Required Class - Pay for your travel time? Iowa

[iowa_guy]

Is it lawful in the state of Iowa to NOT pay for travel time to a required class.

The class is for training on equipment and if you do not go and do not pass you do not have a job.

The drive time to get there is 6 hours and the class is paid for by the company.

[Pattymd]

When is the class as related to your scheduled workday? Is the employer requiring this particular class? Or do you just need this class to maintain some type of certification which your employer requires? You will be driving your personal vehicle? Are you exempt or nonexempt (generally speaking, salaried with no overtime or hourly)?

[iowa_guy]

Originally Posted by Pattymd

When is the class as related to your scheduled workday?

Normal work day is Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm. I need to know two different ways. If leaving on a Sunday for the 6 hour drive and not being given 6 hours comp time as well as leaving on a Monday, but the first half of the day is being taken as personal time. (Did not actually work that day, but is a normal work day)

Originally Posted by Pattymd

Is the employer requiring this particular class? Or do you just need this class to maintain some type of certification which your employer requires?

Employer requires the class to obtain initial certification on the equipment of which tech is not currently trained. Employer knew before hiring that tech was not trained on this equipment.

Originally Posted by Pattymd

You will be driving your personal vehicle?

Yes, will be driving personal vehicle. Also, how would that change if tech would drive a company vehicle?

Originally Posted by Pattymd

Are you exempt or nonexempt (generally speaking, salaried with no overtime or hourly)?

nonexempt

[cbg]

It wouldn't change if you were driving a company vehicle. But it would change if you were a passenger in someone else's car.

I'm going to let Patty go into the details, though.

[iowa_guy]

Originally Posted by cbg

It wouldn't change if you were driving a company vehicle. But it would change if you were a passenger in someone else's car.

I'm going to let Patty go into the details, though.

Not sure if Patty is going into the details or not, but would still like this information.

[Pattymd]

This will take Patty a little time. Patty will get back to you.

[iowa_guy]

Originally Posted by Pattymd

This will take Patty a little time. Patty will get back to you.

Thank You.

[cab]

Bump for this question. It will answer some concerns for me as well. (Iowa)

[ScottB]

Let's say that you MUST have Red Cross CPR certification to get a job.

If your certification expires subsequent to being hired, you lose the job.

You can get re-certified, only the nearest course is a six hour drive away and costs $100. The company offers to pay for the cost of the course AND pay for your time attending it. Would you really hold them hostage for the travel time?

Personally, I think that a company should pick up the entire tab for keeping its employees current.

On a legal level, though, I don't think they have to do that and paying for anything such as the training, the pay for the employee in training or the travel, is above and beyond what they are legally required to do.

[in the one and only union environment I worked in (no, I was never a union member), the employer had requirements that the employee had to meet and the employee had to pay for the training to meet certification requirements. I thought it was ludicrous for the employer to pay for the wages, travel and training costs for someone to attend a class that they did not need for the job, but require the employee to pick up all those expenses to keep their job. I told that to the shop steward and got a blank look in return.]

[Pattymd]

Oops, Patty let this one get by her.

OK, here we go.

1. If you drive to the city, and you chose this option over public transportation which the company would pay for, such as by train or plane, ALL drive time is work time. It can be paid at as little as minimum wage, though. ScottB is correct that, if the travel occurs during regularly working hours, no matter whether you drive or fly or take the train, it is compensable time. So, if you leave Monday morning, that's as much compensable time as it is if you leave Sunday. You should not have to take "Personal Time" for Monday morning unless you actually travel Sunday, and just "fool around" Monday until it's time to start.

http://www.dol.gov/dol/allcfr/ESA/Ti...9CFR785.40.htm
http://www.dol.gov/dol/allcfr/ESA/Ti...9CFR785.39.htm

2. "Comp Time" in lieu of overtime pay is not allowed for private employers; only for the private sector, such as a government or government agency.

3. Company vehicle or personal vehicle, makes no difference.