Proper way to record your time book?

[Jronman]

I was wondering what is the proper way to record your time book/hours worked?

The boss was talking to a new guy about it. He was unhappy at how he was recording his time. I think he should have included everyone in on it. I typically wrote 8:00 for start time and for end time I put when I left the jobsite. Apparently I have been recording hours worked wrong. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to include the end of the day cleanup. I'm guessing he meant cleaning up personal tools and whatnot. My boss also mentioned he doesn't like guys riding in a vehicle together. 5 minutes here and there really adds up in terms of labor charged to the customer.

 

Do you start the time: 

when the crew gets together at the office/shop to see what the boss has each person do that day.

when you leave for the jobsite.

when you arrive at the jobsite.

after you arrive at job site and setup all the tools.

 

At the end of the day do you record the time when:

you arrive back at the office/shop.

 you left the jobsite.

 you stop working and start cleaning up.

 

Say you worked until 3:52 would that be recorded as 4:00 or 3:45?

[comp56]

when I worked and we did shut downs it depended on if the job was cost plus, if it was the bosses would make sure we wasted time as they wanted the most hours. if it was not our time started when we got to the shop and it ended when we left the shop. if we went directly to a job site we were allowed 1/2 hr for lunch and 2 10 minute breaks but got travelling time added and or mileage pay. I worked for a couple of brothers that were very good to their employees we did many cost plus jobs and many times were told to sweep the floor for as long as we wanted when we got back to the shop......

[regopit]

On my jobs we start at 8am. Take a half hour for lunch and leave at 4:30pm. That is a 8 hour day. This is for a job where the owner is living in the home. Now if it is not being lived in we start at 6am and leave at 2:30. Now as for clean up that to me is job time. I start cleaning up 30 to 45 minutes before we leave. 

[Hugh Jass]

I use google maps timeline, tells me to the minute where I was and when I left for lunch or went for materials, whatever. 

[AnonymousJoe]

Time starts when u arrive at ur first location, whether that be the job site, shop, or even the supply house picking up material. Cleanup is on the job, not my free time. If that's a problem then that should've been considered when the job was bid. It's no different than a cop pulling u over- "am I free to go?" If the answer is no then u are still at work  and u should be compensated for it.

[Bmill25]

I own a small masonry business. I usually pay my employees from when they leave home to when they leave the job. Clean up is paid too. At times I also get paid by the hour and I had a contractor complain and said he wasn't gonna pay me to drive to work. The job wasn't far, maybe 10 min, but I always start the clock when I leave the house, then I gotta get stuff loaded for the day. I explained that I would be happy to start my time when I got to work, and then I asked him when he was gonna pick me up in the morning. He never said anything about it again. 

[Jronman]

I'm sure every boss has their own rules.

We don't get a lunch break but in return we get off work at 4:00 instead of 4:30 or 5:00 

I think my bosses point for talking to us about hours we record is to make sure he doesn't charge the customer for work we didn't do.

[KnarlyCarl]

On 3/24/2017 at 7:00 AM, Bmill25 said:

I own a small masonry business. I usually pay my employees from when they leave home to when they leave the job. Clean up is paid too. At times I also get paid by the hour and I had a contractor complain and said he wasn't gonna pay me to drive to work. The job wasn't far, maybe 10 min, but I always start the clock when I leave the house, then I gotta get stuff loaded for the day. I explained that I would be happy to start my time when I got to work, and then I asked him when he was gonna pick me up in the morning. He never said anything about it again. 

Good one, I like that analogy.

 

I work for a great boss. 

His attitude is if you're doing something productive, you get paid for it, regardless if it's time spent for the job or at the shop.

I start time when i am prepping for the job i'm leaving for in the morning, we are "required" to take a 1/2 hour lunch whenever we want to, then my time ends when i leave the job, regardless if that involves cleanup or not.

That works for install detail.

 

For service work:

If my first service call is at 8:30 that morning, i always arrive at the office early to get a few things caught up, such as paperwork, stock the truck, cleanup, etc...that time is recorded as shop time and i get paid for it.

When i start prepping for that first call, or leave for the first call, i start my time for that first call...  That time runs through with parts runs, talking with the customer, doing the work, etc, until I leave that service call. That time is my starting time for my next service call, which I then drive to at that point and it goes on until my last service call, and my time stops when i have completed my final call for the day. If I need to stop at a store to restock my truck with items we don't normally carry on hand, or to fuel up the truck, or stop by Blue Beacon to wash the truck, etc, that time is recorded as shop time and i get paid for it. I don't go out of my way to do these things, so I don't abuse the system (like going to Blue Beacon every day just to add time to my card) In reality, i usually forget and end up being ordered to take my truck to get it washed because it starts looking so bad LOL

 

[WeldfabNeil]

Most of the time I work in the shop so I just punch in an out.

 

If I am out at a wellsite I am paid from time I leave shop to time I return to shop. Most of the wellsites require overnight travel. I get paid a reduced rate for all time punched in. I then get paid normal rate for working hours. I have to fill out a form saying when I leave hotel along with travel time an site time. basically all time is accounted for. All travel expenses are paid up to a certain amount. Some guys have company credit cards an some have cash fronted to them to either return or return the change with receipts. I myself can afford to pay on personal card an get reimbursed later. 

 

Honesty an accountability are huge at my company. At first they asked a few times to send pics via phone of the next mile marker or hotel parking lot with trucks clock or whatever. They haven't done that in a while. Some trucks have gps. They could also track my company cell. I really don't care what they do cause I wouldn't lie about were or what I was doing. 

 

Of course ime sure theres here's a bunch of legality for hours worked. Then every company has its polices.