Our managers have let us know that clocking in even 1 minute before our scheduled start time is stealing from the company.
Over the past 5 years I've worked here, we've regularly clocked in as early as 5 minutes before our shift, then got to work.
Management knows we don't just click in and stand around chatting until the clock ticks over (we assemble for meetings, check in with managers to find out what our tasks are, a manager signs out equipment to us…), so somehow if I'm counting in my register before the clock hits 9:00 it's theft?
At the same time there's no compunction against telling us our daily tasks while we wait at the time clock to clock in, or poking their heads into the break room to discuss work while we're clocked out…