This problem is about mileage and how it is recorded/paid out at my current job. With gas prices so high this is a major concern for me.

I get to our shop at 9am, load up and head out to do my route for the day. I was recording my mileage from the time I left the shop to the time I got back, sans personal stuff (which I dont think I ever did).

I use my own personal vehicle, a truck that gets 16-17 mpg.

My boss informs me that my mileage is always too high, and its because I record the mileage from my last account driving back to the shop to finish the day (till 5pm, as stated in the job description we work 9am to 5pm).

He says he will not pay us mileage to drive back to the shop from the last account, because he is paying us hourly already and we get paid for the time we work at the shop for the rest of the day. However, the logic here boggles my mind. Why pay us to drive to an account but not back? My last account on Thursdays for example is SAS, so SAS to Capital Blvd is mileage that I am losing. Basically he is paying us for only about half the mileage, and not even the federal standard rate (about 13 cents per mile less).

He says mileage is optional, which it is. But I would not be at this job unless my miles were comped, since I avg 200 miles per week, sometimes more.

I feel like I am being jerked around, the other guy doesnt even put down all his miles (he took over 150 miles off his sheet just so they wouldnt say anything last month). I love my job, and the owners are really really good people, its just this one issue I cant get over. I feel like if I go back to the shop to finish the day I am taking a paycut and have to makeup the money I lost driving back. Is there anything legally I can do to justify the miles? Or since its optional its w/e the owner decides and I have to either live with it or quit?

8/10/2008 11:52:43 PM

if you have a job where you admit that receiving pay for mileage is optional why does the boss have to threaten to remove it - why doesn't he just pay you what he thinks you deserve instead of having you record it at all

this sounds like the equivalent to you may receive an optional bonus each week based off of some indicator (this one being mileage) and you want to potentially go down a legal route for not getting your bonus that is in no way promised

8/11/2008 12:07:42 AM

Well, every company that pays out mileage to people who use personal vehicles does so optionally, but I have never heard of people only being paid for half the trip per say.

I guess the legal thing is a litte extreme, honestly if it doesnt get resolved I will prolly give a notice and move on.

If we drive the company truck anywhere (we have one but not for day to day operations use since theres 2 of us) and we come back to the shop we dont pay those miles, so why does he make us pay when we use our own vehicles?

8/11/2008 12:13:26 AM

just drive the damn company truck then, or quit bitching

8/11/2008 2:37:14 AM

if it was available, i would definitely drive the company truck. then you don't have to worry about gas for your truck, as well as the wear and tear.

8/11/2008 7:38:23 AM

The truck is not available to drive everyday, or I would. I would also have not got my truck if it was available, I would have kept my 30mpg+ civic.

I am really tempted to try to drive it everyday to make my point though.

8/11/2008 8:25:28 AM

who do you work for?

just curious what you do for SAS - i work there.

8/11/2008 9:03:50 AM

Do you keep up with your gas receipts or have a mileage log of some sort? At 200 miles per week with 52 weeks/yr and IRS rate of $0.58/mile you could itemize your deductions and start with a $6,032 deduction before adding anything else, which is greater than the standard deduction ($5,350). Depending on your tax situation and other expenses, this could help you offset some of the travel costs. I'd get some professional advice from somebody who does taxes before you count on this helping you, however.

8/11/2008 10:32:36 AM

just drive home then after the job. if he is not willing to pay you for the drive back then i would just go home.

i have never heard of payment for mileage being optional if you have to use your personal vehicle. its either pay by the mile or car allowance.

8/11/2008 10:55:09 AM

You can use the company truck if that is an option. You can write off the difference between federal reimbursement for full milage and what you are compensated for. Their business practice is the company's decision, although you may have a case if they are violating their own policy. Realistically though, you should take it up with someone else in the organization, use the company truck, or write it off as a business expense.

8/11/2008 11:07:33 AM

Quote :

"Do you keep up with your gas receipts or have a mileage log of some sort?"

Yes, I have a mileage sheet I turn in each month.

Also, the IRS rate looks like 50.5 cents per mile according to
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=176030,00.html
Unless that is out of date already.

Quote :

"just drive home then after the job. if he is not willing to pay you for the drive back then i would just go home. "

Sometimes I get done with accounts by 11am, so if I just go home from there I lose out on the 6 hours I would have got paid if I went back to the shop and worked.

Also, I thought about doing the tax deduction route, but I get a personal check from them, its not included in my regular pay check, and its not taxed. If I reported that I would have to then pay a tax on it correct?

8/11/2008 11:25:29 AM

Ok I went back and read the memo my company sent out and the 58 cent rate (which is actually rounded down from 58.5 see:http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=184163,00.html) went into effect July 1, 2008. So I guess for the first half of the year it would be at 50.5 cents per mile. As far as reporting the mileage checks you currently get, I think technically you're supposed to pay taxes on that, but I don't know why you would have to report it if you did itemize (when you wouldn't report it on the other hand). I would talk to whoever does your taxes, in the meantime here are some related readings:

Business Use of Car
http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc510.html

Record Keeping
http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc305.html

EDIT: So I also found this http://tiny.cc/iiIsq which has some helpful information, actually, towards the bottom there is a question about reporting mileage reimbursements that you get from your employer.



[Edited on August 11, 2008 at 12:25 PM. Reason : !!]

8/11/2008 12:16:00 PM