This week we will be talking about the importance of filling out your time sheet correctly and making sure it is received by the right person. Believe it or not, but how you fill out your time actually reflects on your character. It shows your integrity and honesty in the work place. Let me explain….

Think about owning your own business. The responsibility of paying for supplies, salaries, etc. falls on you. Something most business owners take very seriously. They work out the budgets in order to make sure that their employees are covered financially. It may be easier to calculate your time by rounding, but when you do that without permission it can be misunderstood as falsifying time, which reflects on your integrity and honesty as an employee. You are viewed as taking what is not owed. Adding even 5 minutes here and there may not seem like a big deal, but to a business owner, if everyone is doing it then it can really add up at the end of the month.

Depending on how many employees are rounding, this could mean paying out up to $1,000 overall for unworked time. There are companies that don’t mind the difference and are more casual with their employees, but you don’t want to assume that is your employer. Always be sure to check with your supervisor before rounding your time. Most employers take falsification of a time sheet very seriously and could result in automatic termination.

It is also the responsibility of each employee to make sure that their time sheet is received by the right person. Remember, it is your time, your paycheck. If you do not follow the appropriate protocol to get your time sheet in to the correct person in time, then you may not get paid for that week. That responsibility falls on you, not your supervisor, co-worker or HR person.

A common misconception for candidates starting a new position is that rounding their time sheets is not a big issue. If you keep that in the forefront of your mind how it may reflect on your character then it will help you when starting a new position.