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Senate tables bill that would let employers set their own 'call‑in' pay policies
Summary
After extended debate about a decades‑old two‑hour reporting pay standard, the New Hampshire Senate laid House Bill 10‑43 on the table, pausing consideration of a proposal that would allow employers to make their own policies about minimum pay when workers are sent home early.
The New Hampshire Senate on April 23 laid aside House Bill 10‑43 after hours of debate that pitted arguments about business flexibility against concerns for worker predictability.
The Commerce Committee had recommended the bill 'ought to pass,' arguing that allowing employers to set written pay policies would give businesses and employees clearer expectations and flexibility. Senator Murphy presented the committee recommendation and moved adoption of the committee's motion.
Senator Fenton, speaking in opposition, said the bill would remove a 40‑year state standard that guarantees two hours of pay when an employee is asked to report to work and then sent home early. 'If you ask someone to come in, you guarantee them at least two hours of pay,' Fenton said, adding that the standard provides predictability and is about fairness: 'When you ask someone to show up, you're asking them to commit part of their day, and that comes with responsibility.' Fenton called for the Senate to vote ITL (in committee) on the proposal.
Supporters, including the committee sponsor, framed HB 10‑43 as a modernization that would let employers and employees craft written policies appropriate to different workplaces. During debate senators also recounted personal experiences and concerns about impacts on low‑wage workers who depend on predictable compensation.
After voice votes and a division, Senator Murphy moved to lay the bill on the table; the motion to lay on the table was adopted, pausing further floor action. No final substantive amendment was adopted on the floor before the bill was tabled.
Because the tabling motion was adopted, HB 10‑43 will not advance at this sitting unless a senator later moves to take it off the table. The record shows a sustained floor exchange that highlighted the trade‑off at the center of the bill: employer flexibility versus a state guarantee that some senators said protects unpredictable, low‑paid workers.
The Senate also recorded other committee recommendations on commerce items during the morning calendar, but HB 10‑43 generated the most sustained floor debate and a formal tabling outcome.
