Employees are often confused about which work-related activities their employer must compensate them for versus those activities that are not classified as work-related and therefore do not require compensation. This uncertainty can cause mix-ups in time-reporting, which will certainly lead to disgruntled employees who were anticipating a larger paycheck!
According to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), an employee shall be compensated for time spent on anything that is controlled by or that benefits the employer. This not only includes time spent in the office, it also includes any offsite job-related activities.
Some employees are compensated for time spent waiting for a potential occurrence. Wait time includes any On-Duty or Off-Duty timeframe that requires an employee to stand by to work as needed. On Duty On-Call Employees are required to remain onsite and be available for immediate response to situations. This waiting period is counted as a job related activity because the employee remains onsite. Off Duty On-Call Employees are not required to stay onsite; they are only required to be available during a specified timeframe upon notification. This waiting period is not counted as a job related activity because the employee is free to leave and take care of other concerns.
Some employees are compensated for travel time. While it is not a legal requirement for an employer to pay for the commute to and from the workplace; there are some instances where an employee is compensated when called back to work after the specified work day has ended. In particular if the extra trip is a significant distance away.
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D.C. Powell & Associates is a full-service staffing agency with over forty years of experience. We are dedicated to providing quality staffing support as well as full and part-time career opportunities for professionals in the medical, administrative, professional, construction, light industrial and information technology fields. For a free job placement consultation, contact Darrell C. Powell Sr. to schedule your appointment today. If you are a business and would like to discuss your organization’s staffing needs, please call 757-243-1287 to set up an appointment.
Sources:
http://employment.findlaw.com/wages-and-benefits/fair-labor-standards-act.html