EU Court of Justice rules company car travel from base to site and back is working time

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Following a case in Valencia, the CJEU confirms that return journeys between a company headquarters and a work site must be classified as 'actual work' hours

Almudena Nogués

Málaga

Tuesday, 10 March 2026, 13:47

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has issued a landmark ruling establishing that travel time between a company’s base and a designated work site constitutes part of an employee's official working hours.

The decision stems from a legal dispute in the Valencia region involving a public company and its 15 specialised brigades operating across Valencia, Alicante, and Castellón.

So what is the EU court's work travel ruling and who will it affect?

• The Ruling: Travel from a company base to a work site (and back) is now officially "working time".

• Legal Basis: Consolidates European doctrine linked to Article 2 of Directive 2003/88/EC.

• Key Criteria: Travel must be essential for the work and carried out under the employer's supervision or instructions

• Impacted Workers: Primarily those in mobile brigades, technical services, or roles without a single fixed office

• Valencia Case: Involved a public company failing to count return journeys for 60 employees across three Spanish provinces.

Under the current system, employees travel to the company base by their own means to start at 8am. They then use company-provided vehicles to reach various work sites.

While the firm traditionally counted the outbound journey as working time, it refused to include the return trip to the base at the end of the shift. The CJEU order, dated 9 October 2025, clarifies that both legs of the journey are "inextricably linked" to the workers' professional status and must be compensated as such.

The court noted that because employees are required to use company transport and follow employer instructions during these transitions, they remain under the employer’s supervision.

This ruling consolidates European doctrine regarding Directive 2003/88/EC, ensuring that for staff without a fixed place of work, essential travel for the provision of services is legally recognised as effective working time.