If your timecard leaves out hours you worked, keep a dated record, compare it with the employer’s entries, and send your supervisor or payroll team a specific written correction request. Save the records and messages. If the discrepancy remains unresolved, contact the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division or your state labor agency. The guidance below uses U.S. federal rules as a baseline; state requirements and worker classification can affect your rights and options.
Document the hours you actually worked
Make a record for each disputed workday, not just a weekly total. Note when you started and stopped, any breaks, and work you performed outside the time shown on the card. Save relevant schedules, messages, task records, timecard copies or screenshots, and pay statements. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recommends keeping your own record and provides a free timesheet app and printable work-hours calendar: DOL tools for workers.
Keep the original timecard entry and any later version if the system allows you to view or edit records. Do not change records yourself or access information you are not authorized to use.
Compare the timecard with your evidence
Review the employer’s timecard alongside your notes, schedule, messages or task records, and pay statement. Work through the difference date by date: record what the timecard says, what hours you believe you worked, and the evidence that supports the difference. This makes it easier for payroll to identify a specific entry to review and helps you see whether the discrepancy also affected your pay.
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Request a correction in writing
Send a concise message to your supervisor or payroll contact. Identify each date, the recorded entry, the hours you believe you worked, and the correction you are requesting. Briefly explain the discrepancy and ask how and when the timecard and any resulting pay adjustment will be handled. Keep a copy of your message and the response.
There is no universal federal timecard dispute form or internal response deadline established by the DOL materials cited here. Follow any applicable workplace procedure, but keep your own copy of the request and supporting records.
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Know what federal rules say about records and work time
Employers must keep accurate records for covered, nonexempt employees
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires covered employers to maintain wage and hour records, including hours worked each day and total hours worked each workweek. Employers may choose their timekeeping method, but the records must be complete and accurate. DOL describes federal retention periods of at least three years for payroll records and two years for records used to calculate wages, such as time cards and schedules. These are federal requirements; state rules and other employment laws may differ. See DOL Fact Sheet #21: Recordkeeping Requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Some work outside a recorded shift may still count
DOL explains that work an employer “suffers or permits” an employee to perform is work time that must be paid, even if the employer did not request it. Depending on the facts, this can include finishing assigned tasks after a shift or performing duties during a meal period. Whether particular activities count as work time depends on the work performed and applicable law. See DOL Fact Sheet #22: Hours Worked Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
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Overtime rules depend on coverage and exemptions
Covered, nonexempt employees generally must receive at least one and one-half times their regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Coverage and exemptions matter, and state law may provide more protective rules. See DOL Fact Sheet #23: Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Escalate an unresolved timecard or pay problem
If your employer does not correct the record or pay, you can seek help from the DOL Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and check with your state labor agency about local procedures and additional protections. The DOL’s worker toolkit lists WHD’s assistance number as 1-866-487-9243 and describes its weekday availability. It also explains that the FLSA prohibits retaliation against employees for filing a complaint or cooperating with an investigation. The DOL’s state labor offices directory can help you find the relevant state agency. Filing steps and deadlines can vary by jurisdiction and worker classification.
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