Not Getting Paid for "Meetings"

[JarethCutestory]

My jurisdiction is: Harrison Co., Mississippi

My sister recently acquired a job for a water park in Gulfport, MS, and is the position is hourly waged. Up to this point, the management has scheduled her (along with other employees) for a half-dozen or so meetings, which last anywhere from 15 minutes to a half-hour. The problem: they DO NOT allow the employees to clock in for these meetings. I have never had a job in my life (I'm 27 and she's 18), nor heard of another, where I was not compensated for time I was scheduled to be at my place of employment.

My question: is it legal for them to withhold pay for these scheduled meetings? My guess is no, because it just does not seem ethical. Please help, and do we have a case against the said employer if they are supposed to compensate their employees for scheduled attendance, whether or not labor is involved? My understanding is that they were not paid for training, either. Thanks in advance!

 

[cbg]

If she is a non-exempt employee AND the meetings are mandatory, she must be paid for them. If the meetings are not mandatory (there is a DOL definition of mandatory but I'll have to look for the link) then she needn't be. Likewise, if she is exempt (but it doesn't sound as if she is) then she also needn't be paid extra for the meetings.

"We" do not have a case here at all. You have no standing in your sister's employment. At 18 she is a legal adult. Mississippi is not known for its strong position on labor laws but SHE can contact the Department of Employment Security and see if they can/will help her. Otherwise she can file with the US DOL or file a civil suit.

 

[JarethCutestory]

Oh, by the "we," I was not trying to imply that I would have anything to do with trying to fix it, it was just an expression, I guess. I understand that she's 18 and she's the one that would have to go through with it and all. I'm simply trying to gather information.

That being said, she is definitely non-exempt and the meetings are definitely mandatory. So how should she go about bringing this to their attention or filing with the MS DOL? Thanks for your help!