What is the Portal-to-Portal Act?

The Portal-to-Portal Act (also known as the Portal Act) is a federal labor law enacted in 1947 in the United States. It was designed to limit the amount of time employees could be paid for work-related activities which take place before or after their scheduled working hours. This includes time spent traveling to and from work, as well as the time spent on various other activities, such as preparing for the job, changing clothes, or activities related to the job (such as maintenance, cleanup, etc.). The Portal Act does not require employers to pay for this time, but does provide certain restrictions on how much of this time employees can be paid for. The Portal Act also defines what constitutes compensable working time for employees, which includes time spent in activities and preparatory work that is essential to the employee’s job. In Massachusetts, the Portal Act is enforced by the Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division, which works to ensure employers are complying with the Portal Act. They also address complaints from employees if they believe their employer is not complying with the Portal Act. Ultimately, the Portal Act provides basic protections for employees in Massachusetts and sets limits on how much work-related time employers can expect employees to perform without receiving compensation.

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What is the Portal-to-Portal Act?

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