Off-the-clock work: when 'just five more minutes' becomes a violation

The FLSA requires payment for all time an employer 'suffers or permits' work. That includes time before and after a shift if the tasks are integral and indispensable to the primary job.

Common off-the-clock violations include: donning and doffing required uniforms or safety gear, booting up computers or POS systems, mandatory pre-shift meetings, security screenings on the way out, and being on-call in a way that restricts personal activity.

In Integrity Staffing Solutions v. Busk (2014), the Supreme Court narrowed compensable time for post-shift security screenings under federal law — but several state laws (notably California and Nevada) still require compensation for that time.