Legal Question in Employment Law in California

Required to take paid classes or receive pay cut?

My wife works as a group exercise instructor for a fitness club chain and has been employed by them, part time, for nearly 20 years. A few years ago, they started offering their own workshops and required instructors to attend these workshops in order to teach new classes that were renamed based on the titles of these new workshops. Each workshop costs about $30-$50 and there are 2 or 3 new ones each year.

In addition to this, each instructor is required to maintain an ACE (American Council on Exercise) certification which requires CEU (Continuing Education Units) as well as maintaining a CPR certification. The workshops the club offers do count as CEU units.

Recently, the club has announced that certain workshops are now required by all instructors teaching the related classes and those that fail to attend will receive a cut in the hourly rate they receive when they teach a class.

Are employers allowed to do this?


Asked on 1/17/06, 5:42 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Thomas Pavone Pavone & Cohen

Re: Required to take paid classes or receive pay cut?

An employer may set conditions, requirements and wages at will in California. Notice will be required, but the employer may make such changes.

I would be more concerned about the charges for the classes. Generally an employer must pay employees for the time spent while undergoing training as well as pay for the cost of training where the training is required as a condition of employment.

If you wish to explore this further feel free to contact me.

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Answered on 1/30/06, 6:42 pm


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