Can an employer request documented travel time to work?

as a field inspector using a personal car and reimbursed for company mileage, does the employer have any precedent right to request and document what time the inspector leaves his house? any stops along the way prior to the start of the work day? whether reporting to the office or the field location?

It is your car. You are only required to turn in a mileage log. The rest of the info. is an invasion of privacy.

if you live in the united states your job is allowed to own you. they do have the rights to all that information if it is on their dime -- and usually when its not on their dime too.

You bet they can.

the employer has the right to request anything they want. you are not always obligated or required to grant that request. if you have a question you can ask to see the company policy on the matter.

they are required by law to have a policy on what they can request and what is kept private.

Yes, so far as mileage is concerned, but outside of normal working duties (unless it is a company car) they have no right to ask. Personally, ask an accountant what works better for reimbursements...them or Uncle Sam at the end of the year. That has worked much better for me.

Not only does your employer have the right, it's an IRS regulation concerning mileage reimbursement. You are required to keep a log of your mileage with dates and times, and whether the mileage is personal or business.

Yes he does, it's a real good idea to start keep track of all this. Get a little note book or something that you can enter the information.

I would say yes, because it may have to do with liability insurance. Typically, if you're going to or from work (from your home), you're not considered on the job and therefore, if you got into an accident, you wouldn't be covered by the employers' insurance. But if you were going from the office to a field location, you might be considered being on the job, unless you deviated from your route so much that it wouldn't be considered as such.

But, I think that's the reason why they want this documentation.

I would take a look at the contract you signed when you were hired, but I don't think that info is really nessessary. I think that milage should be sufficiant. Unless you are getting paid hourly (not salary). If you are getting paid an hourly wage, than they do have a right to know what time you start (so they can start paying you!)

If they are paying for mileage i would say yes.

They have to have proof yes?

At least your mileage daily.

Darn right. if they are paying for it, they can require anything they want.