Time sheets and non-exempt salary employee

[Looking4anout]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Washington
I have been with the same company for 20 years, always salary. We have merged with another company and am now being requested to submit a time sheet "to track vacationa and sick days." I submitted my time sheet with my actual hours worked(regularly 10+ hours per day, 5 days per week, and sometimes a a few hours on a weekend). I am being told to resubmit it showing only 8 hours per day M-F, or they will withhold my next paycheck. This company is larger than Coca-cola in annual revenue, so I am not dealing some a mom&pop outfit, but have a feeling the person requesting this may not fully understand why they need it or even if they need it. Unfortunately, this is the top person, so I can not go around them and ask questions.
I take major issue with submitting false information on something I am signing, as I have been burned on much smaller things in the past. (my concern with this, because I am in sales, is that in the future, some new sales manager will come in, see all our time sheets only have 40hours work weeks, and think we are all lazy a$$'s and fire us)
Am I fighting a battle that is not anything I really should be worrying about? Should I submit false 40-hr work week time sheets?

 

[eerelations]

If you are truly non-exempt then your company is required to pay you for each and every hour you work. This means your timesheets should be an accurate reflection of the hours you actually work.

However, you say you are "in sales" which leads me to suspect that you are actually exempt. If this is the case, then the law has nothing to say about the accuracy/inaccuracy of your timesheets, and your employer is legally free to insist you falsify them (and legally free to fire you if you don't).

 

[Looking4anout]

If you are truly non-exempt then your company is required to pay you for each and every hour you work. This means your timesheets should be an accurate reflection of the hours you actually work.

However, you say you are "in sales" which leads me to suspect that you are actually exempt. If this is the case, then the law has nothing to say about the accuracy/inaccuracy of your timesheets, and your employer is legally free to insist you falsify them (and legally free to fire you if you don't).

I got my exept status confused. I am exempt. This was what I was wondernig, if the time sheet really is meaningless in a legal manner.
Thank you!

 

[cbg]

There is no significance to time sheets for exempts. Particularly for exempts who are in sales.

However, there can sometimes be business-related reasons that have nothing to do with the hours you actually work and everything to do with timekeeping, keeping track of hours related benefits, client billing, payroll software defaults, and other things, that may make it expedient for the employer to have a piece of paper on file, even if the hours on the time sheet are meaningless. There is nothing illegal about that and refusal to follow instructions is a valid reason to fire an employee.

Make you own judgement.

 

[FlyingRon]

Depends who your customers are. Falsifying timesheets (even to downplay the hours worked) is going to get you in trouble if you have any federal/military contracts. (There's some good reason in the rate setting rules why companies don't want you to be working too much "overhead" or non-contract work compared to the contract hours billed. It dilutes your labor rate. That's not to say that it's legal).