Payroll Timesheets in Wisconsin

storz309

Our agency, located in WI, still uses paper timesheets to record dates, time and hours worked. The timesheets are signed by both the employee and the supervisor. The timesheets are then retained within the WI Record Retention Laws. However, we have one work location that is 50 miles from our corporate office. Rather than submitting the original, signed timesheet to corporate, they fax their timesheets, so corporate does not retain the original signed timesheet for this worksite.

My question is: Is there any wage and hour or record retention regulation that states the original signed timesheet must be retained, not a faxed copy? Or, is the faxed copy just as legal a document as the original? Does anyone have the answer?

cstor309

Still Need Coffee

I believe the faxed copies are permissible, as are electronic copies.

cnghr

We have a number of locations that are remote from headquarters, so I have all our locations either fax or scan & e-mail their time sheets every week, but then I request that they send the originals by mail and those are what I keep according to our retention schedule.

LindaS

I'm in WI and using the faxed documents are fine. If you are ever investigated, you can obtain the originals if necessary.