Elaine L. Chao, Secretary of Labor, United States Department of Labor v. Tradesmen International, Inc.

**Court Rules Safety Training Time Not Paid Work Hours** This case involved a dispute over whether Tradesmen International had to pay workers for time spent in mandatory OSHA safety training. The Department of Labor sued the company, claiming it violated federal wage laws by not compensating employees for training hours. The Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Tradesmen International, deciding the company did not have to pay workers for safety training time. The court determined the training was "voluntary" because employees chose to take the courses before they were officially hired. Since the decision to participate happened before the employment relationship began, the court said this training time didn't count as paid work hours under federal wage laws. **What This Means for Workers:** This ruling creates an important distinction about pre-employment training. If you're required to complete training *before* you're officially hired, your employer may not have to pay you for that time, even if the training is mandatory for the job. However, if similar training happens after you're employed, different rules may apply. Workers should clarify with employers whether pre-employment training will be compensated and understand that "voluntary" training completed before hiring typically won't be paid.