Your work. Your records.
Receptionist Workplace Records
Reception work combines greeting visitors, managing inquiries, scheduling and sometimes taking payments. A dispute about availability or performance may overlook duties performed away from the main desk. Start with a clear account of the coverage expected from you and how instructions changed. Include the employing organization and worksite, especially when you staffed another company’s reception area through an agency.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Relief arrangement
Record the planned coverage, who was expected to relieve you and any change communicated during the shift.
Instruction trail
Pair relevant manager messages with the competing reception duties described in your own factual timeline.
Pay and scheduling
Identify the schedule or pay entry in question without attaching visitor appointments or customer payment records.
Start with the work you actually do
Answer inquiries and provide information to the general public, customers, visitors, and other interested parties regarding activities conducted at establishment and location of departments, offices, and employees within the organization.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Receptionists and Information Clerks (43-4171.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Operate telephone switchboard to answer, screen, or forward calls, providing information, taking messages, or scheduling appointments.Source task 744 · updated 08/2023
- Greet persons entering establishment, determine nature and purpose of visit, and direct or escort them to specific destinations.Source task 747 · updated 08/2023
- Receive payment and record receipts for services.Source task 745 · updated 08/2023
- Schedule appointments and maintain and update appointment calendars.Source task 751 · updated 08/2023
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Receptionists and Information Clerks (SOC 43-4171). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $13.52 | $15.67 | $17.62 | $32,590 |
| Alaska | $18.45 | $21.50 | $24.07 | $44,720 |
| Arizona | $17.08 | $18.62 | $21.48 | $38,730 |
| Arkansas | $14.56 | $16.75 | $17.94 | $34,840 |
| Connecticut | $17.43 | $19.53 | $22.67 | $40,630 |
| Delaware | $15.77 | $17.46 | $20.46 | $36,310 |
| Florida | $15.73 | $17.70 | $19.99 | $36,810 |
| Georgia | $14.20 | $17.36 | $20.03 | $36,100 |
| Hawaii | $18.16 | $20.00 | $23.00 | $41,600 |
| Idaho | $15.48 | $17.70 | $20.44 | $36,810 |
| Indiana | $14.32 | $17.39 | $20.07 | $36,160 |
| Iowa | $15.42 | $17.95 | $20.46 | $37,330 |
| Kansas | $15.01 | $17.33 | $19.00 | $36,050 |
| Kentucky | $13.67 | $15.84 | $18.48 | $32,940 |
| Louisiana | $13.43 | $15.75 | $17.83 | $32,750 |
| Maine | $18.49 | $20.41 | $22.49 | $42,440 |
| Michigan | $16.41 | $18.02 | $20.41 | $37,470 |
| Minnesota | $15.19 | $18.04 | $21.41 | $37,510 |
| Mississippi | $12.87 | $14.98 | $17.51 | $31,160 |
| Missouri | $15.19 | $17.18 | $19.04 | $35,740 |
| Montana | $15.91 | $17.96 | $20.60 | $37,360 |
| Nebraska | $16.28 | $18.20 | $20.50 | $37,860 |
| New Hampshire | $14.91 | $18.34 | $22.25 | $38,160 |
| New Mexico | $14.38 | $16.89 | $18.39 | $35,140 |
| New York | $18.02 | $20.71 | $23.60 | $43,080 |
| North Carolina | $14.00 | $17.04 | $19.25 | $35,440 |
| North Dakota | $16.95 | $19.00 | $22.20 | $39,530 |
| Ohio | $14.38 | $17.27 | $19.00 | $35,920 |
| Oklahoma | $13.55 | $16.61 | $18.03 | $34,560 |
| Pennsylvania | $14.76 | $17.70 | $20.64 | $36,810 |
| Rhode Island | $17.36 | $20.49 | $22.56 | $42,620 |
| South Dakota | $15.35 | $18.40 | $21.17 | $38,280 |
| Tennessee | $14.13 | $16.79 | $19.15 | $34,910 |
| Texas | $14.02 | $16.93 | $19.33 | $35,210 |
| Utah | $15.27 | $17.77 | $20.49 | $36,960 |
| Vermont | $16.87 | $18.45 | $20.35 | $38,370 |
| Virginia | $15.22 | $17.82 | $21.09 | $37,060 |
| West Virginia | $13.57 | $15.34 | $17.73 | $31,920 |
| Wisconsin | $17.31 | $19.78 | $22.39 | $41,150 |
| Wyoming | $16.28 | $18.02 | $21.00 | $37,480 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Describe coverage and competing tasks
Record who assigned desk coverage, when relief was expected and which additional duties you were directed to perform. For example, escorting a visitor or processing a payment may temporarily take you away from the entrance. If discipline concerns an unattended desk, explain the actual assignment sequence and identify any instruction you relied on, without speculating about someone else’s motives.
Match schedule changes to your records
Keep your own original schedule and permitted updates, noting when each reached you. If work continued during a planned break or beyond the posted shift, describe the task and the person who requested it. Compare the dates with your own punches and pay statements. Calendar availability alone does not establish how long you worked or whether the time was recorded.
Leave visitor information in workplace systems
Do not copy visitor logs, employee directories, payment details or access records into a personal file. Use roles and general descriptions in your timeline. If a desk log could clarify an event, note the type of record and date for review. Preserve employment messages only where you are permitted to retain them, and avoid using another person’s access credentials.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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