Employee agreement or unethical? ?

Question

Our office used to have the employees report hours as a 2 digit number for 2-weeks hours ie; "83 hours."

We recently began asking employees to list in/out times & break down each day's hours. We discovered one woman was reporting time prior to 9am. When she was hired, there was a verbal agreement that her starting time each day would be 9am (unless otherwise requested & accepted) & usual lunchtime is taken off, returning with everyone else then if we ask her to stay late or if it's needed, this would be fine.

We noticed accross the board she has listed the time she ARRIVES & reports this to be paid! I asked if she's always done this, she said "yes." She also said different places have different rules & she wasn't sure what ours was & that "nothing was in writing."

IS THIS unethical behavior of hers or are we being too nitpicky? I thought common sense tells one if an agreement changes, they should notify their superior to see if it's okay.

Answer 1

This is why you get a time clock.  Get a mechanical or electronic device that the employee checks in at when getting to work and from that you can tell when the person started and when the person stopped.

You can even get some that will limit the times a person is allowed to clock in or out.  If she gets there at 8:59 then she has to wait one minute before she clocks in.

As for the policy, let her have her little victory for now but go ahead and make a new policy about when work begins and when work ends and when a person can claim time outside of that range.  Make sure you allow people to work early or late with approval and make sure that there is a documented process for this approval.

Answer 2

It's unethical to not pay someone from the time they arrive for work. If she's arriving earlier than you'd like her to, make sure she doesn't begin working until she is supposed to, but if she's working, you have to pay her.

Answer 3

if she is working and under company supervision, she gets paid.

simple.

if you have gone years without following up with her or others on  any alleged agreements, why is *she* unethical for not for not following up on you?

it is up to you to keep track of what your supplies are in work, and labor is a supply.

don't blame her, just take a course in basic business.

Answer 4

I consider her unethical. It doesn't matter if an agreement is in writing or verbal, it is an agreement.

If she thinks because it was not written, that saves her from discipline, she is wrong (unless she has a contract that says differently). An at-will employee can be terminated for any or no reason, except for reasons prohibited by law (race, religion, age, etc.)

Tell her the work time. Stick to it.

But you have to pay her for when she works.