To the point, is my employer required to compensate me for the time spent doing education that they require? This particular education is not required by state law (I'm a nurse) for my license, but the facility is requiring it, or else we are suspended. They say they are not going to pay for the time needed to do the education, and we think they should. FYI, they pay us for just about all the other mandatory education that we have to do, this 3 hour test has slipped past that standard. Thanks for any info anyone can give me.

I seriously doubt the time must be compensated but you can check with your State's DOL to be certain.

According to federal wage and hour law, attendance at meetings, seminars, lectures, and training sessions is compensable time unless all four of the following criteria are met:

1. The session is held outside of the employee's regular working hours;
2. Attendance is voluntary (not a condition of employment);
3. The session is not directly related to the employee's job; and
4. The employee does not performa any productive work for the employer while attending.

http://www.dol.gov/dol/allcfr/ESA/Title_29/Part_785/29CFR785.27.htm
http://www.dol.gov/dol/allcfr/ESA/Title_29/Part_785/29CFR785.28.htm
http://www.dol.gov/dol/allcfr/ESA/Title_29/Part_785/29CFR785.29.htm

Based on this, my opinion would be that the time attending is compensable. The time studying would not be.