“If I could sum up why I’m committed to the HR Girlfriends community it would come down to because we are ‘….in this together.'”

~Sana’ Rasul, Chief Girlfriend

Q&A: What is the minimum amount of time that an exempt employee must work to be credited for the entire day?

Question:

What is the minimum amount of time that an exempt employee must work to be credited for the entire day?

Answer from Kara, JD, SPHR:

If an exempt employee does any work, they must be paid for the full day—there is no minimum. For instance, if the employee came to the office for the first 15 minutes of their usual 8-hour day, then went home sick, they would be entitled to their full pay for that day.

The only exceptions to the Full-Pay-for-Partial-Day rule are during the employee’s first or last week of employment, when the employer is offsetting amounts received for civil services like jury duty or military leave, or when the employee is taking unpaid leave under FMLA.

Employers can, however, use an employee’s paid time off to fill in the gaps. So, if that employee had paid time off available in their PTO bank, the employer could use a partial day of that time to cover their absence. But if the employee was out of paid time off (or was never offered any), the employer would still owe them for the full day.

Picture of Kara, JD, SPHR

Kara, JD, SPHR

Kara practiced employment law for five years before joining us, and worked in Human Resources for several years prior to that. As an attorney, she worked on many wage and hour and discrimination claims in both state and federal court. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oregon State University and earned her law degree from Lewis and Clark Law School.

Leave a comment

Never miss an opportunity to earn HRCI/SHRM credits, identify a mentor, or connect 1:1 with another HR Girlfriend in your city or across the country.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Author picture

HR Girlfriends™ is a Human Resources networking organization dedicated to advancing the practice and culture of people empowerment. Our team of Girlfriends consult, train, educate, develop, share, promote, and advocate for solutions in the field of human resource management.

Are You IN?
Or Are You OUT?

It’s time you join forces with a community of like-minded peers ready to tackle the issues unique to the women of HR.
  • All
  • Affirmations
  • Career Monday
  • COVID-19
  • CyberSAFE
  • Guest Blogger
  • HR Advisor Newsletter
  • HR Certifications
  • HR Compliance
  • HR Law Alert
  • HR Q&A
  • HR Reading
  • HR Reel Talk
  • Join Our Team - Apply Now
  • Membership
  • Talent Management
All
  • All
  • Affirmations
  • Career Monday
  • COVID-19
  • CyberSAFE
  • Guest Blogger
  • HR Advisor Newsletter
  • HR Certifications
  • HR Compliance
  • HR Law Alert
  • HR Q&A
  • HR Reading
  • HR Reel Talk
  • Join Our Team - Apply Now
  • Membership
  • Talent Management
HR Q&A

Q&A: Personal Leave of Absence

An employee requested an unpaid leave of absence to complete their last semester of college. Do we have to approve it? If we don’t but ...
Read More →
Affirmations

Affirmation: Professional stress has no place in my life.

Jobs can be stressful, but I avoid allowing professional stress into my life. When stress comes my way at work, I just let it roll ...
Read More →
Career Monday

Career Monday: Dealing Effectively with Criticism at Work

Criticism at work can stimulate professional and personal growth if you know how to deal with it effectively. Here are some guidelines for adopting a ...
Read More →
Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap