Time Card Math: Make Sure You Are Getting Paid Correctly
Wage theft costs US workers $15 billion annually. Here is how to verify your paycheck is accurate.
Wage theft — being paid less than you are owed — affects 1 in 6 workers according to the Economic Policy Institute. Most cases are not malicious; they result from rounding errors, unpaid overtime, missed breaks, and incorrect time card calculations. Checking your own math is the best defense.
How Time Card Rounding Works
Many employers round to the nearest 15 minutes. Clocking in at 7:53 rounds to 8:00 (you lose 7 minutes). Clocking in at 7:52 rounds to 7:45 (you gain 3 minutes). Over time, rounding should be neutral — but some systems only round in the employer favor. Track your actual hours independently for one pay period and compare.
Overtime Rules
Federal law (FLSA): time and a half (1.5x) for hours over 40 per week. Some states add daily overtime (over 8 hours in a day in California). Salaried employees earning under $35,568/year are entitled to overtime. If you regularly work 45+ hours and your salary is under $35,568, you may be owed significant back pay.