As little as 12 minutes short each day can add up to an hour a week, 52 hours a year. Multiply your pay rate per hour by 52 and see how much you could be missing.

You should be paid for all time worked, all sick days, OPH’s, vacation time, holidays, training etc. Don’t forget, if you have reservations about filing a grievance yourself, your steward can enforce the contract and file a grievance on your behalf.

How do you prevent being short in your pay? Write down the time you work every day. Article 12 of the National contract with UPS states that your employer has to leave time clocks in place so you can record work time for your own personal use.

You also can inspect company records to see what hours UPS has you listed as worked. Talk to your shop steward to get help.

If you are short in your pay, Article 17 of the National Contract gives specifics on how to deal with it. The basics are below.

First, tell your supervisor right away and bring your shop steward as a witness. If your shortage is not corrected in two work days after you tell the supervisor, you may be eligible for penalty pay based on the amount of the shortage.

After two work days, check with your supervisor to see if it was fixed. Then you and your shop steward can decide if a grievance should be filed at that point. Don’t let it drag on! You can decide to give chances to get it fixed, but how many chances are too much. Remember you have ten workdays from the violation to start the grievance process.

If the shortage is above $40 dollars for full timers, then penalty pay will be at half your hourly rate and daily guarantee each pay period not corrected. That is 4 hours penalty pay per week.

For part timers, if the shortage is above $20, then penalty pay will be at half your hourly rate and daily guarantee each pay period not corrected. That is 1.75 hours penalty pay at straight time per week.

If the amounts are less, the company must fix it by the next pay period.

Penalty pay applies to vacation pay and with signed and settled grievances. Check with your Business Agent if that payout is beyond 10 working days.