The United States Department of Labor ("DOL") recently announced the release of a free smart phone application available in English and Spanish that will enable employees to "independently track the hours they work and determine the wages they are owed." According to the DOL, "users conveniently can track regular work hours, break time and any overtime hours for one or more employers." The DOL goes on to state, "[t]his new technology is significant because, instead of relying on their employers’ records, workers now can keep their own records. This information could prove invaluable during a Wage and Hour Division investigation when an employer has failed to maintain accurate employment records." In addition, the application "includes easy-to-understand information about workers’ rights and how to file a wage violation complaint." Click here to learn more. Click here to download the iPhone version of the application.
Whether the DOL's new smart phone application will become widely used by employees remains to be seen. However, the release of the application reflects what we believe is a more aggressive enforcement posture by the DOL and underscores the need for employers to keep accurate, contemporaneous records of hours worked by employees.
