Overview

• Workers face penalties ranging from warnings and dismissals to rare criminal charges if they knowingly falsify their reported hours
• Experts recommend maintaining parallel records via notebooks, smartphone apps or browser tools to build a personal audit trail
• Employers bear the burden of proof in court and must present solid evidence such as witness statements, technical logs or video footage
• Trust-based and remote work arrangements can create grey areas around short breaks or private calls that highlight the need for clear company policies
• Surveillance methods like hiring detectives or installing keyloggers are allowed only when there is a serious, justified suspicion of deliberate time manipulation