By Sarah E. Needleman
Have you ever argued with employees about how much overtime pay they’re due? a new smartphone app from the Department of Labor could give those employees the upper hand in such debates going forward.
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The government agency announced Tuesday the launch of a virtual timesheet app that lets employees independently track the hours they work and determine the wages they’re owed. Users can view a summary of their work hours in a daily, weekly and monthly format and select an option to email it. available in English and Spanish, the app also features links to sections within the Labor Department’s website on wage laws.
In a press release, the agency said the data that employees capture using its timesheet app could prove invaluable during an investigation when an employer has failed to maintain accurate employment records. The app is free and compatible with the iPhone and iPod Touch. The Labor Department said it will explore updates that could enable similar versions for other smartphone platforms, such as Android and BlackBerry, and other pay features not currently provided for, such as tips, commissions, bonuses, deductions, holiday pay, pay for weekends and shift differentials.
Employees may be especially inclined to take advantage of the app and others like it. Emboldened by an unemployment crisis that’s only now easing up, businesses of all sizes are asking employees to take on extra tasks that have little to do with their primary roles and expertise, according to a recent WSJ article, ” ‘Superjobs’: why You Work more, enjoy It Less.” It further cites a recent survey by Spherion Staffing showing that more than half of all employees say they’ve taken on new roles, most of them without extra pay.
Follow Sarah E. Needleman on Twitter @sarahneedleman.
<a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/in-charge/2011/05/10/new-app-aids-employees-in-wage-wars/?mod=google_news_blogtag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://blogs.wsj.com/in-charge/2011/05/10/new-app-aids-employees-in-wage-wars/?mod=google_news_blogTue, 10 May 2011 15:25:57 GMT 00:00″>New App Aids Employees in Wage Wars
