1.       Not Paying for Travel Time- 
While generally, an employee’s travel from home to the first job site is not considered “work time,” if an employee is required to travel to the office or shop first to pick up materials or supplies, to pick up paperwork or employees, or to attend pre work meetings, that time is “working time” and you should be paid for it. 

The same holds true for the end of day travel.  Generally, if you drive straight home from the work site or office, that is not “work time.” 

But, if you have to travel back to the office or shop to drop off a vehicle, turn in paperwork, unload your supplies, etc. 

That time is compensable until you are done with your duties and leave for home.

2.       Not paying for Waiting or on Call Time- 
Often times, employers make employees wait for supplies or for calls to come in and don’t pay them for it. 

Many times, this is illegal. 

Here’s the short and skinny rule on this – -if you are not free to come and go as you please, and use this time for your own benefit (like, you have to return a page or email within 2 minutes, or be within 15 miles of work, etc.), there is a strong likelihood that you should be paid for that time.

3.       Paying by the Piece, the Day, or the Job- 
While all of these pay methods are acceptable, you still have to be paid overtime for any hours you work over 40 in a workweek. 

Don’t let your employer tell you otherwise.

4.       Rounding Time down-
Some employers steal minutes every day by rounding your time down. 

Those minutes add up to hours, and those hours sometimes add up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars. 

There are very few situations where an employer should legitimately be rounding your time either way. 

In today’s technical age, keeping track of actual hours worked and times punched is very easy. 

Fact is, if your employer is rounding your time, there is a good chance they are stealing from you.