Does the supervior have the right to change your time sheet without noitce?

[Ms. Teacher]

I work at a Head Start, and I had my time sheet changed a couple of times without being noticed first about it. I would find out only on paydays. The first time I really didn't say anything since i was new there but I suggested it to a different teacher i was working with. She told me that Parent meetings were concidered as paid hours. The next time it was changed I confronted the supervisor to let me know before she changes my time sheet for any reason. Is there any law that I can sue her or the Head Start Program here for such changes without notification on time sheets, especially??

[Pattymd]

There is no such law. In fact, in the case you mentioned, it appears the supervisor was changing your time sheet to reflect the additional hours that they were required to pay you anyway. If you do not correctly record your hours worked, the supervisor is not prohibited from, and should, correct the records so you get the correct amount of pay. It would be nice if the supervisor would relay that information to you, especially since it could result in you not making the same error again, but there is no law that requires the supervisor do so.

Sue them? Oh, come now.

[MS]

i think u misunderstood...i've recorded the additional hours from a parent meeting which she changed to regular hours. this has not only happened to me but with other employees also, as i was told, not only with parent meetings but with over time as well. Is there any leagal action to take if this keeps occuring after steps taken to inform her to please notify me before the change to avoid conflict over this unfair matter?

[Pattymd]

Perhaps I did misunderstand. Do the conferences take you into over 40 hours in a work week? I'm assuming you are a nonexempt employee? If so, you must be paid for all hours worked, including time and a half for all hours worked over 40 in a work week.

If you cannot resolve this with your employer, you can file a claim for unpaid wages/overtime with the state Dept. of Labor; there's no need to get an attorney involved at this point. One of the jobs of the DOL is to enforce the state's wage and hour laws. In the meantime, keep copies of your time sheets before you turn them in, if you have not been doing so.

[unitclerk]

I need to know if it is illegal to change a persons time card. I thought the Arizona State Law prohibts that. If so, what is the article number and section number of such code.
And one last remark, why is it so hard to get Arizona Laws online without having to pay someone for them? Is there a web site that I can download the Labor Law for Arizona?
Thanks

[Pattymd]

The Arizona DOL website basically stinks. If you can find such a law, be sure to post the link, because to my knowledge, there isn't such a law. In any state.

[cbg]

In all 50 states, it is illegal to change someone's time card FOR THE PURPOSE OF CHEATING THEM OUT OF TIME ACTUALLY WORKED. There is no law in any state that forbids the changing of a time card EVER - if the time card as completed by the employee is inaccurate, nothing in the law says a supervisor or manager cannot correct it.

[Pattymd]

True. It is not the act of changing the time card in and of itself that is illegal; but it is the falsifying of records that is the violation.