Comments on: Answers to tricky HR questions: The regs on rounding workers’ hours http://www.hrmorning.com/answers-to-tricky-hr-questions-the-regs-on-rounding-workers-hours/ Your daily dose of HR Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:43:13 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Tami http://www.hrmorning.com/answers-to-tricky-hr-questions-the-regs-on-rounding-workers-hours/comment-page-1/#comment-31655 Tami Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:38:24 +0000 http://www.hrmorning.com/?p=5950#comment-31655 Christine - The rounding need to be based on consistent rules set up in your system. For example, if you round in quarter-hour 15 minute increments, then 8:50 would round to 8:45. And you cannot arbitrarily round differently for this person or this one punch. However, the person only needs to be paid for hours worked. If he/she shows up for work 10 minutes early and sits with a cup of coffee not working, you can CORRECT the start time to the actual start time of 9:00. If he/she actually starts working at 8:50, then he/she needs to be paid according to the rounding rules you have established. (Also note however, while you have to pay the employee for hours worked, you can discipline the employee for unauthorized overtime, if you have a policy that states overtime needs to be approved.) E.R. - The idea is that you're time punch is within that "leeway" on either side of the start or end time. So, it is OK to round 7:56 to 8:00 as long as you also round 8:04 to 8:00. The same with 4:34 = 4:30 = 4:26. When we implemented a system like this, our attorneys said the round up and down is fine, however you cannot discipline an employee for showing up late or leaving early within that leeway time, otherwise you are creating a system that favors the employer. So for example, if you round in 15 minute increments, anything betweel 8:00 - 8:07 would round down to 8:00. If the employee arrived at 8:07 or earlier, he/she couldn't be disciplined for showing up late, but 8:08 or after could be considered a "late" punch. Christine – The rounding need to be based on consistent rules set up in your system. For example, if you round in quarter-hour 15 minute increments, then 8:50 would round to 8:45. And you cannot arbitrarily round differently for this person or this one punch. However, the person only needs to be paid for hours worked. If he/she shows up for work 10 minutes early and sits with a cup of coffee not working, you can CORRECT the start time to the actual start time of 9:00. If he/she actually starts working at 8:50, then he/she needs to be paid according to the rounding rules you have established. (Also note however, while you have to pay the employee for hours worked, you can discipline the employee for unauthorized overtime, if you have a policy that states overtime needs to be approved.)

E.R. – The idea is that you’re time punch is within that “leeway” on either side of the start or end time. So, it is OK to round 7:56 to 8:00 as long as you also round 8:04 to 8:00. The same with 4:34 = 4:30 = 4:26. When we implemented a system like this, our attorneys said the round up and down is fine, however you cannot discipline an employee for showing up late or leaving early within that leeway time, otherwise you are creating a system that favors the employer. So for example, if you round in 15 minute increments, anything betweel 8:00 – 8:07 would round down to 8:00. If the employee arrived at 8:07 or earlier, he/she couldn’t be disciplined for showing up late, but 8:08 or after could be considered a “late” punch.

]]> By: Patrick http://www.hrmorning.com/answers-to-tricky-hr-questions-the-regs-on-rounding-workers-hours/comment-page-1/#comment-31474 Patrick Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:02:25 +0000 http://www.hrmorning.com/?p=5950#comment-31474 Our payroll is calculated in 15 minute increments and we follow the DOL 7/8 minute rule. Which mean we round down 7 minutes our less to the next lowest quarter hour and round up 8 minutes or more to 15 minutes (the next highest quarter hour). Like the article said the important part is that it doesn't always benefit the employer and we follow it consistently so there is no perception of pay variances. Our payroll is calculated in 15 minute increments and we follow the DOL 7/8 minute rule. Which mean we round down 7 minutes our less to the next lowest quarter hour and round up 8 minutes or more to 15 minutes (the next highest quarter hour). Like the article said the important part is that it doesn’t always benefit the employer and we follow it consistently so there is no perception of pay variances.

]]> By: E.R. http://www.hrmorning.com/answers-to-tricky-hr-questions-the-regs-on-rounding-workers-hours/comment-page-1/#comment-31466 E.R. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:31:17 +0000 http://www.hrmorning.com/?p=5950#comment-31466 This makes me think that a practice of rounding up when an employee starts (7:56 = 8:00) but rounding down when an employee stops (4:34 = 4:30) would not be compliant, because this always favors the employer - is this correct? This makes me think that a practice of rounding up when an employee starts (7:56 = 8:00) but rounding down when an employee stops (4:34 = 4:30) would not be compliant, because this always favors the employer – is this correct?

]]> By: Josh http://www.hrmorning.com/answers-to-tricky-hr-questions-the-regs-on-rounding-workers-hours/comment-page-1/#comment-31325 Josh Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:12:30 +0000 http://www.hrmorning.com/?p=5950#comment-31325 Yes you can. This is "waiting to be engaged" - just make sure they aren't doing any work during that 10 minutes. Yes you can. This is “waiting to be engaged” – just make sure they aren’t doing any work during that 10 minutes.

]]> By: Brenda http://www.hrmorning.com/answers-to-tricky-hr-questions-the-regs-on-rounding-workers-hours/comment-page-1/#comment-31308 Brenda Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:04:54 +0000 http://www.hrmorning.com/?p=5950#comment-31308 No, by 1/10th of an hour they mean every 6 minutes as 6 times 10 equals 60 so if they clocked in at 8:50am you would have to start them no later than 8:55am which is still within the 1/10 of an hour timeframe. Once you hit 8:56 then you have started another 1/10th of an hour. No, by 1/10th of an hour they mean every 6 minutes as 6 times 10 equals 60 so if they clocked in at 8:50am you would have to start them no later than 8:55am which is still within the 1/10 of an hour timeframe. Once you hit 8:56 then you have started another 1/10th of an hour.

]]> By: Christine B http://www.hrmorning.com/answers-to-tricky-hr-questions-the-regs-on-rounding-workers-hours/comment-page-1/#comment-31290 Christine B Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:43:06 +0000 http://www.hrmorning.com/?p=5950#comment-31290 If my employees' schedule is 9-5 and they stamp in on our new web based program at 8:50am, can we legally round it to 9am? If my employees’ schedule is 9-5 and they stamp in on our new web based program at 8:50am, can we legally round it to 9am?

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