Can my place of work lower my hourly wage for trainer purposes?
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Can my place of work lower my hourly wage for trainer purposes?
My work place wants to change my hourly rate from 30.00 an hour to 15.00 an
hour for training and nonbillable jobs. Is this is legal?
Asked on October 30, 2016 under Employment Labor Law, Massachusetts
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
So long as this change goes into effect for future hours to be worked, splitting your hourly rate is legal. However, this chage cannot be retroactive. In other words, your rate can't be split for any hours that you have already worked. This all holds true provided that such a rate split does not violate the terms of any applicable union agreement or employment contract. The fact is that most employment is "at will", which means that a company can set the conditions of the workplace much as it sees fit. This includes paying a lower rate for training and non-billable jobs. Bottom line, you can comply with this change, complain but risk termination, or quit.
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