DOL's new App turns your employees into timekeepers

Celeste Blackburn SPHR

The DOL has released a new App that allows employees to track their regular work hours, break time, and overtime to “determine the wages they are owed.” In it's press release about the App, the DOL promotes it as a tool employees can use “during a Wage and Hour Division investigation when an employer has failed to maintain accurate employment records.” Click here to read the DOL press release.

I put up a post about the App on our Technology for HR blog earlier today (click here to read it).

As I said in the post, the press release has a very contentious feel to it -- repeatedly mentioning that the App can be used in an official investigation and almost challenging employees to track their time to make sure they aren't being cheated. I can see this App being a big headache for HR.

Your thoughts?

Celeste

ACU Frank

We have very strict policies regarding cellphone use. In fact, I'm embarrassed by the amount of time our CEO requires me to spend on the topic during newhire training. It is literally the biggest single topic I have to cover - bigger than attendance, dress code, safety and security... even bigger than benefits.

Having said that, here's my concern - at what point does a zero-tolerance cellphone use policy become a potential DOL violation? How long before the first DOL complaint alleging that an employer prohibited cellphone use so employees couldn't use the DOL app properly?

Still Need Coffee

I think this whole thing is ridiculous. What's to prohibit an employee from "clocking in" on their DOL app while stuck in traffic, then stating on their real employer timesheet that they forgot to clock in, hence the difference in the two times?

I hope this one gets shot down quickly - what a mess. I love how the current DOL has done everything in their power to take away rights and authority from employers.