Lunch breaks?
CAHR
34 Posts
A couple things have come up and I'm hoping to get your input on this - these questions relate to our facilities in Kentucky and Ohio, so I'm figuring it would probably all fall under Federal law (unless you know of something under the applicable state laws). Are non-exempt employees required to take a lunch break? Or, if they don't (or can't) is that ok, as long as we pay them for it?
Also... do you have your employees sign off on their weekly timecards? I'm being told that is not a "normal" thing that is done back there - usually only the supervisor signs off? I have always been told we should definitely have the employee sign off on their hours....
Thanks for your help on this
Also... do you have your employees sign off on their weekly timecards? I'm being told that is not a "normal" thing that is done back there - usually only the supervisor signs off? I have always been told we should definitely have the employee sign off on their hours....
Thanks for your help on this
Comments
[url]http://www.labor.ky.gov/ows/employmentstandards/faq/[/url]
I don't believe that OH requires meal periods for adults, but you may want to check with the state DOL.
We do not have our employees sign their time cards, because they clock in and out electronically. By clocking in and out they are putting their "stamp of approval" on their hours. The Supervisors review the time sheets for accuracy. We use this process due to the size of our workforce -- we have about 185 hourly employees, so handling individual time sheets on each of them would make the payroll process even more cumbersome. HOWEVER I have always been concerned about the lack of a signature from the employee, as well.
We are actually going through a lawsuit with a former employee (long story, I won't go into it because I don't want to get my blood pressure up!) and he has brought up some claims about his attendance and payroll records. Our lawyers are not overly concerned that he did not sign his time cards, since he never brought up any issues or preceived discrepancies when he got his paychecks (which show the hours he was being paid for).
Hope that helps!
Having employees sign off on time cards is just common sense. Why would you not want them to do that? In any case, it's not required by statute in Ohio.
Anne in Ohio
Just kidding.
Seriously, I was thinking back at the four manufacturing facilities I have worked at and never have I had hourly plant employees sign and turn in a time sheet. All time was kept electronically. And I not originate any of these companies' policies -- all were in place when I started work there.
SO how many of you really, actually do have employees sign off?
Lisa
As for signing time cards, we have always required employees to confirm the hours worked with their signatures.
I have always been advised that exempt employees should record their actual time worked, even if they are paid a salary. If someone's exempt status is reversed through litigation, you would have the correct records for paying back wages - which might be less than what the employee is claiming - IF your records are correct.
We are in KY.
We also have employees who take a lunch some days and some days do not or take 1/2 hour instead of 1 hour but don't write this down on their timesheets. They will just put beginning time and ending time.
We also have exempt employees, some who write in the standard "8 to 5" hours and others who put in exact times.
Nae