Time Spent on Pre- and Post-Shift Activities

If employees are required to spend time before or after their shift engaging in activities such as changing in and out of uniforms or protective gear or washing or cleaning up, that preparatory or concluding time must generally be counted as hours worked.

California law is generally more expansive than federal law in determining “hours worked,” defining it as the time when the employee is subject to your control or during which the employee is “suffered or permitted” to work. California's labor laws require pay for all hours worked - even if the time spent is minimal or “de minimis.” For more information, see “De Minimis Time” in Timekeeping and Recording Guidelines.