Hi,

I work in a cytogenetics lab (genetic testing) in Massachusetts. I know they can require us to work overtime, and they do. But our work week is Sat-Fri, and if someone works the weekend (start of work week) and then gets sick or has an emergency and calls out one day during the week, the company is charging people with sick or vacation time, even though we have worked more than 40 hours. This is not written anywhere in the company policies and causes people to not only lose the OT pay from the weekend but to lose benefit time as well. Obviously you will lose the OT pay, but it seems wrong to be taking people's benefit time when they have already worked more than 40 hours. And it's ridiculous because then we get paid for 40+ hours of regular time plus 8 hours sick time. Is this legal?

Hope that made sense. Thanks.

Heather

Perfectly legal and that's exactly what sick/vacation time is for--to be used when you are off work on a scheduled work day. You mention OT pay for the weekend. That isn't required by law as such; only if you work more than 40 hours in the workweek total.

Agreed; it is completely legal. It may or may not be petty but there's no law prohibiting it.

t's ridiculous because then we get paid for 40+ hours of regular time plus 8 hours sick time. Is this legal?


For any given work week, 40 hours regular is the max, not 40 plus. Charging the sick or vacation leave bank is legal, no matter how many hours were worked.