Manufacturing workers across the country are routinely denied pay for time spent putting on and taking off protective gear, attending pre-shift safety meetings, working through meal breaks, and performing off-the-clock startup and shutdown duties — all of which may be compensable under federal and state wage laws. Employers also use time rounding practices that consistently shave minutes from the start and end of every shift, quietly reducing workers' pay by amounts that add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars per year.
Time rounding seems technical, but the impact is straightforward: your employer records fewer minutes than you actually worked and pays you accordingly. Multiplied across every shift and every pay period, even small rounding differences can add up to substantial unpaid wages.
Many manufacturers use timekeeping systems that round your clock-in and clock-out times to the nearest quarter-hour or other interval. When a factory's rounding system consistently favors the employer, that is an illegal payroll practice.
In practice, manufacturing payroll systems are often configured so that clocking in early gets rounded forward — you lose those minutes — and clocking out late gets rounded backward — you lose those minutes too. The rounding never works in your favor, only theirs. Even a few minutes per shift, multiplied across hundreds of workers over months or years, adds up to an enormous amount of stolen wages.
Manufacturing workers often arrive to work, put on their uniform, put on their protective gear and safety equipment, attend pre-shift meetings, walk to the time clock, and then clock in. Often, putting on the uniform and gear can take 15 minutes or longer per shift and is unpaid. Such underpayments may violate state and federal wage laws.
Manufacturing workers also experience unpaid or interrupted meal break issues. They may have meal breaks automatically deducted even if they did not take a break. They may be interrupted during meal breaks but not paid for the time worked. These practices may violate state and federal wage laws.
Every hourly paid manufacturing role comes with its own patterns of wage theft. Here's what workers in your position commonly experience — and what the law says you are owed.
Minutes at shift start and end rounded down to reduce your paid time. When rounding consistently favors the employer rather than balancing out, it is unlawful under the FLSA.
Putting on and taking off required PPE, including jumpsuits, clean room suits, gloves, goggles, hair nets, beard covers, and protective footwear or headgear can be compensable work time when the employer requires it.
Toolbox talks, safety briefings, and startup meetings held before the official shift begins are compensable if attendance is required by the employer.
Starting up machines, calibrating equipment, and preparing workstations before the clock starts; shutdown procedures, cleaning, and sanitizing after it ends — all of this is work time that must be compensated.
Automatic 30-minute deductions taken even when workers must monitor equipment, respond to machine alerts, or remain available on the production floor during their break.
Employers place time clocks in locations that require workers to walk long distances off the clock after they arrive at the facility — time spent walking to the clock after donning gear or attending meetings may be compensable.
Federal and state wage laws provide meaningful remedies for workers who have been underpaid. You may be entitled to far more than just the wages you were shorted.
Every minute of compensable work time that was rounded away, deducted without basis, or performed off the clock must be paid at your regular rate — plus time-and-a-half for any hours that should have pushed you over 40 in a workweek.
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA"), employees who prevail in wage claims are potentially entitled to an additional equal amount in liquidated damages — effectively doubling your recovery.
Willful FLSA violations extend the lookback period to three years. State law claims may reach further. For example, California law looks back up to four years, while New York and New Jersey law looks back up to six years.
The FLSA requires employers who lose wage cases to pay prevailing plaintiffs' legal fees and court costs. No fees or costs unless we win.
When many employees at the same facility experience the same violations, we pursue collective or class actions that benefit all affected workers simultaneously.
A free, confidential case review costs nothing and commits you to nothing. Tell us about your situation and we'll tell you whether you have a claim.