Can my company keep the per diem the customer is paying?
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Can my company keep the per diem the customer is paying?
We have been entitled to 70 per diem per day
since we have been working. we travel back
and forth to work place about 200 miles
everyday, when it gets really late we stay and
get a hotel when we do this the customer pays
150 perdiem. Recently our company has
decided to pay us travel time instead of giving
us perdiem, this is bad for us because the
travel time is less than the perdiem and it is
taxable unlike the perdiem we were receiving
witch was non taxable. Our company keeps
billing the customer for our perdiem but does
not pay it to us. Is this legal?
Asked on May 19, 2016 under Employment Labor Law, California
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
An employer's contractual pay arrangement with an outside entity has nothing to do with an employee's compensation. So in this case, the fact that your employer is recieving a per diem from a customer does not mean that you should be receiving this amount. In an "at will" employment relationship, a company can set the conditions of employment much as it sees fit, including how much an employee is paid (subject to minimum wage laws). This is true unless such an action violates the terms of any applicable agreement (i.e. a union or employment contract, company policy,etc.). Also, the employee's treatment must not constitute some form of legally actionable discrimination (which it does not appear to).
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
Yes, it is perfectly legal. Your company's contractual or billing arrangements with the customer has nothing to do with what they pay you. They can bill the customer anything they want (including a per diem) and then pay their employees whatever they want; receiving a per diem from the customer does not mean they have to pass it on to you.
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