#WORKING OFF THE CLOCK VERIFICATION#

#WORKING OFF THE CLOCK VERIFICATION#

Changes made to electronic time records would presumably need some sort of digital verification and security protocols, so ask your IT staffer to ensure the integrity of the system and that all access and changes are properly logged and allowed only with proper access codes.

Department of Labor in a records compliance audit situation) can tell that the revised and unrevised records are true and genuine and reflect what actually happened in terms of time worked, wages paid, and who made what changes at what time. Time records, both original and modified, are subject to potential challenge by employees, so maintain the records in such a way that an outside auditor (such as from the U.S. If anyone makes revisions to time records, there should be a reliable log of all such changes and who made them. Regardless of the method used, it is subject to the requirements of part 516 and the 'best evidence' rule in the event of a dispute. Finally, some companies ask employees to enter their own times on their computers, or else use a telephone-based system to record their times. Some companies with advanced systems have employees 'swipe' their company ID cards or badges through a device that electronically records the time and enters it into a timekeeping database. Employers can have employees punch a time clock. Another is to have employees fill in their own work times. One is by designating a person to serve as timekeeper and manually enter starting and stopping times on a piece of paper. There are many different ways to record employees' work times. Unless there is a reason to disbelieve the employee and his or her personal log, that will generally be taken as the best evidence of the time worked, even if the employee may have been overly generous in crediting himself or herself with hours worked. If an employer keeps no records, it is at the mercy of an employee who has maintained a personal log of hours worked. Specifically, in the area of time worked, whoever has the best evidence of work time will prevail on that point. Not only would that be a violation of part 516 of the regulations, it would also leave the employer at the mercy of the 'best evidence' rule. Failure to keep records of hours worked is a risky proposition. The exact method of recording the time worked is up to the employer, but it must be in a form that can be made available for inspection and copying by the DOL in the event of an investigation. 516.2, employers must generally keep accurate records of all hours worked for non-exempt employees (working 'off the clock' is never allowed for non-exempt employees).

Working off the clock