European Court of Justice rules business travel as paid working time

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has issued a landmark ruling stating that time spent traveling for business purposes at an employer's request constitutes paid working time. This decision applies even if the travel occurs outside of standard working hours or if the employee typically has a fixed office location.

The ruling, which originated from a case involving an employee of DRDP Iaşi, eliminates the practice of treating travel time as unpaid flexibility or leisure. The court determined that when an employee is traveling to a location designated by the company, they are at the disposal of the employer and cannot freely manage their own time.

This decision impacts labor law across the European Union, including Romania, as it aims to remove the distinction between itinerant workers and those with fixed workplaces in accordance with Directive 2003/88/EC. Member states are required to implement European Parliament directives into national legislation within two years.