First published on Sunday, March 10, 2024
Last updated on Thursday, March 21, 2024
As we gear up for the clocks to spring forward, businesses face the annual challenge of managing enquiries about pay for that ‘lost’ hour—not to mention, some of your employees may turn up late to work the next day!
Although those who do not work at the weekend are likely to be in bed when this happens, it's important to consider how this will affect working hours, and pay, for those who are still required to work in the early hours of Sunday March 8th 2026.
Will the clocks going forward affect my payroll?
Unlike when the clocks go back in November, you won't have to worry about the risk the risk of paying under the minimum wage and breaking working time rules.
However, bear in mind that employees will technically be working an hour less in their shift when the clocks change. So for example, an employee on an eight-hour shift will actually only work for seven hours if they're on duty at the time the clocks go forward.
Whether the employer will need to pay their employees for a full, eight-hour shift in this situation will depend on their employment contract. Generally, a contract outlines that a worker is entitled to hourly pay for every hour that they work.
Workers on a regular salary will usually get the normal amount regardless of whether they work one hour less. This is because salaried employees are more likely than hourly paid employees to be required to work extra hours without additional pay, and to be entitled to pay even if they work fewer hours.
It's up to you to choose how you treat this lost hour, subject to any contractual entitlements, but remember to always act consistently and fairly.
For example, you may decide that all employees must work an extra hour to make up the hour ‘lost’. But don’t pick and choose who needs to and who doesn’t; one rule should apply to everyone.
AND, don’t forget to remind your employees to reset their clocks!
If you have any employees scheduled to work on Sunday March 8th, remind them that the clocks are going forward an hour and encourage them to prepare for this.
These days, digital clocks and alarms update automatically, but if some employees still use manual alarms, you could see unexpected lateness.
We know all too well how confusing it can be when time changes. When the clocks last went forward in 2023, employee data collated our clock-in app Blip, showed that lateness the next morning went up by 24%.
This shows you can probably expect an upsurge in lateness the day after. But, don’t worry with BrightHR’s suite of time saving tools and people management software, you can manage your employees time and make sure your bottom line is protected.
Interested in learning more about how [BrightHR](https://www.brighthr.com) helps business owners like you? [Speak to one of our friendly software specialists today.](https://www.brighthr.com/book-a-demo/)
