Poor time records? Court will believe workers.

Sloppy or incomplete payroll records will doom you in any disputes over employees' pay. As this new ruling shows, if your organization fails to show detailed records or policies--especially about disputed off-the-clock work--the court will use your employees' estimates of their work hours to determine your liability.

Recent case: A group of 53 construction workers in Texas sued for unpaid wages. They were told to show up 15-30 minutes before their shifts, but weren't paid for that time. Also, they weren't paid for post-shift traveling back to the company's premises. The court sided with the employees, granting them $246,000 in back pay and damages. Noting the lack of payroll records, the court...