Travel - Paid or Unpaid

Students are not paid or reimbursed for travel, unless it's related specifically to work. Student employees must be paid an hourly wage during their travel time (read below) and the student should be reimbursed for travel expenses according to Bowdoin College policy.

PAID:

• Students should be paid for travel to an event where work will be performed. However, a student would not be paid for travel to a meeting area or for waiting for a vehicle.
  • For example, if an employee is asked to meet at the polar bear statue to wait for a bus that will take them to the event at which they will work, the employee would not be paid for their travel time to the polar bear statue from their home in Harpswell. The employee must be paid for the travel time on the bus.
• Students should be paid for making deliveries. It's not appropriate to ask a student to "clock out" and then make a delivery.

UNPAID:

• A student should not be paid for travel to and from home and work or class and work.
• Student employees are not paid for meal breaks during the normal course of work or during travel. If you think your student position might pose an exception, please contact the SEO.
• Students are not paid for wait time before or after an event. Employees are paid for work performed and for time on duty.
  • For example, if the bus leaves at noon for Bates, and the bus arrives at 12:30pm, the student is paid for half an hour of travel time. But let’s assume the game starts at 3:00pm, and the student won’t start working until half an hour before the game starts. The student would not be paid for the two hours between 12:30pm and 2:30pm. Likewise, if the game ends at 6:00pm, and the bus doesn't’t arrive until 7:00pm, the student is not paid for the hour of wait time.