A retail worker recently shared a concerning experience on Reddit, emphasizing potential wage theft at their workplace. The staff, who works at a dollar store, stated that store policy needs two employees to stay on site while locking the front door and leaving. However, their manager instructs them to clock out at 10:15 p.m., even when closing duties extend beyond that hour. The worker shared,
"I work at a dollar store and the policy is that 2 employees has to be at the store when locking the front door and leaving, my manager has me clock out at 10:15 (she does too) but sometimes we’ll stay until 10:30 and last night we stayed until 11:00, as far as i know this is wage theft, what should i do?"
"Your sad pathetic manager is scared to go over the the hours they gave her to schedule for the week. I worked at a gas station and this one employee would come in off the clock to do the cooler to help out the manager because they were friends. This doesn't help anyone. She never asked anyone to work off the clock however. A corporation needs to be realistic about how much time is needed to actually run its stores. And your boss needs to grow a pair and tell them she needs more hours and will not break the law by asking employees to work off the clock. Document everything and threaten to sue if they don't pay you back wages. Or just tell her you won't work off the clock ever. Jesus, this isn't a struggling mom and pop, it's a evil mega corporation. They can afford to pay you."
No. It is illegal for an employer to make employees work without pay.
Q2. What should I do if asked to clock out early but continue working?
Document all hours and report the violation to HR or the Department of Labor.
"I work at a dollar store and the policy is that 2 employees has to be at the store when locking the front door and leaving, my manager has me clock out at 10:15 (she does too) but sometimes we’ll stay until 10:30 and last night we stayed until 11:00, as far as i know this is wage theft, what should i do?"
Advice From Reddit Users
Responses from the Reddit community highlighted the illegality of working off the clock:- One user mentioned, "Document all of it and contact HR and the department of labor."
- Another one commented, "It is wage theft you clock out when you leave no sooner than this."
- A third user recommended, "It is illegal. Dont say a word....and call the labor board. Then the employer wont know who reported them."
- Another user cautioned, "Never work off the clock as an hourly employee. It is illegal for them to make you. Refuse to do it and if they fire you, then seek an employment lawyer. State Department of labor and US Department of labor Wage and hour division are where our can find the laws."
"Your sad pathetic manager is scared to go over the the hours they gave her to schedule for the week. I worked at a gas station and this one employee would come in off the clock to do the cooler to help out the manager because they were friends. This doesn't help anyone. She never asked anyone to work off the clock however. A corporation needs to be realistic about how much time is needed to actually run its stores. And your boss needs to grow a pair and tell them she needs more hours and will not break the law by asking employees to work off the clock. Document everything and threaten to sue if they don't pay you back wages. Or just tell her you won't work off the clock ever. Jesus, this isn't a struggling mom and pop, it's a evil mega corporation. They can afford to pay you."
FAQs:
Q1. Is it legal for managers to make employees work off the clock?No. It is illegal for an employer to make employees work without pay.
Q2. What should I do if asked to clock out early but continue working?
Document all hours and report the violation to HR or the Department of Labor.
