If an hourly employee is required to attend a training session and the session ends earlier than their normal work day hours, what is normal pay practice; pay them for their normal work day hours or only the hours they attended the training session?

The company is only required to pay for the time the employee attends the seminar. Many companies will pay for the whole day, but they are not required to do so. THe reason is the employee potentially could return to work for the remainder of the day after the seminar.

If the employee returns to work after the seminar he must be paid for the time driving from the seminar back to work.

If an employee is traveling out of state or out of town to attend a seminar than that employee should be paid for the 8 hour work day as he is not able to return to work after the seminar ends.

If the employee is traveling out of state or out of town for an overnight seminar he must be paid for any travel time that falls within his working week. If he works from 8 AM to 5 PM and he travels from 7 AM to 9 AM. Than he would be paid for the hour of travel time between 8 AM and 9 AM.

Shirley