This principle is called “suffered or permitted to work” time by the Department of Labor. An employer may not accept the benefit(s) of work performed by its nonexempt employees without counting the time in computing the employee's pay. If an employer does not wish you to perform work, it must keep you from working if it does not wish to pay for that work. The employer is charged with controlling the work of its employees. "Unauthorized" or "unapproved" work is work and must be counted (provided that the employer knows or should know it is being done and permits you to do it anyway). "Voluntary" work is work, and the time must be counted. Work done "at home" or at a place other than the normal work site is work, and the time must be counted as work time for which you are paid. ![]() In addition, all time you spend performing work-related activities that the employer permits is work time, whether on your employer's premises or not, and whether "required" or not. This includes most " breaks" (if there are breaks), and "nonproductive" time (for example, time spent by a call center employee waiting for the phone to ring). With only a few exceptions, all time an employee is required to be at the premises of the employer is work time. Employers cannot "allow" you to work on your "own time." If your employer knows that you are doing work (or could have found out by looking), and lets you do it, your employer will be responsible for paying for your work time. This not only includes your regular "on-the-clock" work time, but also includes any "off-the-clock" time you spend performing job-related activities which benefit your employer. The basic principle guiding "work time" is that an employee must be paid for any time spent on activities that are controlled by and that benefit the employer. He said he hopes the legislature and Nebraska Department of Labor can work together to ensure small businesses won’t be harmed by the new amendment.Īaron Bonderson contributed reporting to this story.Workers are often confused about what activities are considered "work" for which they must be paid, as opposed to activities for which the employer has no legal obligation to pay the employee. “It's bad for local business, and it's going to cost small, local businesses across the state.” “I think it's bad for the economy,” Synhorst said. Synhorst said he’s not surprised that the initiative passed, but he still thinks the outcome will be detrimental. They said it could also drive up the price of goods and services because owners will need to make more money since they are paying their workers more.īud Synhorst is the president of the Lincoln Independent Business Association. Opponents argued that raising the minimum wage could force business owners to cut jobs. Since 1996, 22 initiatives and one referral passed in various states across the country to hike the minimum wage, according to Ballotpedia. ![]() Nebraska adds its name to a growing list of states that have turned to ballot initiatives to increase their minimum wage. Starting in October of 2026, the state Department of Labor will be responsible for calculating adjustments to the minimum wage rate. “And these are hard-working people that need just a little bit of help.” “As a lifelong Nebraskan, I know one thing is true about Nebraskans is that we respect and reward hard work,” Wolfe said. At an election night gathering in downtown Lincoln on Tuesday, Wolfe said she couldn’t be more excited for what the initiative’s passage is going to mean for so many people across the state. Kate Wolfe is campaign manager for the group that collected signatures to get the initiative on the ballot. In a high inflation year like 2022, Nebraska’s wage would have grown by 8%. ![]() Initiative 433, which raises the state’s minimum wage by $1.50 per year for the next four years, passed with more than nearly 60% of the votes, according to unofficial results from the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office.Īfter 2026, the state’s wage will be tied to the Consumer Price Index to adjust for inflation. Nebraskans who make minimum wage will be paid $15 per hour in 2026, as voters approved a hike Tuesday night.
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