Clock-in rules may violate employee rights of teen workers

Many teenagers in California are excited to take on summer jobs to earn extra money and be less dependent on their parents. Typical jobs are food servers, lifeguards and day care workers, among others, and teens are typically paid per hour. Although students are protected by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state wage and hour laws, they might not be aware of all their employee rights.

Unfortunately, although teen workers typically earn minimum wages, some employers take advantage of this by violating clock-in rules. An example of such abuse is a resort owner who hires additional lifeguards in anticipation of predicted hot weather bringing more people to the swimming pool. However, expectations are not met, and the employer orders the extra lifeguards not to clock in until more people arrive.

These workers were expected to turn up for work and then ordered to sit around and wait until their services were required. Some were allowed to clock in as the day progressed, but one of them returned home that night without being allowed to clock in at all that day. This is against the law because these workers were present and ready to work a full day. However, they will only be paid for the clocked hours, and one of them will receive no remuneration for that day.

Even teen workers who are in temporary positions have access to legal resources to protect them against abusing employers. An employment law attorney who is experienced in protecting employee rights of California workers might be the best person to handle such cases. A lawyer can assess the circumstances and determine whether rights were violated, in which case lost wages might be recovered.