Employer docking pay?

pugger

I work/ed in the public sector but we have just been taken over by Mitie (oh joy....). Tonight our supervisor has told us if we sign out even 1 minute early (finger print system introduced by Mitie) we will be docked 15 minutes pay. I'm no expert but have a basic grasp of contract law, surely this constitutes penalising an employee? I'm not saying it's ok to sign out before our time is up, far from it in fact. I just find this very hard to believe from my limited knowledge of contract law. Can anybody clarify? Thanks.

HappyMJ

Just stand at the fingerprint machine for 1 minute then swipe out on time.

If they want to go in 15 minute intervals you need to have worked the whole 15 minutes and not a minute less or you won't get paid for any of it.

The is nothing in law saying they have to pay your wages by the minute or second or whatever. Some places I've worked at used to pay in 6 minute intervals. i.e an hour and 6 minutes would be 1.1 hours....but then so would 1 hour and 11 minutes.

pugger

Surely they can only take back any loss they have incurred?

pugger

We are on 37.5 hour per weeks contracts protected by the NHS trusts terms and conditions under TUPE for 12 months if its any help. There is nothing whatsoever mentioning intervals by certain amounts of minutes etc.

RichardD1970

We would get docked the same at my place if we clocked out 1 min early.

In fact I once was, as the end of shift bell went slightly out of sync with the clock and a couple of us clocked out a few seconds early.

There was nothing I could do and just had to suck it up and learn to always check the actual time on the clock.

This is at a large international company with a full union presence so would assume it's all above board.

pugger

Ok maybe I'm getting confused then but contract law states that a person cannot be penalised. Taking 15 minutes pay for 1 minute is a penalty.

pugger

I spend most of my time in the private parking forum so forgive me if I'm barking at the wrong tree! As far as I'm aware any charge should be to restore the other party back to their original position, they shouldn't be making a gain.

JReacher1

Why should you be able to leave early? Do your hours and it won't be a problem.

If you do want to pull a fast one and leave early i think the 15 minutes rule is quite generous. Could be worse and you could lose an hour.

pugger

As I stated in my first post, I'm not saying signing out early is right. I just want clarification according to the law.

RichardD1970

Don't know about contact law and all that.

All I can say is it's a very large company with a full legal department and full union representation up to convener and the union said I had no case even though I clocked out to the end of shift bell.

JReacher1

pugger wrote: »

Ok maybe I'm getting confused then but contract law states that a person cannot be penalised. Taking 15 minutes pay for 1 minute is a penalty.

It's more than one minute though. Unless you are working and then suddenly stop and scan out instantaneously its more than likely there will be a few minutes between you stopping work and scanning out.

15 minutes seems a sensible cushion.