Off-the-clock work for non-exempt employees is prohibited under both state law and the Fair Labor Standards Act. If you are required to work off-the-clock, you may have a claim for damages and penalties. If your off-the-clock work would be overtime, you also have a claim for unpaid overtime wages.

Examples of “off-the-clock” work include:

• Changing into uniforms and putting on safety equipment (“donning and doffing”)
• Loading or warming up a work vehicle
• Booting up computers
• Going through safety checks
• Working through lunch breaks
• Pre- or post-shift meetings
• Finishing work that “should have been finished” during the shift
• Cleaning up or preparing/setting up (for instance, in a restaurant)
• Dropping off equipment after a shift