Are employees and/or their supervisors required to sign employee timesheets?

Nothing in the law requires an employee to sign a timecard or denies a supervisor the right to change a timecard to accurately reflect the time worked. The time record requirements appear in both the Labor Code and Industrial Welfare Com­mission (IWC) orders, which state in part:

• Every employer shall keep accurate information with respect to each employee including the following:
1. Full name, home address, occupation and Social Security number.
2. Birthdate, if under 18 years, and designation as a minor.
3. Time records showing when the employee begins and ends each work period. Meal periods, split shift intervals and total daily hours worked shall be recorded. Meal periods during which operations cease and authorized rest periods need not be recorded.

The employer's obligation to keep accurate time records usually is delegated to the employee, but ultimately it remains the employer's responsibility.

Although not a requirement, it is a common practice for employers to ask employees to sign either just the timecard or to sign a statement affirming that the time record is accurate.

The fact that the signature exists and appears to confirm the accuracy of the time record in and of itself does not automatically absolve the employer of any liability for unpaid time.

For instance, an employee may remember later that they worked an additional hour that was not reflected, or the employee may allege that they recorded the beginning time incorrectly, or forgot to sign in or out at all.

In other words, the record may be in error, even with an employee's signature, for many reasons.

Further, Labor Code Section 206.5 bars an employer from requiring a signed statement acknowledging, as accurate, a knowingly false time record. Requiring an employee signature is an individual company decision to be made with your legal counsel's advice.

Although nothing prevents modification to reflect the accurate hours worked and to correct any errors, the best practice is to include time-keeping policies in your handbook. Establish how discrepancies will be addressed and limit access to the official record.

Read about Timekeeping and Recording Guidelines in the HR Library.