Here’s another reason you might want to invest in technology to help Payroll keep accurate records of the time employees work:

They provide key evidence and can help companies avoid various types of lawsuits.

In one recent case, an employee sued after she was fired for missing too many days of work without authorization.

She claimed her most recent string of absences was because of a medical condition, meaning she should’ve been

protected under FMLA.

But when she requested FMLA, the company looked through her payroll records. It turned out, she’d only worked 1,248.8 hours in the previous 12 months — making her 1.2 hours short of FMLA eligibility. So the company went through with her termination.

In court, the judge agreed with the company’s decision. The law’s the law, and the employee wasn’t eligible for FMLA protection.

Cite: Pirant v. U.S. Postal Service.