Timesheet rounding for workers is unfortunately a common tactic used by employers to save on labor costs at the expense of their employees. Companies in the retail industry that require their employees to clock-in and out of their shifts often times resort to rounding their worker’s times spent completing their shifts. This often results in employees’ pay being less than what they should be. Recently, the home improvement giant, The Home Depot, came under fire for rounding it’s workers time to calculate their pay. Several lawsuits against the retailer alleged that Home Depot frequently rounded down when using their time clock data resulting in significant wage loss for their employees over time.
These lawsuits specifically claimed that Home Depot paid their hourly associates to the nearest 15 minutes of their shift. DespiteThe Home Depot claiming that their policy of “timesheet rounding” equally rounded up as well as down, many hourly employees claimed it was most often purposefully rounded down, which consistently lowered their pay. Recently, courts had ruled in favor of hourly workers, stating that if an employer has the ability to capture the exact amount of time an employee has worked during a shift, they should in fact be playing employer must pay the employee for ‘all the time’ worked. As of January 16 this year, the Home Depot decided to officially change its pay policy and has done away with timesheet rounding. They will begin paying its hourly employees to the nearest minute based off exactly on when they clock in and clock out.
Many retailers in the industry have long standing practices of timesheet rounding. Depending on how an employer executes this policy, you may be entitled to significant owed wages.Losing 15 minutes at the beginning and end of shifts can add up overtime, benefitting employers at the expense of hard working employees. If you have experienced this at your job, talking to an employment lawyer can help you understand your potential claims for owed wages. Our firm, Fitapelli & Schaffer, LLP, offers a free and confidential consultation at (212) 300-0375. Give us a call now to set up a time to speak with a representative or visit our website here for additional information regarding your work rights.