Do I have to pay employees while they wait for work?

If they are required to stay at the worksite or are unable to use the time for themselves, yes, it is paid work time.

Is on-call time considered waiting time?

It depends on the degree of restriction. If the employee can stay home and do personal activities, it is usually unpaid.

Compliance

What is Waiting Time Pay?

Waiting time pay refers to the FLSA requirement that employees must be compensated for time spent waiting if they are 'engaged to wait' (required to stay on premises/stand by) versus 'waiting to be engaged' (free to use time for their own purposes).

The 'Engaged to Wait' Test

1Determine if the employee is free to leave.
2Determine if the time period is long enough to be used effectively for personal tasks.
3If they are restricted, the time is compensable work hours.

Field Services and Logistics

This is critical for industries like trucking or repair services where employees may wait for assignments. Failure to pay for this time is a common wage and hour violation.

Tracking Status

ClockIt allows employees to tag time entries with statuses like 'Waiting' or 'Standby' to ensure these hours are tracked and paid according to policy.

Get Started with ClockIt

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to pay employees while they wait for work?: If they are required to stay at the worksite or are unable to use the time for themselves, yes, it is paid work time.
Is on-call time considered waiting time?: It depends on the degree of restriction. If the employee can stay home and do personal activities, it is usually unpaid.

Related Terms

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