Travel Pay Compliance 2026: Handling Employee Travel Time Correctly and Navigating Wage & Hour Rules

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SHRM & HRCI Approved Webinar | CEUs = 1.5 Credit Hours

Overview:

How to compensate employees for the hours spent traveling on business is becoming one of the major concerns of the payroll department today.  Many recent changes in federal and state wage and hour rules as well as economic pressures on employers and employees alike can create a situation that can practically invite noncompliance lawsuits—especially if the travel time results in overtime being owed to the employee.

But it isn’t just the DOL that is interested in travel pay. The IRS also has strict regulations on when employees can be paid for travel expenses without it being considered wages. Does the company use the per diem method to reimburse employees or the accountable plan method?  Or do you even need to have a method when it comes to reimbursing employees for travel expenses?

What will You Learn:

  • Travel Pay 2026 requirements - what must be paid and why
  • Compensable vs. Non-Compensable Travel Time under the FLSA
  • Home-to-work Commuting vs. Business Travel Rules
  • Same-day and overnight travel pay requirements
  • Which employees have to be paid…and when
  • Travel Pay differences for Exempt v/s Non-Exempt employees
  • How travel pay affects Overtime Calculations
  • Travel during non-working hours - compensation rules
  • Payroll compliance Issues and reducing Wage & Hour claims
  • Handling federal and state law conflicts in travel pay & multi-state travel pay compliance challenges
  • Special travel pay situations, including training and meetings
  • Remote and hybrid employee travel pay considerations
  • Recordkeeping and payroll documentation best practices
  • Common employer mistakes and audit risks
  • Understanding per diems and travel reimbursements
  • When travel payments are Taxable
  • Accountable vs. Non-Accountable plans
  • Best practices for paying travel pay correctly - Real-world payroll examples and compliance strategies

Why You should Attend:

Employee travel time remains one of the most misunderstood and high-risk areas of wage and hour compliance. From local day travel and overnight trips to remote work assignments, training programs, and multi-state travel, employers are facing increasing scrutiny over whether employees are being compensated correctly for travel-related time.

This webinar discusses the rules and regulations that must be followed when paying an employee for travel pay. It includes what is travel pay, best practices for handling the payments, how it affects overtime calculations and what is required on the state level. It also discusses the requirements for taxing travel expenses under IRS rules.

Who Should Attend:

  • Payroll Professionals
  • HR Managers & HR Generalists
  • Compensation & Benefits Professionals
  • Finance & Accounting Teams
  • Compliance Officers
  • Employee Relations Professionals
  • Workforce Operations Managers
  • Controllers & Internal Auditors
  • Business Owners & Employers
  • Legal & Labor Compliance Teams
  • Organizations with Remote, Hybrid, or Traveling Employees

Vicki M. Lambert

Vicki M. Lambert

The Payroll Advisor

Vicki M. Lambert, CPP, is President and Academic Director of The Payroll Advisor™, a firm specializing in payroll education and training. With nearly 40 years of hands-on experience in all facets of payroll functions as well as over three decades as a trainer and author.

Ms. Lambert has become the most sought-after and respected voice in the practice and management of payroll issues. She has conducted open market training seminars on payroll issues across the United States that have been attended by executives and professionals from some of the most prestigious firms in business today. A pioneer in electronic and online education, Ms. Lambert produces and presents payroll-related audio seminars, webinars, and webcasts for clients, APA chapters, and business groups throughout the country.

Ms. Lambert is an adjunct faculty member at Brandman University in Southern California and is the creator of and instructor for their Practical Payroll Online program, which is approved for recertification hours by the APA. She is also the instructor for the American Payroll Association’s “PayTrain” online program also offered by Brandman University.

Continuing Education Accreditations

SHRM -

CEU Trainers is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CPSM or SHRM-SCPSM. This program is valid for 1.5 PDCs for the SHRM-CPSM or SHRM-SCPSM. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit - portal.shrm.org.

HRCI -

This webinar has been approved for 1.5 HR (General) re-certification credit hours toward California, GPHR, HRBP, HRMP, PHR, and SPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute.

The use of this seal is not an endorsement by the HR Certification Institute of the quality of the activity. It means that this activity has met the HR Certification Institute’s criteria to be pre-approved for re-certification credit.

Once you register or enroll in a live webinar course, a secure link will be provided under your profile panel. You will also receive an email invitation 24 hours prior and 1 hour before the scheduled start time containing the access link.

Yes! All courses offered by CEUTrainers are designed in tandem with professional accreditation organizations in the HR, BFSI, Payroll, and Construction sectors. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are fully recognized and can be claimed towards professional recertifications.

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We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you are unable to attend a live webinar or find that a course does not meet your professional educational requirements, you can request a full refund or exchange credits within 14 days of purchase.

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