i work in SC, US for reference. my company requires us to have certain cerifications as part of our contract and normally we can bill the time taking the associated exams to professional development. my coworker just told me that they were informed they’ll have to use PTO or make up the time for the longest, but arguably most important, of the certification exams (6 hrs as opposed to 2-3 hrs). we are salary employees, not sure if that matters. is that even legal??? it feels ridiculous to expect that our hard earned PTO has to go to a work-related exam we’re required to take. the certification is ultimately important for our long-term career advancement, but not a necessity for the job.