Can an employer make employees work at unrelated businesses

[Larellei]

What is the name of your state? Tennessee

A friend of mine is asking me for advice on an item that is now affecting him at work. The owner of a warehousing company has been sending his floor workers once a week to his son's arcade to clean and sweep. His son just emailed the IT department outlining new systems he requires them to design and programming. The two businesses are not legally related, it's simply a matter of dad making his workers to help out his son.

I know that government supervisors cannot devert employees/resources to private sector companies, but, while the above behavior is unethical, is it actually illegal?

This takes place during normal shift times, so it is not a matter of not getting paid, etc.

Thanks much!!

 

[oberauerdorf]

This takes place during normal shift times, so it is not a matter of not getting paid, etc.

As long as the pay is the same and daddy is footing the bill, it's legal.

HOWEVER, who is paying the transportation costs?

 

[cbg]

The employer can legally require an employee to do any tasks he wants, regardless of whether they are related to "company business" or not. He's paying the employee; he gets to decide how the employee uses his time.

Only if the employer required him to do something unsafe (by OSHA standards) or downright illegal, would the employee have any legal recourse. And that follows whether the tasks set by the employer have to do with company business or not.

 

[oberauerdorf]

AH! but CB Baby, what about the cost of leaving one job to go to the other????

 

[Beth3]

"what about the cost of leaving one job to go to the other????" Except in a very few states (CA being one), that's not the employer's problem or responsibility. In most States, I could require you to drive from one coast and back to another without paying any of your travel expenses. Of course anyone would half a brain would quit before they'd comply with the employer's request.

 

[Larellei]

Thanks much

Thank you all very much for the response. I sent my friend the link to let him know what was up.

Take care!!

 

[JETX]

One thing that may be of relevance here.... lots of people seem to misinterpret the issue of business OWNERSHIP.

In this case, if the warehouse business is in fact OWNED only by the one person who is directing the employee work, then that OWNER can direct the work to be done without recourse.

However, if that business is owned by more than one person (partnership or corporation), then the writers friend may want to attempt to confirm that the real OWNER is aware of the 'off site' work.