When the lights go out

vgmill

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 01-22-08 AT 01:30PM (CST)[/font][br][br]Are we required to pay employees if the lights go out and they can't work?
If they go home, no, but what if they can't go home and have to wait for electricity to be restored?

Irie

We pay our employees if they sit around and wait for the lights to come back on. If we send them home after awhile when we determine the lights won't be coming back on we pay them until they are sent home. If they wish to offset the unpaid time with PTO we would allow that. This would pertain to our hourly workforce.

Exempt employees would of course be paid for the entire day if they were sent home.

NeedCoffee

I believe this falls under the "engaged to wait" section of the FLSA, which would make it compensable. If you send them home, no, if you keep them there, yes.

stilldazed

If you are requiring them to remain in their workplace to be ready for the lights to come on and begin working right away, you have restricted their activity (engaged them to wait), thus compensation is due.

If you send them home to go about their personal business, they are no longer engaged, no compensation due, unless you have a policy that stipulates they will be paid or a collective bargaining agreement that requires you to do so.

best wishes.