Get Your Fair Pay: Essential Time Tracking Info for Mine Workers

American workers, especially miners, deserve to be paid for every hour they work—it’s the law! Unfortunately, miners often face issues with underpayment or not being paid at all for the hours they work. It’s essential to keep track of all hours worked, including time spent putting on safety gear before going into the mine and removing it after coming out. This ensures you receive the fair pay you deserve.

Why Recording All Hours Worked Is Important

Fair Pay: Accurate time tracking ensures you get paid for all the hours you work. This includes overtime for hours worked beyond 40 each week. Additionally, in mining, shifts often last longer than eight hours, making accurate time tracking crucial.

Legal Rights: Mine owners and staffing companies are legally required to pay you for all hours worked. They must also keep accurate records. Proper documentation protects your rights and ensures fair pay.

Preventing Wage Theft: Without proper records, employers may underreport hours to avoid paying you the wages and overtime you’re owed. This is wage theft. Accurate records prevent this and help secure fair pay.

Ensuring Safety in the Mines: Knowing how many hours you’ve worked helps prevent fatigue. This reduces the risk of accidents in a dangerous industry. Proper compensation for all hours worked also supports safety.

Challenges with Time Tracking in the Mines

In summary, accurate time tracking in the mining industry can be challenging. Mines are often in remote locations, and shifts are long. Mining employers may not provide proper time-tracking systems. As a result, miners may work hours for which they aren’t paid, compromising fair pay.

When Someone Else Tracks Your Time

Sometimes, miners don’t track their own hours—a foreman or supervisor does it for them. As a result, this can lead to inaccurate records if the person tracking makes mistakes or uses pre-scheduled shift times. Remember, hours worked include time spent putting on gear or gathering tools. Therefore, this time should count toward fair pay for you as a mine worker.

Tips for Mine Workers to Ensure Fair Pay

• Keep Your Own Records: Write down your hours each day in a notebook. You can also use a simple app on your phone. This helps if there’s ever a dispute about your pay.
  
• Speak Up About Discrepancies: If you notice a difference between your records and what you’re paid, contact HR or your supervisor.
  
• Take Note of Recorded Hours: If you can access your timesheets, save them. If you don’t have access, take a picture with your phone.
  
• Know Your Rights: Understand the laws about overtime pay and working hours. This ensures you’re paid correctly.

Conclusion

Miners deserve to be paid fairly for their hard work. Therefore, keep accurate records and know your rights; protect yourself from being underpaid. Even if someone else tracks your hours, keep your own records! This will help if you need to prove the time you’ve worked and for calculating wages you might be owed. If you believe you’re not being fairly compensated, contact Josephson Dunlap. We can help you understand your rights and take the necessary steps to ensure you receive the fair pay you deserve.