Exempt Employees Vacation Time

Sunny

I've been asked whether exempt employees can be forced to used vacation time, without losing their exempt status, if the employer elects to temporarily shut down operations. I would think not - but would appreciate hearing from someone who knows.

Thanks,

System

I think it's OK as long as you don't dock their pay. Look at the discussions regarding snow days:

"Bad Weather"
[url]http://www.hrhero.com/employersforum/DCForumID14/1840.html#[/url]

"Snow Days"
[url]http://www.hrhero.com/employersforum/DCForumID14/1841.html#[/url]

"office closed for inclement weather, pay or no pay"
[url]http://www.hrhero.com/employersforum/DCForumID17/565.html#[/url]

James Sokolowski
Senior Editor
M. Lee Smith Publishers

Pork

In a manufacturing situation it is not uncommon for the plant to shut down every year for periods of maintenance. Every one who has vacation time takes vacation time at these points. Labor is, likewise, allowed to take vacation time if they want to get a pay check. Exempt employees were always told to take vacation time. No work , no vacation time, no check! It is a part of the hiring process and the exempt person has pre agreed to arrange things so he/she takes vacation time during these times. If the exempt employee did not like those terms, tuff he/she did not have to accept the position. This arrangement did not distroy their exempt status. It did not necessarily make ever exempt employee happy to be told specific dates to arrange their vacation. But that is better than having the company to deny another time because production or sales or business necessity would not allow for your vacation time to be taken at some other time when the factory was running full speed ahead. Pork