Is it legal, my job sent me out of state to work, w/no pay for 2 day travel, $10. perdiem and a nasty trailer?

[devdutta58]

I work for a construction company that shipped me and my crew out of state to work on for another states DOT. It is a 10 hour drive there and 10 hr drive back, we have 5 men in one company truck and nobody gets paid for the drive at all, we also get only 10 per diem. Another thing is that the company didn't even get us motel rooms, they are making us all stay in a 20 ft camper, in 100 degree weather with no air conditioning. The trailer is disgusting, there is trash dirty dishes (already in it) and trash as well as a lot of mold all over inside the refridgerator where I would put the food I packed with me. The company management just said deal with it. Is this legal?? I only make 13.00 an hour and just don't feel like its worth it, but unfortunelty there are not other jobs in my area and I have 4 children I need to support at home. Does anyone know if this is legal, or what my rights are. I am unsure because I am employed for the company in one state and the company is being contracted by the governemnt to work on a different states roads, so I am unsure of what laws to look at. Any advice would be great. Thanks in advance!

[advent]

It sounds like your companies' priorities are awful. Two days without pay seems harsh, but it's pretty typical with budget cuts. It's horrible that they did not pay for the trip, (motel, gas, or food), however it's not illegal. The only wrong thing about this would be if they were in full control of providing the trailer, and knowing of the uncleanliness in it. Technically speaking that's forcing you to work in "hazardous or unsafe working conditions" and it is wrong for them to do that. I would definitely contact a local lawyer for a free consultation to get a full outsider's opinion, but it definitely sounds wrong to me, especially if they put you in the trailer, knowing that it was as repulsive as you describe it to be.

Good luck,
Ryan

[jasper]

Nothing illegal here

[oded]

Unfortunately, it's actually legal for them to do this. As an at-will hourly employee, employers aren't required to compensate you for travel time to and from work. Though as ridiculous as being forced to drive 10 hours to get to a work site, under current employment law it's perfectly legal. However, once you start working, you have to be fully compensated for your time, including overtime.