Q Where can I find the federal employment regulations stating that exempt employees shouldn't be docked for partial days?þþA The best place to find that information is the U.S. Labor Department's Web site. It makes it clear that employers cannot dock the pay of exempt employees for partial days.þþIn other words, an employee's pay can't be docked because he or she is late or misses part of a day for, say, a doctor's appointment. If the employer docks the pay, the employee is no longer considered exempt from overtime pay or minimum wage.þþÿExempt employees who are paid on a salary basis cannot be docked pay for partial days and still retain their exemption,ÿ said Irv Miljoner, who heads the Labor Department's Long Island office.þþBut here's an important distinction: The employer can deduct the partial-day time off from an employee's vacation days or other accumulated paid time off.þþIf an employee doesn't have that bank of time, the company cannot refuse to pay for the hours missed.þþFor the regulations, go to www.dol.gov/esa. Click on ÿFairPay,ÿ then under ÿFairPay Fact Sheetsÿ click on ÿBy Exemptionÿ and finally click on ÿFact Sheet #17G.ÿþ
Source: Chicago Tribune
