Do Employers Have to Pay for Pre-Shift Login and Boot-Up Time?
Many employees begin performing work before they officially clock in or before their scheduled shift begins. This issue commonly arises in workplaces where employees are expected to be fully operational and “ready to work” at the start of their shift, even though getting ready requires logging into multiple systems, opening applications, connecting to VPNs, reviewing emails, or preparing workstations beforehand.
Whether that time must be paid depends on the circumstances, but under federal wage law, employers generally must pay employees for work they “suffer or permit” employees to perform. In many situations, pre-shift computer startup and login activities may qualify as compensable work time.
Common Examples of Pre-Shift Work
Pre-shift work often occurs in:
Call centers
Customer service positions
Remote and hybrid jobs
Healthcare settings
Warehouse and logistics operations
Financial services and banking roles
Examples may include:
Logging into computers before clocking in
Opening required applications or software systems
Connecting to phone systems or VPNs
Reviewing work emails or messages
Loading scripts, schedules, or customer platforms
Performing required security or authentication procedures
In some workplaces, employees may also face attendance or tardy policies that effectively require them to begin these tasks before their paid shift starts in order to avoid discipline.
The Difference Between “Ready to Work” and “Preparing to Work”
A common issue in wage and hour disputes is whether an employer requires employees to be “ready to work” at the beginning of a scheduled shift, rather than merely arriving at that time.
For example, if a call center employee’s shift begins at 9:00 a.m., but the employee is expected to already be logged into:
the computer,
phone software,
customer systems, and
communication platforms
by 9:00 a.m., then the employee may need to begin performing work-related tasks several minutes earlier each day.
While a few minutes may seem insignificant in isolation, that time can add up substantially over weeks or years, particularly where the same practice affects many employees.
Small Amounts of Time Can Become Significant
Even relatively short periods of unpaid time may become substantial over time.
For example:
10 unpaid minutes per day
5 days per week
over the course of a year
can amount to more than 40 hours of unpaid work time.
In some cases, workers may also seek additional damages beyond the unpaid wages themselves.
Not Every Startup Task Is Automatically Compensable
Whether pre-shift activities must be paid depends on:
what tasks employees are performing,
whether the activities are required,
how closely the activities relate to employees’ principal job duties, and
whether the employer knew or should have known the work was occurring.
The analysis is highly fact-specific.
Discuss Your Situation
Workers who regularly perform unpaid work before or after their scheduled shifts may wish to better understand their rights under federal wage law.
If you believe you were required to perform unpaid pre-shift work, you may request a confidential review of your situation.
