Question: How do we handle the mileage staff incur traveling between campuses?
Answer: There’s a lot of flexibility here, but the simplest way to handle multi-site travel is to designate one campus as the “primary” work site and reimburse any travel from there to other locations as business mileage.
In a ministry context, we want to be good stewards of church resources while also honoring the time and personal expense of our team. According to the IRS, commuting from home to a primary workplace is never reimbursable. However, once a staff member is “on the clock” at their primary location, any trip to a secondary campus, a hospital visit, or a local store for supplies is a business expense.
If you want to simplify things further, you can certainly set a “minimum mileage threshold” (i.e., only reimbursing trips over 10 miles) to your policy to cut down on tiny line items that cost more in administrative time than they are worth in cents. Just be sure this is applied fairly across the board.
From a heart perspective, remember that your mileage policy is a tool for culture. If your staff is driving 40 miles a week between campuses on their own dime, it can breed resentment. On the flip side, a clear, automated process (i.e., mileage tracking app) shows you value their contribution and personal stewardship. You can set caps or flat monthly rates if that fits your budget better, as long as you aren’t dropping their effective pay below minimum wage or creating a taxable “allowance” by accident. Keep it simple, keep it documented, and keep it fair.
Original content by HR Ministry Solutions. This information is provided with the understanding that Payroll Partners is not rendering legal, human resources, or other professional advice or service. Professional advice on specific issues should be sought from a lawyer, HR consultant or other professional.
