Montana § 39-3-402 - Definitions

§ 39-3-402. Definitions

Definitions. As used in this part, the following definitions apply: (1) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of labor and industry. (2) "Employ" means to suffer or permit to work. (3) "Employee" means an individual employed by an employer. (4) (a) "Farm or ranch" means an endeavor primarily engaged in cultivating the soil or in connection with raising or harvesting an agricultural or horticultural commodity, including the raising, shearing, feeding, caring for, training, and management of livestock, bees, and poultry and fur-bearing animals and wildlife. (b) As used in this subsection (4), "livestock" includes ostriches, rheas, and emus. (5) "Farm worker" means a person employed to do a service performed on a farm or ranch. (6) "Occupation" means an occupation, service, trade, business, industry, or branch or group of industries or employment or class of employment in which employees are gainfully employed. (7) (a) "Wage" means compensation due to an employee by reason of employment, payable in legal tender of the United States or check on banks convertible into cash on demand at full face value, subject to an allowance as may be permitted by regulations of the commissioner under 39-3-403 . The term "wage" includes the reasonable cost to the employer of furnishing the employee with lodging or any other facility if the lodging or other facility is customarily furnished by the employer to employees. However, the inclusion may not exceed an amount equal to 40% of the total wage paid by the employer to the employee. (b) The term "wage" does not include the cost to the employer of providing meals or a meal allowance to the employee or the value of tips or gratuities that are covered by section 3402(k) or service charges that are covered by section 3401 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended and applicable on January 1, 1983, received by employees for services rendered by them to patrons of premises or businesses licensed to provide food, beverage, or lodging. (c) For the purposes of this subsection (7), "service charge" means an arbitrary fixed charge added to the customer's bill by an employer in lieu of a tip. It is collected by the employer and must be distributed directly to the nonmanagement employee preparing or serving the food or beverage or to any other employee involved in related services, pursuant to a tip pool agreement.