We checked 11 claims against the cited recordkeeping research and its primary sources. All 11 are verified.
2 claims
Log a personnel-records request the day it lands; CA and WA often give 21 days; waiting for a formal letter burns the clock
Parent opening and CA oral-request miss mode.
Treat the day they ask as day one, including verbal exit asks
Parent CA §226(c) oral request rule.
1 claim
California payroll-record requests — 21 days or flat $750 penalty
Parent quick reference and research §226(f).
1 claim
Washington personnel-file production due in 21 days; higher damages the longer you wait; former employees three years after leave
SHB 1308 graduated damages and 3-year former-employee access.
1 claim
Federal wage-hour agency central records can be 72 hours
Parent and research 29 CFR §516.7.
1 claim
Employers must keep wage and hour records for years federally; employee access rights are mostly state law
Parent FAQ federal baseline.
1 claim
Action bullets — log same day, pull time/pay/agreements, redact others not requester pay, cover note, keep copy
Parent playbook steps 1–5 compressed.
3 claims
Waiting for formal letter after oral CA ask is a trap
Parent common failure mode #1.
Former employee who left last year still covered in key states
CA former employees; WA 3-year post-separation.
Rounded weekly totals only / cloud export fails on due day — traps
Parent failure modes 3–4; research rounded-total / retrieval failures.
1 claim
Produce on time, keep a copy, freeze deletion if dispute brewing
Parent rule of thumb + litigation-hold guidance.
1 unique source cited across the report — click to audit any claim directly against its evidence.
Every claim above links to the source we used. Open any source to compare the wording here with the underlying rule, guidance, court opinion, or product behavior.
If a source has changed or a claim looks wrong, tell us. We would rather correct the page than leave a stale answer online. See how we fact-check.
Clockspot helps small businesses track employee time and keep payroll-ready records. Used in all 50 states since 2007, we focus on getting time and pay right — including the wage-and-hour rules that shape both.
We build Clockspot for the same reason we publish these reports: time records should be understandable, reviewable, and tied to the rules that affect payroll. See how Clockspot works.