Q&A

Can you clock out early?

Can you clock out early?

Yes. Basically, the Fair Labor Standards Act (and similar state laws) require employers to pay employees for all time that they are “suffered or permitted to work.” Thus, if an employee clocks in early, he or she must be paid for time worked.

What happens when an employee forgets to clock in?

Keeping track of the hours employees work is a major part of workforce management in most businesses – without a record of hours worked, it is hard for the human resources and accounting departments to verify how much you should be paid. Employees sometimes make mistakes and forget to clock in when they should.

Is it easy to be forgetful at work?

It’s easy to be forgetful, especially in 2014. People seem to work longer and harder, while trying to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Our memories and attention spans have shortened, so remembering to clock in may fall to the wayside from time to time.

Is it illegal to not pay employees when they clock in?

It is also illegal to do this as a disciplinary measure. Basically, hourly or exempt employees must get paid for the time they worked, regardless of what time they actually clocked-in. If they showed up and started working at 9:00, but don’t clock in until 10:00, they must be paid from 9:00 onward anyway.

What happens if you don’t clock in at 9 : 00?

If they showed up and started working at 9:00, but don’t clock in until 10:00, they must be paid from 9:00 onward anyway. Although time and attendance systems are an effective way to track time and attendance information, unfortunately sometimes human error forces manual intervention.

What to do if employees forget to clock-in-business?

If employees fail to use it correctly, follow a system of verbal and written warnings, and even termination if the situation calls for it. Alternatively, you can initiate a system of rewards for employees who consistently clock-in on time. Not only will this reduce the chance that people will forget to clock in, but will also improve tardiness.

Is it okay for employees to work off the clock?

Off-the-clock work may result in negligence issues for an employer. The best way of avoiding liabilities for overtime work by employees, is to strictly control task times, as well as employee breaks and lunches. Although some managers may misunderstand they are requiring employees to work off-the-clock, extra work is deemed fine.

What to do with your time when you’re not working?

First, focus on what you’ll do instead of working. Rather than making a negative goal (“I shall not work”), find a positive one: new activities and commitments that will occupy your time and mental energy instead. Second, change your environment to support these new behaviors.

Is it illegal to dock an employee’s wage for clocking in late?

This means that it is illegal to dock an employee’s wage for clocking-in late if they actually worked during the time the system missed. It is also illegal to do this as a disciplinary measure. Basically, hourly or exempt employees must get paid for the time they worked, regardless of what time they actually clocked-in.