Q: My boss frequently tells me in the middle of the day to punch out and go home because there is no work and he’s closing early. I want to know if this is legal? Does he need to pay me for the remaining hours that I lost, after all it’s not my fault there is no work. I came and was willing to work the full shift!
A: There is a distinction between employees who are paid by the hour and those that are a paid a monthly sum;
1. For employees who are paid an hourly rate multiplied by the number of hours worked this is legal. In this case you will not receive payment for the hours “missed”.
2. For employees who are paid a monthly rate, it is not legal. In this case the employer cannot deduct the “missing hours” from your pay.
