November HR & Compliance Alert: Daylight Savings Time

 

Most of us welcome the extra hour of sleep when clocks fall back, but for payroll teams it can mean an extra hour of work to account for. On November 1, employees on overnight shifts will work through the repeated 1:00 a.m. hour, and if your timekeeping system records only scheduled shift times, that hour may never reach a paycheck. A few checks this month can help you pay every hour worked, calculate overtime correctly, and avoid corrections after payroll closes.

Adjust Pay for the End of Daylight-Saving Time

Daylight saving time ends at 2:00 a.m. November 1, when clocks “fall back” one hour. For employees working overnight, that clock change may create an additional hour of compensable time – and may push nonexempt employees over an applicable daily or weekly overtime threshold.

 

Your November Readiness To-Do List

• Before November 1, identify employees scheduled to work when clocks change and confirm how the extra hour will be recorded.
• Verify that timekeeping and payroll systems will account for the repeated hour rather than relying only on scheduled shift times.
• Review overnight-shift calculations for missed punches, automatic deductions and other settings that could undercount hours worked.
• Pay nonexempt employees for all time worked and determine whether the extra hour triggers overtime under federal, state or local law.
• Tell affected managers and employees how to report discrepancies promptly so corrections can be made before payroll closes.

Why this matters: Timekeeping systems do not always handle the fall clock change correctly. Reviewing affected shifts before the payroll is finalized helps ensure employees are paid for all hours worked and that any resulting overtime is calculated accurately.