does anyone know if you can be forced to start working 15 minutes before you are scheduled to?

Question

We are having issues with some new management in regards to when we are supposed to start. The new manger said that we are supposed to come in before we are scheduled to start and make sure everything is ready to go. I have no problem with this but correct me if I am wrong but would that not be labled as starting early and should we not be paid for it? OBTW I am in Canada so some canadian advice would be cool

Answer 1

Are you really complaining about getting to work 15 minutes early? 15 minutes?

You have some problems, but I don't think it's your management...

Answer 2

In Japan, you are supposed to be ready to work when the workday starts. When I worked at City Hall, we were supposed to come in 10 to 15 minutes early, get our tea or coffee ready, wipe off our desks and just be generally ready to sit down and work when the little signal was given. We also spent some time chatting and looking at the cookies people had brought in from here and there, and distributing those. We didn't actually start working, unless we were behind on a project and actually came in *seriously* early to get a good start.

When I worked at a fast food place in the States, you were supposed to be in uniform and ready to go before you clocked in.

It depends on the employer. If the job sucks so much you don't want to give that extra 10 or 15 minutes, then maybe it's time to look for a new job.

Answer 3

Not Canadian, but I absolutely know that in USA an employer could not have you come in 15 minutes early without paying you. If this is a requirement, then your new "start time" is fifteen minutes earlier and you must be paid for that time. If this type of thing happened in USA, and the company would not compensate for the time we would contact The Department of Wage and Labor.

Answer 4

Clocking in early to preapre for work is considered working. Show up on time, and tell him to bugger off.

Let's just be clear that by saying "make sure everything is ready to go," you aren't expecting to be paid for time spent bathing or brushing your teeth? I took this to mean that you were setting out napkins for customers, firing up the boiler, staging sand for concrete mixing, or some other WORK related activity. I don't think your employer should pay you to stand around eating donuts, drinking coffee, and putting on your makeup, so don't go telling your boss to bugger off if you think I aprove of flakiness.

Answer 5

well i used to work for ALSCO window and door manufacturers and a bell or buzzer rang 3 mins before the scheduled work time would start and we had to go to our work stations, and than the final buzzer rang, and we would have to start working, but even out for a smoke i had my supervisors, come out and said time to go to work, but there was still 3 minutes til last buzzer rang, and they made us go in early, and unles its more than 5 minutes before you have to work and they make you start early, than i would say that they owe you 10-15 cents, but does that really matter its just another money scheme, 100 employees and 10 cents every break makes about say around 25 cents per day is either $1250.00 or $12,500 that they save on paying employees, (i did a quick accumilatiion in my head check if its right) so a few minutes more of work is annoying, but you should ask your supervisors, or ranking employee if its legal. because if you signed a contract lets say that you work at 8 am to 5 pm, with 1 hour lunch, and 1 or 2 , 15 minutes breaks, for lets say 6 months of work, than you can sue them for breaking the contract, and you say every time they say come in early say you sign that contract, and it clearly states to start work at 8 am but if its just a job that you applyed for and they said what times you had to be there, and that you have to come in a couple minutes early to get things ready to work, before you actually work, than that would be a verbal agreement, and you knew of the times you have to work . but check with the bissiness you work for because some are different than others....

Answer 6

Not sure about Canada, but in US you have to be paid for it. It goes back to Workman's Compensation laws. If you are working and not clocked in, and you get hurt you can sue the company.