How much does commuting cost you?
If my work can only be accomplished at a specific location, then I should be compensated for traveling to that location as required by my employer. When an executive MUST go to a conference hosted at a golf resort in Hawaii, he does not have to pay for his plane tickets and can fly during work hours. Make sense?
So…
* If I can drive to work during regular hours (for me 8:00 to 4:30), then my cash compensation would not change. I would spend about eight hours traveling for work out of a regular forty-hour work week. If I have to be in the office during regular hours, then I would expect to be paid 1.5 times my regular hourly rate for the eight extra hours I travel as part of my job.
* Since I will most likely be driving my own car to work, I would charge the employer $0.655 per mile (Federal mileage rate) for the use of my vehicle.
* I currently pay for my own office space, utilities, and ‘janitorial services.’ If all of that is provided at the employer’s location, then I think that would be a wash.
For the past two years I have worked on a contract 100% from home. If my current client demanded that I work in their office, then I estimate they would have to compensate me an additional $650 per month.