DOL Clarifies Pay Rules for Training, Construction-Sector Travel

The U.S. Labor Department is giving businesses new clarity on when they must pay workers for time spent in voluntary training sessions or when traveling to and from construction sites.

Employees don’t need to be paid for time spent in traveling to attend a voluntary conference, provided they don’t produce work for their employer during the trip, the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division said in an opinion letter published Tuesday. Conversely, if workers decide to view an optional training, such as a webinar, during their normal work hours, they must still be paid under the terms of the Fair Labor ...