Can time spent in a required training class be deducted from your paycheck?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can time spent in a required training class be deducted from your paycheck?
I am a bartender. All staff members have been told they need to take a food safety class, which is not an issue. The issue is that they told us the class will be deducted from our paychecks. Is this legal?
Asked on June 23, 2015 under Employment Labor Law, Florida
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
No, it is not legal: hourly employees must be paid for *all* hours worked, and hours "worked" includes time spent in employer mandated or employer required classes and training. If you were voluntarily trying to upgrade your skills, get some new certification, etc. that would be different: the employer would not have to pay for that. But if the employer requires you to go to the class, that is the same as work in the eyes of the law.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.