Employee pay for orientation

MaryJ

I am looking for ways in which I can save money on my budget. This may not be the way, but I will ask anyway. Must I pay new employee's their actual hourly rate to watch the OSHA training videos? Everyone watches the same videos, takes the same amount of time but they are getting paid at different rates because of their pay scales. Does anyone know? Can I pay minimum wage or must I pay them at all if it is part of the "hiring" process? Thanks.

Down_the_Middle

I think the easiest way to get beyond this issue is to answer a couple of question: 1) is attendance mandatory and directly related to the job for new hires, & 2) can you compete in the local market by asking new hires to volunteer that much of their time b/4 being officially employed.

If you require attendance, (and I can't imagine that orientation is not related to their job) then FLSA will view that as hours worked and each person s/b paid for time spent in orientation.

I know of 1 company that tried this once and it is now a faded memory for them!!!!!

Rockie

I agree with DTM. If a class is mandatory for employment, then the employee must be paid their hourly rate.

This also comes up with mandatory classes that employees need to take to maintain certifications required by the company, etc. Some company "philosophers" feel that if the company pays for the class, then they shouldn't have to pay the employee compensation to take the class.

It should be "mandatory" training for supervisors and managers to have to go through Wage & Hour, EEOC, etc., Harassment complaint processes and see how much time and energy the implication of trying to "save" a few dollars gets them. Often, it costs a heck of a lot more in time and money to defend or pay out the consequences of these type actions.

Gillian

this is not the way to save money - not paying will cost far more through the repercussions than the money you save - and that doesn't even deal with the legal aspects of wage and hour which are not in your favor.