Whether waiting time is time worked depends on the circumstances. Facts may show that the employee was required to wait or they may show that the employee was waiting on the employer to be instructed to work. Such questions “must be determined in accordance with common sense and the general concept of work or employment.”
Examples:
An employee required to remain on
call or too close to work to use time freely
A stenographer who reads a book while waiting for dictation
A messenger who works a crossword puzzle while awaiting assignments
A fireman who plays checkers while waiting for alarms
A factory worker who waits while waiting for machinery to be repaired
Periods during which an employee is completely relieved from duty and which are long enough to enable him to use the time effectively for his own purposes are not hours worked. Whether the time is long enough to enable him to use the time effectively for his own purposes depends upon all of the facts and circumstances of the case.