# Unpaid Computer Login Time: What Two 2026 Lawsuits Say
Two 2026 lawsuits accuse Navy Federal Credit Union and Regions Bank of requiring call-center employees to prepare their computers before clocking in.
The complaints describe a familiar problem. Employees had to be ready for calls at shift start. But they allegedly spent unpaid time starting computers and signing into work systems first.
These cases raise a practical question: when does required computer setup count as work under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)?
## Navy Federal: Windows, Webex, and Avaya login time
In *Jordan v. Navy Federal Credit Union*, No. 1:26-cv-03580 (E.D. Va.), former hourly credit-card specialist Heidi Jordan filed a proposed FLSA collective action and related class claims on October 27, 2026.
The complaint alleges that customer-service employees had to:
– Turn on their computers and sign into **Microsoft Windows**.
– Open **Webex** and **Avaya**.
– Wait for the required call-center programs to load.
– Start paid time only after the programs were ready.
Jordan says these steps took about **15 to 30 minutes or more each day**. The complaint also alleges that employees logged back in before unpaid meal periods ended and closed programs after clocking out.
Employees were expected to take calls as soon as each shift began. The complaint says employees who were not ready risked poor schedule-adherence scores or discipline.
Jordan claims Navy Federal failed to record and pay for this time. She seeks unpaid wages and overtime, liquidated damages, attorneys’ fees, and other relief.
## Regions Bank: computer, network, and call-center logins
In *Blevins v. Regions Bank*, No. 2:26-cv-01680 (N.D. Ala.), former employee Latasha Blevins filed a proposed collective and class action on September 17, 2026.
The complaint alleges that call-center employees had to start their computers, enter usernames and passwords, complete authentication, connect to the bank’s network, and open customer-service applications before clocking in or taking calls. The case descriptions do not name particular software brands.
Blevins says these steps took about **8 to 15 minutes per shift**. The complaint also challenges pay for system updates and technical problems, required logout or shutdown after paid time, and login work before unpaid meal periods ended.
Blevins claims Regions did not record or pay for all of this required time. She seeks unpaid wages, overtime, and other available relief.
Both cases are at an early stage. Their allegations have not been proven, and neither bank has been found liable.
## Why the lawsuits point to a recurring wage issue
The complaints describe a similar setup at two different banks:
1. Employees need computers and secure systems to handle calls.
2. Employers expect employees to be ready at shift start.
3. Employees allegedly cannot clock in until setup is done.
This pattern can leave required work off the timecard. It can happen before shifts, around meal periods, and after clock-out. It can also affect many employees who use the same systems and follow the same schedules.
More jobs now require multiple logins, authentication codes, network connections, and work applications. So the issue is drawing attention. A few unpaid minutes may seem minor. However, those minutes add up across shifts and may push an employee past 40 hours in a workweek.
The two lawsuits do not prove that all computer logins must be paid. Instead, they show why the exact tasks matter.
## What the FLSA says about computer login time
The FLSA generally requires covered, nonexempt employees to receive overtime pay at one and one-half times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek.
Employers must also pay for work they “suffer or permit,” even if they did not specifically request it. See [29 C.F.R. §§ 785.11–785.13](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-V/subchapter-B/part-785/subpart-C).
Some tasks before or after a shift are not paid under the Portal-to-Portal Act. However, a task may count as work if it is an integral and indispensable part of an employee’s main duties.
For call-center employees, the Department of Labor lists starting a computer to download work instructions, applications, and work emails as an example of a first principal activity. See [DOL Fact Sheet #64](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/64-flsa-call-centers).
Courts have also considered computer startup time. In *Cadena v. Customer Connexx LLC*, the Ninth Circuit held that booting up computers was integral and indispensable to the employees’ work. The Tenth Circuit addressed similar activities in *Peterson v. Nelnet Diversified Solutions, LLC*. These cases are examples. The result depends on the facts and the law that applies.
The Supreme Court set a limit in *Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc. v. Busk*, 574 U.S. 27 (2014). An employer’s requirement alone does not make every task compensable. The task must be part of the employee’s main work and one the employee cannot skip while doing that work. In *Busk*, post-shift security screenings were not integral and indispensable to warehouse employees’ main duties.
So the details matter. Logging into systems needed to handle calls may differ from a task that is merely convenient or separate from the job.
## What about login time during breaks?
Short rest breaks, generally 5 to 20 minutes, usually count as paid work time. See [29 C.F.R. § 785.18](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-V/subchapter-B/part-785/subpart-C/section-785.18).
An unpaid meal period usually counts as unpaid only when the employee is completely relieved from duty. See [29 C.F.R. § 785.19](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-V/subchapter-B/part-785/subpart-C/section-785.19). If employees must log in or do other required tasks during a meal, the facts may show that the meal was not duty-free.
## What facts can help evaluate an unpaid login-time claim?
Employees can keep personal notes about:
– The computer, phone, network, and programs they must open before work.
– When the time clock lets them record paid time.
– How long login, authentication, updates, and troubleshooting usually take.
– Whether they repeat those steps after meal or rest breaks.
– Any required logout or shutdown tasks after clocking out.
– Their total hours each week, including required setup time.
Employees should not access, download, or keep confidential company information without authorization.
## The time clock does not decide what counts as work
Required computer startup and login time may be compensable when it is closely tied to an employee’s main job duties. The answer depends on the tasks, the time involved, and the law that applies.
The Navy Federal and Regions complaints raise the same concern. Employees may need to be ready at shift start, while required setup happens before the clock starts. If you believe your employer has not paid you for required computer startup, login, or other off-the-clock work, contact [Tran Law Firm](https://www.overtimelawyers.com/) to learn more about your rights under the FLSA.
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> [FLSA](/tag/flsa/) · [Overtime](/tag/overtime/) · [Computer login time](/tag/computer-login-time/) · [Off-the-clock work](/tag/off-the-clock-work/) · [Call center overtime](/tag/call-center-overtime/) · [Meal break work](/tag/meal-break-work/) · [Unpaid wages](/tag/unpaid-wages/)
*This article is for general educational purposes and is not legal advice. The lawsuits discussed contain allegations that have not been established as facts.*
