Extended Meal Break for Non-Exempt EEs

chec

At our small North Carolina plant, most of our hourly plant employees were invited to a BBQ lunch by one of our vendors. They normally get a one hour lunch break. For this special event, the EEs were gone about 1 1/2 hours. Since the EEs got prior approval from the manager to attend the luncheon, we did not dock them for the extra 1/2 hour they were at lunch. Those EEs that chose not to attend the luncheon or were not invited to attend are complaining that they should be compensated extra because the EEs that attended with luncheon were paid for time that they did not work. I say no, and believe company has the right to make exceptions for special events. Is there any problem with this?

Shadowfax

Not a legal one! And I don't have any other problem with it either. It happens occasionally to us in the north country when weather creates a seeming inequality. It is just one of those things. Hopefully, over a period of time, things equal out.

HRLASS

I agree with Shadowfax (love that horse!).
It is rare that anyone attending anything sponsored by a vendor will not receive some kind of promotion, information on products, unofficial training in use, etc. We consider that extra 1/2 hour of lunch to be time spent with the vendor to the benefit of work performance and maintaining positive vendor relations. The other employees who chose not to go or were not invited did not receive that benefit and should not be paid for it. Their chance will come another time.

KathyHR

We don't dock when extra time is taken for a lunch with a vendor. We anticipate that it will take more time than their usual hour. Besides, for the most part they're talking about work related things anyway. We've never had other employees complain. And, if the employee returns with something that could be shared with everyone, they share.