March 2000
Q. Do
we need to treat on-call time or time required to wear a beeper as hours
worked for our non-exempt employees?
A.Time
spent by non-exempt employees carrying a beeper or pager does not constitute
hours worked provided the employee is relatively free to come and go
as they please. The employee must be given sufficient time to report
(generally 20-30 minutes) so that they can be free to use time as they
wish. You may require the employee to refrain from drinking alcoholic
beverages during these periods.
If you require an employee to stay at home or at work, then the time
spent there is counted as time worked.
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