Aren't there rules in place that would disallow an employee from putting in work hours that he/she is not getting paid for (even if it is done willingly and without "obvious" encouragement from the employer)? Isn't this a liability issue similar to the practice of not paying for drive time in a company vehicle? What happens if something bad occurs while this person is "off the clock"? A fellow employee starts his work day on the job site 30-60 minutes early most every day without making note of it on his timecard. It is probably no coincidence that he was one of the very few people at our company that did not get laid off last year for a substantial amount of time. What's next...a bidding war to see who is willing to put in the largest amount of strait time hours over 40 per week? I often do print work and planning at home on my own time just to feel ready and confident for the next day but there should always be compensation for job site work.