As the world is slowly transitioning out of a global pandemic, we have witnessed a massive switch to a hybrid work environment. This is reflected more than ever in the world of traveling employees and salespeople. These are people that come and go every day. Especially now more than ever, they are hardly in the office and constantly on the move. As such, employers routinely hold nonmandatory get-togethers, such as happy hours, to bring employees together and foster morale. However, the question begs, when are these employees on the clock? Where does the job end and personal life begin?

Surprisingly, this is an issue that the highest courts in Pennsylvania have not had many occasions to evaluate. However, with the changing landscape of what office life looks like, it can be expected that this issue will come up more and more often. At the end of 2021, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court was afforded an opportunity to look more closely at these exact issues. Unfortunately for employers in the commonwealth, traveling employees are now granted a wide exemption to when they are considered off the clock. It is not out of the realm of belief, either, that this same standard may be applied to remote employees who travel to employer-sponsored events.