Under the 3-hour rule, when an employee reports to work for a regular shift but works three hours or less, the employee must be paid the higher of which calculations?

Under the 3-hour rule, when an employee reports to work for a regular shift but works three hours or less, the employee must be paid the higher of which calculations?

• A. Three hours at the regular rate, or the time worked plus wages equal to regular wage for the remainder of the three hours.
• B. Four hours at the regular rate, or the time worked plus overtime for the remainder.
• C. The entire shift at the regular rate.
• D. Time worked only, with no additional pay.

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is a minimum pay rule called the 3-hour minimum. If you show up for a scheduled shift and end up working three hours or less, you must be paid for a total of three hours at your regular wage rate. This can be satisfied in two equivalent ways: either you pay three hours at the regular rate, or you pay for the actual time you worked at the regular rate plus enough additional pay at the regular rate to bring the total to three hours. In either case, the total comes out to three hours of regular pay, which protects someone who reported to work but wasn’t kept for a full shift. Why the other ideas aren’t correct: paying four hours at the regular rate goes beyond the minimum and introduces an extra hour you wouldn’t be required to pay for a short shift; paying only for the time worked with no minimum ignores the rule; paying the entire shift at the regular rate regardless of length doesn’t reflect the required minimum pay when a short shift occurs.

The key idea here is a minimum pay rule called the 3-hour minimum. If you show up for a scheduled shift and end up working three hours or less, you must be paid for a total of three hours at your regular wage rate.

This can be satisfied in two equivalent ways: either you pay three hours at the regular rate, or you pay for the actual time you worked at the regular rate plus enough additional pay at the regular rate to bring the total to three hours. In either case, the total comes out to three hours of regular pay, which protects someone who reported to work but wasn’t kept for a full shift.

Why the other ideas aren’t correct: paying four hours at the regular rate goes beyond the minimum and introduces an extra hour you wouldn’t be required to pay for a short shift; paying only for the time worked with no minimum ignores the rule; paying the entire shift at the regular rate regardless of length doesn’t reflect the required minimum pay when a short shift occurs.