Common Mistakes Hourly Workers Make Tracking Time

Time Tracking Mistakes That Cost You Money

Small time tracking errors add up. A few minutes here, a forgotten overtime hour there – over a year, these mistakes can cost hundreds of dollars.

Here are the most common mistakes hourly workers make and how to avoid them.

Mistake #1: Not Tracking at All

The biggest mistake is relying entirely on your employer's system without keeping personal records.

Why it's a problem:

• Time clocks malfunction
• Supervisors make entry errors
• Payroll systems have glitches
• You have no evidence for disputes

The fix:

Track your own hours, even if your employer has a time clock. It takes seconds and could save you significant money.

Mistake #2: Rounding Your Times

"I clocked in around 7" isn't good enough. Exact times matter.

Example:

• Actual clock-in: 6:52 AM
• You remember: 7:00 AM
• Lost time: 8 minutes
• Over a week: 40 minutes
• Over a year: ~35 hours
• At $15/hour: $525 lost

The fix:

Record exact times immediately. Don't wait until later.

Mistake #3: Forgetting Break Times

Breaks are easy to forget, especially if they're quick or interrupted.

Why it matters:

If breaks are unpaid, forgetting them means you think you earned more than you did. If breaks are paid but deducted anyway, you're losing money.

The fix:

Track every break – start time and end time. Even short ones.

Mistake #4: Ignoring Daily Overtime Rules

In some states (like California), you earn overtime after 8 hours in a single day, not just after 40 hours in a week.

Example:

• You work four 10-hour days (40 hours total)
• Under federal rules: No overtime
• Under California rules: 8 hours of overtime (2 per day)
• At $20/hour with 1.5× OT: $80 in overtime

The fix:

Know your local overtime rules. Track daily hours, not just weekly totals.

Mistake #5: Working Off the Clock

Helping out before your shift starts or staying late without clocking in costs you money.

Common scenarios:

• Arriving early to set up
• Answering work calls/texts at home
• Staying to finish a task after clocking out
• Working through lunch breaks

The fix:

If you're working, you should be clocked in. Don't give away free labor.

Mistake #6: Trusting Auto-Deducted Breaks

Many employers automatically deduct lunch breaks whether you took one or not.

Example:

• System auto-deducts 30-minute lunch
• You worked through lunch
• Lost: 30 minutes × 5 days = 2.5 hours/week
• Monthly: 10 hours unpaid
• At $16/hour: $160/month lost

The fix:

Track actual breaks taken. Report discrepancies immediately.

Mistake #7: Not Understanding Your Pay Week

Pay weeks don't always start Sunday. If you think it's Sunday-Saturday but it's actually Monday-Sunday, your overtime calculations will be wrong.

The fix:

Ask HR what day your pay week starts. Track accordingly.

Mistake #8: Losing Your Records

Scraps of paper get lost. Notes get deleted. Memories fade.

The fix:

Use a consistent system. Whether it's a notebook, spreadsheet, or app – keep all records in one place and back them up.

Mistake #9: Not Reviewing Paychecks

Many workers just glance at the total and deposit their check. They never verify the hours.

What to check:

• Regular hours match your records
• Overtime hours are correct
• Overtime rate is applied
• Breaks are handled correctly

The fix:

Compare every paycheck to your personal records. Flag discrepancies immediately.

Mistake #10: Waiting Too Long to Dispute

If you notice an error months later, it's harder to fix. Memories fade. Records may be deleted.

The fix:

Review each paycheck within a week. Dispute errors immediately with documentation.

The Real Cost of These Mistakes

Let's add up common mistakes for a worker earning $17/hour:

That's over $2,600 per year from avoidable mistakes.

How ShiftWorth Prevents These Mistakes

ShiftWorth helps you avoid every mistake on this list:

• Exact time tracking – Timestamps to the second
• Break logging – Paid and unpaid tracked separately
• Overtime alerts – Know when you're approaching OT
• Persistent records – Every shift saved securely
• Weekly summaries – Easy paycheck comparison
• Daily totals – Catch daily overtime

Stop leaving money on the table. Track accurately.

Summary

Common time tracking mistakes include:

Not tracking at all

Rounding times

Forgetting breaks

Ignoring daily overtime

Working off the clock

Trusting auto-deducted breaks

Wrong pay week assumptions

Losing records

Not reviewing paychecks

Waiting to dispute

Each mistake seems small but compounds over time. Accurate tracking protects your income. Start today.