When Should You Be Paid For Not Working?
Sometimes, employers must compensate employees for not working. While this seems to make no sense, a quick look at several situations explains why some employees get paid for doing nothing (or very little).
Training If you are required to attend a seminar or other educational meeting, you might be eligible for pay for these sessions. You may also be eligible to be paid for time spent traveling to the location of the meeting.
On-Call This is a major area for litigation over unpaid wages. Some employees are considered “waiting to be engaged.” Typically, these employees are free to do whatever they want with the sole condition that they be available if paged, called or texted by their employer to report to work. The only restrictions on these employees are that they cannot drink alcohol or be too far away from the work location during on-call time. Examples include repair workers, technical support, and back-up firefighters. Other employees are “engaged to wait.” These employees may have down time, but are required to remain on site or restricted from doing other activities. Examples include on-duty firefighters, paramedics, and dispatchers.
Sleep Some employees need to sleep on the job during long shifts. These employees may get compensated for their nap time. Examples include doctors, nurses, and firefighters.
If you have questions about whether you have been properly compensated for “not working,” call Paul at The Sharman Law Firm at 678-242-5297.