Recordkeeping: Pancake House Settles Allegations of Improper Recording of Work Hours; Records Checklist

The International House
of Pancakes, commonly known as IHOP, has been ordered to pay $363,000 in back
wages to more than 300 servers at 10 Bay Area restaurants for not properly recording
work hours at those locations. The San
Jose district office of the U.S. Department of

Labor uncovered the
violations during an investigation.

As IHOP learned the hard
way, failing to properly record work hours for nonexempt employees can lead to
a variety of problems, including not paying employees for all hours worked or
for overtime and recordkeeping violations. Below is a checklist you can use to
help make sure you’re keeping proper track of hours worked and other
information required under California
and federal wage and hour laws. Keep in mind that records should be retained
for at least three years and must be in ink or other indelible form.

The HR Management & Compliance Report: How To Comply with California Wage & Hour Law, explains everything you need to know to stay in compliance with the state’s complex and ever-changing rules, laws, and regulations in this area. Coverage on bonuses, meal and rest breaks, overtime, alternative workweeks, final paychecks, and more.

Wage-Hour Records Checklist

__ Employee’s full name

__ Social Security
number

__ Occupation

__ Birth date, if
younger than 19, and designation as a minor, if applicable

__ Gender

__ Time and day of week
when employee’s workweek begins

__ Hours worked each
day, including records showing when employee begins and ends each work period,
meal periods (unless operations cease), and split shift intervals

__ Total hours worked
each workweek

__ Basis on which
employee’s wages are paid (e.g., “$8 an hour,” “$550 a week,” or “piecework”)

__ Regular hourly pay
rate

__ Total daily or weekly
straight-time earnings

__ Total overtime
earnings for the workweek

__ All additions to or
deductions from the employee’s wages

__ Total wages paid each
pay period (including the value of board, lodging, or other compensation you
furnish to employee)

__ Total hours worked
each pay period

__ Date of payment and
the pay period covered by the payment

__ When piece rate or
incentive plan is in place, piece rates or explanation of incentive plan
formula must be recorded and provided to employees

__ Piece rate units
earned by employee and piece rate paid, along with an accurate production
record

__ Gratuities and tips received by employer, whether received directly
or indirectly by way of wage deduction.