It is not common for them to require you to be there before your starting time, but to not get ready to leave until after quitting time is common.

I always tried to be at my work place at least 10 minutes before starting time, just to be sure I would not be late. I did not officially start work until I punched in my time card. I was officially done when I punched out. I just assume this is reasonable for both management and me.

They want you there early to get your getting your cup of coffee, chitchatting, going to the bathroom... out of the way so that you don't do that on company time.

i worked at several places where they wanted you at your terminal or area of responsability 15 min before you start. i think if you have to be there then then you should get paid then. if its a retail or customer service position the customers are going to be at you as soon as they see you, and "i'm not on for 15 min." is not something they want to hear. and if its to log on to your system or whatever, thats not fair, logging on is part of the job and should be done on job time. and at night, i shut down to leave when there is enough time between now and leaving time to shut down. if i have personal crap scattered all over the place i will do that after quitting time, but if i am doing something required by the company the company had better be paying me to do it. theres too many hourly jobs out there where they try and squeeze every last second out of you, this is probably because a lot of people are really slack though, so i think the safest thing to do is only do company stuff on company time and personal stuff on personal time. im not much of a chatter or coffee drinker though, so when i show up i'm ready to get down to it. that having been said, if i am taking over for someone, if they cant leave until im there or whatever, then i am sure to be there in lots of time for them to not panick. but this is a two sided coin, if i am the one being relieved, i will not be going until my work is cleaned up and my work area is ready to be taken over by the next person. nothing pisses me off like having to balance for the morning person because theyre meeting their buddy for lunch. "you knew you were going to lunch, balance in lots of time" or yes but i wont.