DOL Revisits Rules on Rounding Clock-In Times: What’s the Tea in L&E?

As timekeeping technology becomes more sophisticated, a new U.S. Department of Labor Opinion Letter is prompting employers to take a fresh look at their rounding practices. In this episode of What’s the Tea in L&E?, Principals Leah Stiegler and Fred Schutt discuss the DOL’s latest guidance on rounding employee time, the role of the de minimis doctrine, and what it means for wage and hour compliance.

Leah and Fred explore a common workplace scenario in which an employee clocks in before a scheduled shift and immediately begins performing work. They discuss when that time must be compensated, how advances in timekeeping technology are reshaping the analysis, and why employers with rounding policies should consider whether those practices align with current DOL guidance and accurately capture all time worked.