Technology has dramatically changed the ways in which Americans work. A recent study highlights that Americans are spending more hours working at home. In a survey of American employees sponsored by Good Technology, more than 80 percent of people continue working after leaving the office. On average, American employees work seven extra hours each week – almost another full day of work. That’s a total of close to thirty hours per month or 365 extra hours every year.

The study also made the following findings:

• 68 percent of people check their work e-mail before 8 a.m.
• On average, Americans first check their phones around 7:09 a.m.
• Fifty percent of employees check their work email while still in bed
• 69 percent will not go to sleep without checking their work email
• Fifty seven percent of employees check work emails on family outings
• 38 percent regularly check work emails while at the dinner table

These trends are, of course, a double-edged sword. On one hand, they allow employees to be more efficient and offer better products and services. On the other, however, they require American workers to spend more time at home working. This results in most Americans working many more than forty hours per week, and often these workers are not paid the overtime they are entitled to. The federal overtime law, known as the Fair Labor Standards Act, requires employers to pay all non-exempt workers one-and-a-half times their regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of forty per week. This rule applies even for work performed at home. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not differentiate between work performed at the office and that performed at home.

Workers who are not exempt from overtime pay should be compensated for the work they perform at home. If you are required to work at home but are not receiving overtime pay, or if you have questions regarding unpaid overtime, call me at 817.908.9861 or fill out my contact form for a free evaluation.

About the Author: I represent individuals in a variety of matters, including employment claims for lost wages.  While my office is located in Fort Worth, I am admitted to practice in every state and federal court in Texas, and I am able handle unpaid overtime cases in Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Denton, Houston, Waco, Austin, San Antonio, and across Texas.