I went to work for my regular 8-hour shift. After 3 hours, I went home to care for my sick child. Should my employer pay me reporting time pay because I worked less than half my normal shift?
No. If you leave work due to a personal matter, such as having a sick child, you are not entitled to reporting time pay. It was not your employer who prevented you from completing your full shift, but rather it was your choice. In this case, no reporting time pay is due.
Example:
Joe went to work for his normal 8-hour shift that started at 9 am. At 11:30 am he got a phone call from his child’s school nurse saying that his daughter was sick and needed to be picked up. At noon Joe left work to care for his daughter. Joe worked less than half of his normal shift and left on his own behalf. Joe is not entitled to reporting time pay because he chose to leave his regular shift. Reporting time pay is only entitled to employees when an employer makes them to leave before an employee has completed 1/2 their shift due to a lack of work or scheduling conflict. If Joe was asked to leave by his employer because there was a lack of work before he had been at work for 4 hours, Joe may be entitled to reporting time pay and may file a reporting time pay wage claim in California.
If you have a question about California reporting time pay law or want to file a reporting time pay wage claim in California, contact Strauss & Strauss APC now.