Employees need to know that they are being paid for all hours worked, so keeping track of the amount of time worked is important. If there are ever questions about whether you’re being paid correctly or not, your time records could become very important.
If a dispute arises between you and your employer, then filing a lawsuit may be the best way to receive the pay you earned. There are different ways to log your hours and those records could eventually be used as evidence to help you reclaim your lost wages.
Why would I need to track my hours?
Tracking your hours is critical in case your employer ever engages in wage theft—i.e., when an employer fails to compensate an employee for all hours worked. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal law that grants protections to employees and regulates their relationship with employers.
These regulations include overtime rules, which say that hourly employees are entitled to 1.5 times their base pay for every hour worked over 40 hours per week. If you are not properly paid, then keeping an accurate account of your hours worked will support your claim and help you collect wages in a lawsuit.
This article outlines ways that you can keep track of your hours depending on how your employer tracks your time.
Keep copies of time slips
One easy way to track your hours is to make a copy of your time slips if you get them. These should include the specific hours that you clocked in and out. It makes it much easier if you can print out all of your activities for an entire pay period, so you don’t have multiple pieces of paper for each period. Keeping organized records and proof of your hours worked, like your time slips, ensures that you will be ready if a problem arises.
Keep a written log of your hours worked
Another effective way to log your hours is to keep a written record of when you clock in or out. Your log can be cross-checked against the timekeeping records maintained by your employer, especially if you ever need to prove wage theft. Written records are a precautionary step that you can take in addition to having actual accounts from time slips or other methods.
Use your cellphone
Another option for recording your hours is to take a picture of the time clock each time you clock in and out. Photos are visual proof that you were at work for the hours that you claim.
If these photos take up too much memory on your phone, you can store them in various locations like your computer or email account, which probably have more storage than your cell phone. And of course, you can delete the photos after you receive your paycheck and confirm that you have been paid in full for all hours worked, including overtime.
What should I do if I haven’t been paid for all my hours worked?
Please call us at 844-696-7492 (toll-free) to learn more about your rights as a worker, or click here to submit your info. Taking legal action is important if you think that you haven’t been paid for all the hours you worked.
Edelson Lechtzin LLP is a national class action law firm with offices in Pennsylvania and California. In addition to cases involving wage theft and unpaid overtime, our lawyers focus on class and collective litigation in cases alleging violations of the federal antitrust laws, securities and investment fraud, employee benefit plans, consumer fraud, and dangerous and defective drugs and medical devices.