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#Post#: 48035--------------------------------------------------
Expenses plus Salary
By: kidsandme Date: February 28, 2020, 7:00 pm
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This is kind of an ettiquette issue, but I would like opinions.
My company pays $X to cover entrance fees to allow me to attend
seminars/confrences of my choosing.
Most of these conferences are during the work day.
The company is on the fence about if I should also be paid my
regular salary if I attend the conference.
If I attend a 1 day conference, my take home pay if I worked
that day in office is more than the expenses covered.
My question is, should the company pay an employees expenses
plus salary.
My contract only states company will pay $X expenses related to
seminars. Nothing about salary being paid.
Thanks
#Post#: 48037--------------------------------------------------
Re: Expenses plus Salary
By: caroled Date: February 28, 2020, 9:45 pm
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in my understanding, salary is a flat rate a worker is paid,
whether or not the are at work, as opposed to punching a clock
and being paid by the hour only for the time worked. Any funds
they pay you for salary are yours as payment for a job rendered.
Any money they pay to someone else as a fee for your admittance
to a conference is to that person/ company hosting the events.
I think it's great that they cover the expense of you gaining
knowledge for yourself and in turn the betterment of their
company, as they should. I don't think employees should be
forced to spend their own funds to cover company mandated/
required events.
If you have to attend these conferences, them they rightly
should cover it and your salary while away from the office.
Otherwise they are sending you away for the day to gain
knowledge, but nothing else...and let's face it, a lower pay
check is not going to cover the bills!
#Post#: 48039--------------------------------------------------
Re: Expenses plus Salary
By: LifeOnPluto Date: February 28, 2020, 10:00 pm
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Are these conferences relevant to your industry and/or the work
you do? If so, then yes, your company should also be paying your
salary while you attend!
And that's not even going into the definition of 'salary', as
caroled below so aptly described.
#Post#: 48049--------------------------------------------------
Re: Expenses plus Salary
By: Aleko Date: February 29, 2020, 1:56 am
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Are these conferences relevant to your professional life? Or to
some leisure interest of yours? (Not being funny: I once worked
with a company that had a fund for employees' education, not
professional education but just learning in general, so if you
wanted e.g. to learn Spanish or get a diploma in speech therapy,
you could apply for a grant.)
If the courses are relevant to what the company does, then even
if they aren't specific to the job you currently do they make
you more valuable to the company; so as LoP says you should be
doing them in paid working time. But if they are about your
personal interests, it's already a bonus that they pay the
conference fees.
#Post#: 48051--------------------------------------------------
Re: Expenses plus Salary
By: Dazi Date: February 29, 2020, 4:32 am
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If you are required to attend these conferences as part of your
job (networking, continuing education, etc), then yes, you
should be getting paid your regular salary, plus expenses. Now
whether those expenses are a lump per diem or pieced out
separately depends on the company.
For example, I used to have a job where I traveled about 200
miles a day. I had a company CC for gas purchases, a company
vehicle, and I got $5 dollars towards lunch/$10 towards dinner.
Meal money was just extra for me since I always packed my own
food for the day. The one time I was required to spend the night
in a hotel, the company paid for that as well and I got
$10/10/20 for meals because I was in a more expensive city.
#Post#: 48057--------------------------------------------------
Re: Expenses plus Salary
By: kidsandme Date: February 29, 2020, 7:17 am
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Thanks everyone for your replies.
The conferences are related to my work, but I am given the
freedom of choosing which conference I want to attend, it is not
mandatory but the conference/ learning should help me better at
my job.
My job is not salaried as the definition given above, more clock
punching. But I think even in a clock punching situation I
should be paid for attending a conference. The company I work
for is small so not a lot of policy is put in place. Thanks
#Post#: 48058--------------------------------------------------
Re: Expenses plus Salary
By: Rose Red Date: February 29, 2020, 8:16 am
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My opinion is you should get paid plus the conference expenses,
but I don't know labor laws.
Maybe you can also submit your question to the Ask A Manager
website. They are pretty good at finding out laws and worker's
rights.
#Post#: 48059--------------------------------------------------
Re: Expenses plus Salary
By: Jem Date: February 29, 2020, 8:52 am
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If you are required to attend a certain number of conference
hours, you should be compensated for that. It sounds like you
are hourly and not salaried though so your title is misleading.
If you are paid based on hours worked it is a different
analysis.
#Post#: 48066--------------------------------------------------
Re: Expenses plus Salary
By: kidsandme Date: February 29, 2020, 7:31 pm
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Just to answer a few questions,
I am paid based on hours worked not a flat salary.
The conferences are optional but I am given $X to use at my
discretion for the conferences that I choose, if I choose that.
The confrences are not mandatory.
My issue is, that why am I given $X but would have to miss out
double to triple the amount of hourly pay.
The company will gain money if I take them up on the offer to
cover my admission fee for a confrence.
#Post#: 48067--------------------------------------------------
Re: Expenses plus Salary
By: DaDancingPsych Date: February 29, 2020, 7:38 pm
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I have seen the Ask A Manager blog talk about similar
situations. You may want to go there. Her explanations of exempt
and non-exempt employees are very relevant.
However, I believe caroled is accurate. A salary is paid no
matter how many hours are worked. Some weeks you work 40 hours,
some you work 50, some you work 30, and some you work 0 while
you are on vacation. You are still paid the same "installment"
of the annual salary. The employer doesn't concern itself over
the number of hours worked, but rather that you are meeting the
necessary goals.
There is definitely an argument that you are working during this
conference (that I agree with), but even if it was determined
that you worked 0 hours, you should still be paid your salary.
My understanding is if they don't pay you that they would be
breaking the US law. (However, this is not necessarily my area
of expertise.)
Etiquette wise, I would be rather disappointed with a company
that says that they will pay me $XXX/year and then because I
decided to better myself to do my job better that they decide
that they are going to deduct from that promise. It might not
push me to considering other employment, but if other things
were less than perfect, I might consider looking elsewhere.
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