Do you have a company that makes you take online company training lessons or watch videos off the clock? (employee, credit)

[beenhereandthere]

I thought this was illegal in most states (anything work related except getting to and from work, but not paying the employee) unless you're an independent contractor. While they may not mandate it in writing, they can and usually do, discipline in other ways, if you don't watch it from your home computer, library, etc, when you're not on the company's property or on the clock.
Maybe this goes on more often than it appears, but it just seems wrong. Either pay a stipend in advance (deduct from the regular pay check if the employee doesn't watch it) or pay minimum wage, if nothing else. Indirectly, it seems like a company wanting their cake and eating it too, while the employee is basically working from home, but not getting paid.

[Pitt Chick]

:::shrugs shoulders:::

My DH says it makes up for all the personal websurfing done on company time.

[Jjury15]

My first job had me doing HIPPA compliance stuff, as I worked in benefits and HR. Normally, these videos don't take long to complete. Other than that, I never had them make me do it off the clock. Why don't you say something to your employer?

[beenhereandthere]

Originally Posted by Jjury15

My first job had me doing HIPPA compliance stuff, as I worked in benefits and HR. Normally, these videos don't take long to complete. Other than that, I never had them make me do it off the clock. Why don't you say something to your employer?

Career death. I don't mind it if it's like less than 45 min per se, but when it's a total of several hours, that's a different story. I learn better in an on the job situation by doing, than watching videos and hoping to remember it later on. I could contact the Department of Labor though.

[convextech]

Originally Posted by beenhereandthere

Career death. I don't mind it if it's like less than 45 min per se, but when it's a total of several hours, that's a different story. I learn better in an on the job situation by doing, than watching videos and hoping to remember it later on. I could contact the Department of Labor though.

But that wouldn't be career death, huh?

[beenhereandthere]

Originally Posted by Pitt Chick

:::shrugs shoulders:::

My DH says it makes up for all the personal websurfing done on company time.

Hope that was said tongue in cheek. That's when (instead of personal websurfing) he/she should have you do the company online training, during down time.

[beenhereandthere]

Originally Posted by convextech

But that wouldn't be career death, huh?

Think they keep those complaints confidential from the company. This company isn't so small that they can easily track down who complained about it.

[Pitt Chick]

Originally Posted by beenhereandthere

Hope that was said tongue in cheek.

Not at all.
Much company time is wasted by employees who choose to shop, post to message boards, update Facebook, etc., when they should be working.

[beenhereandthere]

Don't know about other states, but I just called my state's L and I department and this is illegal, not to pay someone, to watch videos that related to training for a job, unless you're a I 1099 employee.

[LiLShorty4lyfe]

Interesting. Even when said person is on salary? I was asked to take 220 credits on a new system implementation. My work load was too heavy to do it during business hours. It was roughly 8 hours of classes over 3 months.