How should I calculate the number of hours of work during business traveling?

I am a contractor. The company that I am working needs me go to China for a week to 10 days. Currently, I only get hourly paid and have 40 hours per week.

My question is that whether I will get paid during 15 hours of flight from US to China? Will I get paid for time from the hotel to the work place in China everyday?

Also, what should I be paid for this trip? (I know that I will not need to pay for hotel and ticket.) How I should protect my benefit?

I live in CA, USA

Thanks

Well, you obviously should make sure that they're going to reimburse your direct expenses (meals, travel, hotel, taxi, luggage, visas, etc).

As to working hours - depends on the agreement between you and your client. Obviously they're not going to pay for your time when you're not actually working on their project, however - you lose the ability to do something else, as you're parked overseas for the client, and that's worth something. So I'd claim the hours I actually worked, the hours in flight, and not claim the hours in the hotel (when I would be available for my other contracts, as far as they're concerned).

Commute from the hotel is the same as commute from home - if you claim the commute time in CA - claim it also in China, if not - then don't.

This is a leadership issue. You have the chance to ask for more from your line manager / department head while making it look like you are doing more than asking questions.

For example: I might be tempted to say with a chuckle "I take it my billable hours start when I step on the jet?" Thus you have put it out there that you deserve to be paid for all time that is not yours (I would expect no less) but you have also made it the job of said manager to get an answer to you. All while keeping the topic light.

In many companies there is considerable margin for negotiation and getting the most out of it makes you not only more expensive but also seem more valuable - after all why else would hey shell out so much to send you out there?

From the sounds of things you are not the first person to be sent over seas (if you are ask for the moon on a stick, seriously - asking is stage one of getting) so given that others must have gone over seas why not ask them how things worked and what they asked for. If they say that they didn't get paid for hours doing X ask them if they asked prior to going. If they said "no" (and many do) go "clarify" what is billable hours and, most importantly, do you best to be able to classify everything you do under a billable activity name. Be honest but just be smart with your classification.

It is also worth asking if you will be floated for the trip - that is given cash in advance that might be more than usual petty cash amounts - so you do not have to go out of pocket during the trip.

It is a good idea to have talked to accounts payable (or whatever department deals with expenses where you are) to get a full run down of what they are willing to pay for and to what limit. This is often a standardised policy statement. However the manager will have their own understanding of what the rules mean and how bendy they might be for you so have a chat over lunch with him/her if you can.

Anything you can get in writing (or email) is always nice but generally things will be run according to standard policy. Exceptions to said policy (which can often be easy to negotiate if you have a good enough reason) should always be in writing.

Best of luck and enjoy your trip.

The standard travel deal most contractors use is easy to figure out. Establish a daily rate (not hourly). If they are currently paying you $75 / hr, your daily rate is $75 x 8 = $600.00 per day.

Then figure out how many days you are away. If you leave for the airport on Mon at 7 am and return to your home a week later at 9 am, you were gone for 7 days and 2/24. Your pay would be 7.083333 x $600 = $4250.00.

Note they should be paying for all expenses. Airfare, hotel, meals, cabs, etc.