Yep, you read that right. Although employees find themselves working more hours "off the clock," thanks to Blackberries, iPhones and technology that allows them to connect to workplace servers from home, employers can be walking into a wage and hour minefield if they aren't careful.
Brian Jackson, an attorney with labor and employment firm Fisher & Philips, says that employers need to track the time that employees spend responding to clients -- phone calls, e-mails, etc. -- outside of the office, which he admits can be difficult, and pay them accordingly. For employers that can’t afford to pay overtime for these off the grid hours, they need to put policies in place to limit the amount of time employees spend working.
According to Jackson, even if employees work voluntarily, without the knowledge and/or consent of their managers, they are still owed compensation. However, they can also be disciplined for violating company policy, including being terminated.
Click below for more on wading successfully through wage and hour issues.
