For most people, the time shift means adjusting various clocks around the house that aren’t smart enough to adjust themselves and losing an hour of beauty rest.
But people who work the graveyard shift might lose something else. What should employers know about timekeeping practices for workers whose shifts are affected by the time change?
We have employees who start at 11 p.m. and finish at 7:30 a.m., for a total of eight work hours (with lunch). Our time clock still reflects only eight hours being worked.
Unless you have a computerized time clock that adjusts for daylight-saving time changes, employees may not be paid correctly. Employees must be paid for actual hours worked, regardless of what the time clock or time card reflects.
The twice-yearly time change at 2 a.m. generates questions about how to calculate hours worked in the spring when the clock is set forward and employees "lose" an hour and in the fall when the clock is set back and employees "gain" an hour.
When employees work a shift that spans the time change, adjustments must be made either to the schedule or to the time-keeping method. According to the clock, employees working their usual shift in the spring actually work a seven-hour shift and only need to be paid for seven hours.
In the fall, the opposite occurs, and the employees work a nine-hour shift and must be paid for nine hours. Determining if overtime is owed for the fall shift involves several factors:
In the United States, 2 a.m. originally was chosen as the changeover time because it minimized disruption to the greatest number of people.
Unfortunately, employers who have shifts during the time change still encounter obstacles. Making schedule adjustments when possible, and being aware of potential overtime issues may minimize the necessity to pay overtime.