Un-appy: Portland-Area Lawyers Not Sold on iPhone Time-Tracking App

Clarence Belnavis of the Portland, OR office was featured in the Briefly Legal article "Un-appy: Portland-Area Lawyers Not Sold on iPhone Time-Tracking App." The article noted that the U.S. Department of Labor had introduced a smartphone app that allows employees to independently track the hours they work and what they're owed in wages. The DOL has made it clear in a news release that information collected on the app could be used in investigations by the Wage and Hour Division. Clarence said that's a cause of concern and he worries that the app is a means for the DOL to encourage wage and hour cases against employers. "The DOL is really energized to pursue wage and hour claims against employers, and this app will do more harm than good potentially because it creates more opportunities for misunderstandings." Clarence points out that employees could start the app before they actually get to work or use it during the day when they're handling personal matters. "It's like the saying, Garbage in, garbage out.' The app is only as good as what the employee chooses to record, and it's more a question of when they start and stop the app than when they actually worked."