Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience.
Q:
I am a registered dental hygienist. Civilians in my group were recently required to complete a 7-hour training. I am in direct patient care for eight hours every day and my management will not adjust my patient workload to accommodate the training. In the two months since we received notification that we had to complete the training, I have managed to find some time during training days and staff meetings, but due to website glitches was only able to get halfway through the training modules. Other civilian providers worked up to four hours over the duty day to complete with no compensation, but I cannot do that.
Now, the deadline to complete the training has passed and I believe management is punishing me by denying my TDY for a required conference because I have not completed the training. With all the computer training that is required of us, is it required for management to give us scheduled administrative time for this?
A:
It is not administrative time. It’s part of your job. You and your management should find a way for you to complete the training. If you can get off to attend a conference, there has to be a way to do other required training. Failure to complete can be used to deny other training.
Bill Bransford is managing partner of Shaw Bransford & Roth PC.
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