Required boot-up / software open / system login before the job can be performed is usually paid
- Source (primary)
- Research: Off the clock work by state
- Verified
- July 25, 2026
When Boot-Up Time Counts as Paid Work
Fact Check: When Boot-Up Time Counts as Paid Work
Verified July 25, 2026How we fact-check
Summary
We checked 9 claims against the cited off-the-clock-work research. All 9 are verified.
Claims
9 claims
Ordinary commuting and some true prep can remain unpaid under federal law
- Source (primary)
- Research: Off the clock work by state
- Verified
- July 25, 2026
Once required login starts the workday, minutes before official clock-in count
- Source (primary)
- Research: Off the clock work by state
- Verified
- July 25, 2026
Truly free early arrival with no readiness expectation may stay unpaid
- Source (primary)
- Research: Off the clock work by state
- Verified
- July 25, 2026
California is stricter; regular daily minutes still count
- Source (primary)
- Research: Off the clock work by state
- Verified
- July 25, 2026
Action bullets (list apps, ask supervisors, spot-check logs, redesign clock-in, stop praising unpaid readiness)
- Source (primary)
- Research: Off the clock work by state
- Verified
- July 25, 2026
Trap archetypes — cashier 8:52, remote VPN 8:50, clinic EMR boot, logs vs time cards
- Source (primary)
- Research: Off the clock work by state
- Verified
- July 25, 2026
Close — pay login time and capture real start once
- Source (primary)
- Research: Off the clock work by state
- Verified
- July 25, 2026
Headline — scheduled start is not always the legal start when boot/login is required
- Source (primary)
- Research: Off the clock work by state
- Verified
- July 25, 2026
Sources
1 unique source cited across the report — click to audit any claim directly against its evidence.
Check our work
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.
About Clockspot
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.