Thanks to federal
legislation that aims to conserve energy by extending Daylight Savings Time,
the time change this year will come a few weeks earlier than usual—and employers
need to be prepared.
On Sunday morning, March
11, 2007, at 2 a.m., the country will switch over to Daylight Savings Time.
This means that clocks must be moved forward one hour. If you have employees
who will be working during the time change, chances are they’ll end up working
one hour less that day. Generally, if workers are nonexempt, you are required
to pay them only for the actual time they work (plus overtime, if applicable), even
if their shift ends up shorter than usual. For exempt workers, be sure to pay
them their full salary for that workweek, without deduction for the lost hour.
Also, be sure to check
your time clock and other computer systems to make sure they’re programmed to
handle the new date for the time change. Systems that aren’t updated to the new
daylight savings date could mean big headaches for you, as their clocks will be
set one hour slow during the three weeks covered by the extended daylight
savings time period.
More information on Daylight Savings Time is available from the
California Energy Commission at www.energy.ca.gov/daylightsaving.html.