Does company have to pay for meetings during lunch? 12-06-2006

At our company, we have a company purchased/prepared lunch during a mandatory meeting where we hear updates on the business a few times each year. The meetings are from 1 to 1.5 hours. The company does not pay the employees for 30 minutes of the meeting, as their "lunch break," even though they are at the meeting the whole time. Is this legal?

Rita Risser replies:

Under federal law, they have to pay for the meeting. Not only do they not get to deduct the lunch, if going to the meeting puts employees over 40 hours, they have to pay time and a half for over 40. Employees can file a claim going back 3 years. Check out www.dol.gov

Good luck.

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