Is my employer required to pay me my normal rate when sent for a drug test?

Factual Questions
1

Me and 3 others were picked for a random drug test. Is our employer required to pay us our normal rate for the time we spend driving to the testing office and getting the test done? This is in Pennsylvania.

I searched google, but couldn’t find the info.

2

Dunno for your states but I believe most states have some kind of verbiage to the effect of “if your employer orders you to do it, they have to pay you for it”.

3

It’s kind of complex. This opinion letter outlines some of the important disctinctions. http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/opinions/2008-11-25.pdf

I suggest you contact your state’s wage and hour or labor department. Here is a list: http://www.dol.gov/esa/contacts/state_of.htm

4

Ignore the pdf in my last post. Basic rule:

http://www.dol.gov/elaws/esa/flsa/hoursworked/screenER13.asp

5

Assuming that the same is true in Canada, this is probably why some companies ask you to do these tests prior to offering the job - they don’t want to pay you for it if you fail some criteria or other!

At the one job I had that required a blood/urinalysis every 6 months (I worked in a lab, with hormones and other pre-clinical drugs in development, so it was a safety thing) and we were paid to go do those tests.

6

I found that my employer is paying us for it.

Thanks for the replys