What Target Employees Should Know About Off‑the‑Clock Time

Target workers and managers face a complex patchwork of rules about when time on the clock begins and ends. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the Portal-to-Portal Act, routine preliminary and postliminary activities — including ordinary walking to and from the place of performance — are excluded from compensable time unless the activity is integral and indispensable to the employee’s principal duties or a contract or custom makes it compensable. The Department of Labor’s regulations and guidance at 29 C.F.R. §785 set that federal baseline.

States, however, may apply a broader definition of “hours worked.” Recent state-level decisions and administrative rules, notably in New Jersey, have treated time that employees are required to remain on site and under employer control as compensable. That can include mandatory security screenings and substantial internal walks inside very large facilities, where the activity is required by the employer and benefits the employer’s operations. Where state law diverges from federal principles, employers operating across jurisdictions can face different obligations depending on the location of a store or distribution center.

Courts and agencies typically evaluate compensability by asking whether the activity is required by the employer, whether it benefits the employer, and whether it is integral and indispensable to the employee’s principal duties. If the answers are affirmative, the time is more likely to be payable. For front‑line workers and hourly associates, that calculus can affect pay for pre-shift and post-shift activities, impact overtime calculations, and lead to wage claims if time spent on required activities is not recorded and paid.

Employees should document the facts: how long security screenings or internal walks take, where time clocks are located, whether a manager or policy requires the activity, and keep pay records and paystubs. If you think you’re owed pay for off‑the‑clock time, consult a wage‑and‑hour attorney or the appropriate state wage agency. Managers and HR leaders should audit timekeeping practices, consider relocating clocks or adjusting shift start times, clearly communicate expectations, and train supervisors to record required pre‑shift and post‑shift activities.

For a large employer with varied workplaces, aligning payroll processes with both federal and state standards reduces legal risk and improves worker trust. Clear documentation, consistent timekeeping, and prompt review of complaints are practical steps that will matter to employees’ take‑home pay and to Target’s exposure to wage-and-hour claims.