Record Keeping Violations

Full name and social security number

Address and birth date (if under 19)

Gender and occupation

Time and date of employment

Time of day work begins and ends

Total hours worked each workday

Total hours worked each workweek

Basis on which wages are paid

Regular hourly pay rate

Total daily or weekly earnings

Total overtime earnings for workweek

All additions to or deductions from wages

Date of payment and pay period covered

Total wages paid each pay period

Explanation of basis for payment

Copy of sales tickets or production records

Failing to keep any records of employee work hours, start times, end times, or total hours worked each day and week.

Keeping records that don’t reflect actual hours worked, such as automatically deducting lunch breaks when employees work through them.

Refusing to provide employees with access to their own time and wage records when requested, or failing to keep records for the required time period.

Changing time records after they’ve been submitted by employees, or requiring employees to falsify their own time records to avoid paying overtime.

Payroll records, certificates, agreements, and collective bargaining agreements must be kept for at least 3 years.

Time cards and piece work tickets, wage rate tables, work schedules, and records of additions or deductions from wages must be kept for at least 2 years.

Without proper records, you may not receive correct pay for all hours worked, including overtime compensation.

Poor record keeping makes it harder to prove wage violations and recover the money you’re owed.

When employers fail to keep proper records, the law often favors the employee’s reasonable estimate of hours worked.

Keep a daily log of your start time, end time, and breaks

Photo your time sheets, schedules, and pay stubs regularly

Keep emails, texts, and messages about work schedules and duties

Store records in a safe place and keep copies of everything