By the Unified Savers Editorial Team
This information is based on official California DSS guidelines and is reviewed for accuracy.
A guidance memo issued by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) this week clarified that IHSS providers who travel between two or more clients in the same workday are legally entitled to payment for that travel time.
The memo, sent to all county IHSS directors, states that travel time must be:
- Counted as compensable work time
- Paid at the provider’s regular hourly rate
- Included in the weekly hour total for overtime calculation purposes
Background
Travel time between clients has been a source of disputes between providers and some county IHSS offices for years. Some counties argued that travel time required separate authorization — a position the new memo rejects.
What This Means for You
If you care for more than one IHSS recipient and travel between them on the same day:
- Document your travel: Keep a log of departure time, arrival time, and mileage
- Report the time: Include travel time in your EVV/timesheet submissions
- If denied: File a wage claim with the Labor Commissioner at 1-844-522-6734, citing IWC Wage Order 15
Note: Your commute from home to your first client, and from your last client home, is generally not compensable.
Travel time pay is one of several rights that IHSS providers frequently have violated. Related rights guides: IHSS overtime rules in California · IHSS caregiver rights in California · AB 1228 wage theft protections