AboutAlice Bogert Expertise Today's workplace is filled with many issues that impact employee performance and add to workplace stress. I have many years experience supervising employees and can field questions for both management staff and non-management staff related to employee conflicts, employee-boss issues, time management, negotiation skills, preparing employee performance evaluations, developing resources, generation X and Y issues, and cultural diversity.
Experience I am a retired law enforcement officer, and I teach training classes around the country for law enforcement. I am also a consultant/trainer to private industry teaching numerous management development and supervisory courses. I teach report writing at a local junior college where I am an adjunct faculty member. I've also worked as a substitute teacher for grades K-12 and private tutor. I've been a facilitator for Volunteers in Victim Assistance, helping citizens/employees deal with community or work related traumas, and I've worked with abused and neglected children.
Expert: Alice Bogert Date: 6/3/2008 Subject: clocking
Question I have a question isn't it against the law for a coworker to mess with your time sheet? And can a manager make you work double shift? What actions can I take I feel like nothing will be done about this?
Answer Hi Ronda,
I'll give you my two cents worth; however, I'm not a lawyer, so you might want to pose this question to a labor law attorney or discuss the matter with your HR folks.
Generally, time sheets require an employee's signature as a means of certifying that the time sheet accurately represents time worked and leave taken by the employee. This is so the employee is paid appropriately and time records are accurate.
I don't know what exactly the employee did to "mess with" your time sheet, so I'm going to assume the employee changed your hours worked or leave taken. Assuming that is correct, I don't think that is illegal, (unless one works for a government agency in which case there might be some kind of government fraud). However, at the very least, "messing" with someone's time sheet is highly unethical and should be cause for some sort of disciplinary action, in my opinion.
I do not believe an employer can make you work a double shift. I'm assuming yours is an employer that requires some sort of 24-hour coverage. Managers may ask employees to work a double shift; however, I doubt (but I am not certain) they can force one to work double shifts. I don't know for certain if employers can sanction an employee who refuses to work a double shift.
At any rate, this sounds like a job that might not be the best atmosphere in which to work. You might give some thought to changing jobs.
