Barry Miller Quoted in The Boston Globe
"Commission for Meetings?"

Barry Miller was quoted in The Boston Globe Q&A article, "Commission for Meetings?" published March 25, 2009. A commissioned sales person wanted to know if he were entitled to compensation for the time spent during mandatory weekly meetings that last one-to-three hours. Barry explained, "An employer is not required to pay a properly classified sales employee for time spent at meetings. While most employees must be paid at least a certain minimum wage for all hours worked (and mandatory meetings would usually be considered ‘work’), there are a number of exceptions. Both state and federal law provide an exemption to minimum wage requirements for employees engaged in ‘outside sales.’" He further explained, "Employees who are primarily engaged in making sales calls away from their employer’s place of business meet this exemption. The law recognizes that such employees are paid for all of their working efforts based on the commissions they receive, and they need not be paid extra hourly compensation for meetings or other activities that are undertaken in addition to their sales calls."