i'm working in a factory, USA, 3rd shift, where everybody arrives and clocks in by 10:50pm for a quick group meeting. clocking in at 10:51 counts as a half point against us for being late (which is the same half point i'd get for clocking in at 3am and only working a half day).
i checked my pay stubs and noticed we only get paid for 8 hours, every day. no point in clocking in early, no point in leaving late. asked my supervisor about it and they said “it's a gift that we get paid breaks, we don't have to do that, but we do. we'll get that taken away if we start anything over those measly 10 extra minutes” or something to that effect.
is this wage theft? and is it worth it to do something about it when they're dangling the full hour of paid breaks a day in front of us?