked and depending on the day ie Sunday - double time, Saturday - time and a half, weekday - normal time.

In the case of travel on a Sunday, if a flight was 8 hours for example for a long haul flight this would be two working days back.  Are we being over generous or fair in this case given that the employee is travelling long distances and is away from home for business purposes.

I would be very grateful for any input.

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  • We currently have a UK sales team who prefer to stay overnight rather than travel later in the day past their normal daily contracted hours


    Couple of important words leap out at me, in the premise: one is "sales". I presume, as a sales team, these people are paid some form of commission or target-based bonus? In my experience, such people shouldn't typically earn TOIL any more than they'd earn overtime. They are supposed to be motivated to work in the most focussed and efficient way possible, so rewarding them on a time basis tends to fly in the face of that. If one does the job in 35 hours a week that another takes 45 to achieve, why should the less efficient worker be compensated for their inefficiency?

    The other important word is "prefer". If it is a business requirement that they stay overnight, well, fair enough. But if they are choosing to do it rather than make a long but reasonable return journey, I can't help feeling that the cost of both hotel and time should fall to the employee, not the employer.

    Mind you, I have a low tolerance for sales people. Perhaps yours are wonderful and deserve special consideration.
  • in reply to Robey
    Hi Robey, many thanks for your take on this. I must admit to being surprised at it myself for sales people as when I had been field based (although I wasn't sales) I wouldn't have thought to ask as it was part of the role. But as with David great to get your expertise and input it certainly gives me a lot more confidence around this.
    Thank you.
    PS did like your thread on what you would like to really say :)
  • in reply to Katherine
    Hi Katherine,

    We don't have a formal TOIL policy but we do have a comprehensive travel policy.

    We are based in South Wales and people travel to London a lot (by train), so we do allow the 11 hours between the time they get home and coming in to work the next day.
    For long haul travel we usually give them a day either side of the trip to acclimatise to time differences.
    If travel occurs on a Saturday/Sunday then they are entitled to take the next working day(s) off.
    Our travel is usually because of conferences but we don't give extra time back if they go past their normal 8 hour days whilst they are away.

    Our policy does state that TOIL needs to be taken back as close to the time as possible.

    Thanks
    Stacey
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  • in reply to Katherine
    Hi Katherine,

    We don't have a formal TOIL policy but we do have a comprehensive travel policy.

    We are based in South Wales and people travel to London a lot (by train), so we do allow the 11 hours between the time they get home and coming in to work the next day.
    For long haul travel we usually give them a day either side of the trip to acclimatise to time differences.
    If travel occurs on a Saturday/Sunday then they are entitled to take the next working day(s) off.
    Our travel is usually because of conferences but we don't give extra time back if they go past their normal 8 hour days whilst they are away.

    Our policy does state that TOIL needs to be taken back as close to the time as possible.

    Thanks
    Stacey
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