salaried and owe in Vermont?

[Red]

I work in an architects office and I am not a licenced architect. I am salaried based on 'full time employment ~ 40hrs+/-'. As I am coming up to my year end I am being told that I owe the firm $ for missed hours, the hours I am short are due to lack of work in the office - they total about 52hrs 1hr a week. As far as I know I am not being let go.

Is it legal for an employer to request that I repay this 'debt'?

what defines that I am allowed to be salaried in the first place, I have read a lot on this site about being exempt, what does defines if you are exempt?

Thank you,
Red

[LConnell]

If you are exempt, you do not need to "repay" hours. However, you can be required to work as many hours as your employer feels is necessary. They can feel that you are not putting in sufficient hours and they can say so. However, if you are short, they cannot demand repayment or require you to work for free. You can read about exemption at: http://www.dol.gov/elaws/esa/flsa/screen75.asp

[Red]

The lack of work in the office is not my not putting in my effort, it is a lack of client work being given to me to do. I am now spending time 'on hold' trying to find things to do.

over the past year we had down time and it was suggested that I use the down time to do things out of the office because we would be bussy in the summer. here we are in the summer and I find I'm sitting for about 8hrs a week with nothing to do...but I'm now putting in 40hrs in the office....

I have no contract either, probably bad for me...

Thank you for your quick reply, as far as being exempt it looks like I am.

Red