Required classes and no pay?

[violas]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida
I work for a medical agency that requires that we do all of their agency's required trainings on line and at no pay. It will probably take me 8 hours to do all of their required trainings on my own time with no pay.The people who do not complete the training will be taken off the work schedule and fired. In the past, I had to do required trainings at other jobs but was always paid for my time. Is this legal?

 

[HomeGuru]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida
I work for a medical agency that requires that we do all of their agency's required trainings on line and at no pay. It will probably take me 8 hours to do all of their required trainings on my own time with no pay.The people who do not complete the training will be taken off the work schedule and fired. In the past, I had to do required trainings at other jobs but was always paid for my time. Is this legal?

**A: you can get fired for any reason so why all the fuss?

 

[violas]

I keep hearing that you have to get paid for your time. However, at this place it is required or you are fired. So what about other people here? Do you also have to do 8 hours worth of unpaid trainings in order to keep your job?

 

[cbg]

Who is requiring the training? Your employer or the state (as in for certification)? It makes a difference to the answer.

 

[violas]

My employer is requiring this training.

 

[cbg]

This answer presumes that you are a non-exempt employee. If you are an exempt employee, the answer changes.

Since it is your employer and not the state that is making the requirement, you must be paid for the time you are actually undergoing the training.

However, FL does not have a state DOL and if you file a wage claim with the Federal DOL (which is an option), the DOL will only support a claim for Federal minimum wage. Your best bet may be small claims.

 

[swalsh411]

And you are positive it is not a state requirement for your job?

 

[Betty]

If you're non-exempt & it is employer required training:

Lectures, Meetings and Training Programs: Attendance at lectures, meetings, training programs and similar activities need not be counted as working time only if four criteria are met, namely: it is outside normal hours, it is voluntary, not job related, and no other work is concurrently performed.

http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs22.pdf