Under the California labor law, an employer is supposed to relieve the employee’s burden of expenses necessary to carry out their duties. Depending on the nature of work or circumstance, most of the employees drive to get to work; this is especially to the salespeople who have to drive most of the time to perform their duties. This may be expensive, and that’s why there is a law that mandates California employers to reimburse mileage expenses. Sometimes employers are reluctant to provide the mileage reimbursement. But, did you know that as a group of employees, you can file a suit with the help of class action attorneys Los Angeles? This is if your employer has delayed paying your mileage reimbursement, or if he/she is not properly reimbursing your mileage expenses.

What Does Mileage Reimbursement Include

Mileage reimbursement includes things like the cost of fuel, car repair, maintenance, depreciation, or insurance paid. In some cases, the employer is supposed to follow the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidelines for standard mileage. However, this is not mandatory. It becomes difficult to work out your claim if you don’t understand how your mileage can be reimbursed. That’s why employees are always encouraged to seek legal assistance to understand how mileage reimbursement works in California. Knowledgeable class action attorneys can give you the breakdown of the current IRS mileage reimbursement rates that will be used for your claim.

Ways In Which Mileage Can Be Reimbursed

There are three main ways your employer can use for mileage reimbursement. They include:

• The lump-sum method:This is where an employer agrees with the employee of a fixed monthly amount to be reimbursed. As an employee, you will not be required to track your exact mileage for work-related activities. As such, employees deem this method ideal. They can either receive a per diem payment or car allowance.
• Mileage reimbursement method:Under this method, an employee keeps track of the miles driven during work-related duties. This is the most popular method used as it seems to be for the best interest of the employer and the employee. To the employee, it increases their satisfaction as they are always willing to run errands, knowing they will be reimbursed back without a lot of hustle. To the employer, it helps them avoid class-action lawsuits.
• The actual expense method:This is an approved method that’s accurate when it comes to claiming expenses related to the use of one’s vehicle for work-related purposes. It requires that employees have all the details associated with vehicle expenses for reimbursement. This could include maintenance, repairs, fuel, or depreciation costs.

If you qualify for a class-action lawsuit, your employer will be forced to pay back all expenses related to mileage. In case your employer failed to correctly reimburse your mileage, you may get the unpaid reimbursement back plus interest, and the attorney’s fees paid up. However, if you’re in doubt whether your claim can lead to reimbursement, you may consult an employment lawyer.