Time & Attendance Overview
Track every clock-in, break, and clock-out across your entire workforce — from a single screen on any device.
What Is Time & Attendance?
Time & Attendance is the core workforce module that captures when employees start work, take breaks, and finish their shifts. It replaces manual timesheets and paper punch cards with real-time digital tracking that feeds directly into payroll and compliance reporting. Whether employees clock in from the web dashboard, a shared kiosk at a job site, or a mobile device in the field, every punch is verified, recorded, and ready for manager review.
Core Value Proposition:
- 🎯 Accurate to the Minute — GPS, IP, photo, and device verification ensure every punch is legitimate
- 🤝 Any Device, Any Location — Web, mobile, kiosk, and hardware time clock support built in
- 📊 Real-Time Visibility — Managers see who’s clocked in, who’s late, and who’s missing right now
- 💰 Payroll-Ready — Automatic overtime calculations, break deductions, and timesheet sync
At a Glance
| ⏱️ Clock Sources | 🔒 Verification Layers | ☕ Break Types | 📱 Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 (Web, Mobile, Kiosk, API, Time Clock) | 5 (GPS, IP, Photo, Device, Time Window) | 4 (Meal, Rest, Extended, Personal) | Web, Mobile, Kiosk |
Perfect For:
- 🏭 Manufacturing & Warehouses — Kiosk mode lets employees punch in without individual logins
- 🏗️ Field Services — GPS verification confirms workers are on-site before accepting clock-ins
- 🏢 Office & Hybrid — Web and mobile access with IP-based location validation
- 🏥 Healthcare & Retail — Break compliance tracking with paid/unpaid separation
How It Works
Clock-In / Clock-Out Flow
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ EMPLOYEE CLOCK-IN FLOW │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ │
│ │ EMPLOYEE │──▶│ PICK DEVICE │──▶│ VERIFY │──▶│ RECORD │ │
│ │ Arrives │ │ Web / Mobile │ │ GPS + IP + │ │ Clock-In │ │
│ │ │ │ Kiosk / API │ │ Photo + Time │ │ Time │ │
│ └──────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └─────┬──────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ ▼ │
│ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ │
│ │ TAKE BREAKS │──▶│ CLOCK OUT │──▶│ SYNC TO │ │
│ │ Start / End │ │ + Verify │ │ TIMESHEET │ │
│ │ Track Paid / │ │ │ │ + Calculate │ │
│ │ Unpaid │ │ │ │ Payable Hrs │ │
│ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Integration Ecosystem
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ TIME & ATTENDANCE INTEGRATIONS │
├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ │
│ │ SHIFTS & │◀──────▶│ TIME & │◀─────▶│ TIMESHEET │ │
│ │ SCHEDULING │ │ ATTENDANCE │ │ & PAYROLL │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └──────┬───────┘ └────────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌────────────────────┼────────────────────┐ │
│ ▼ ▼ ▼ │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ LEAVE │ │ HARDWARE │ │ SFTP │ │
│ │ MANAGEMENT │ │ TIME CLOCKS │ │ IMPORT / │ │
│ │ (Approved │ │ (IDCube, │ │ EXPORT │ │
│ │ Leave │ │ ZKTeco, │ │ │ │
│ │ Filter) │ │ Webhooks) │ │ │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
│ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Key Features
🕐 Multi-Source Clock In / Clock Out
Employees can punch in through five distinct channels, all feeding into the same unified attendance record.
| Punch Source | How It Works | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Web | Click “Clock In” from the attendance dashboard | Office workers, remote staff |
| Mobile | Tap to clock in with GPS coordinates captured automatically | Field workers, delivery, roaming staff |
| Kiosk | Shared device at a location; employees identify via Employee ID + PIN | Warehouses, factories, retail |
| API | POST /api/v1/attendance_records with full verification data |
Third-party integrations, custom apps |
| Time Clock | Physical devices (IDCube, ZKTeco) push punches via webhooks | Facilities with biometric hardware |
💡 Pro Tip: Ad-hoc clock-ins are supported when no scheduled shift exists. The system automatically creates an ad-hoc shift and links it to the attendance record.
☕ Break Tracking
Breaks are tracked as individual records within each attendance session, with full compliance support for labor laws.
| Break Type | Duration | Paid? | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal Break | 30 min | ❌ | ✅ |
| Rest Break | 15 min | ✅ | ✅ |
| Extended Break | 60 min | ✅ | ❌ |
| Personal Leave | 60 min | ❌ | ❌ |
Break Lifecycle:
Pending ──▶ In Progress ──▶ Completed
│
├──▶ Skipped (with reason)
└──▶ Interrupted
Key Capabilities:
- Required breaks are auto-created when an employee clocks in
- Break compliance tracking flags short breaks and skipped required breaks
- In-progress breaks are auto-completed when the employee clocks out
- Unpaid break time is automatically deducted from payable hours
- Break timing supports three modes: Fixed (exact time), Window (time range), and Flexible (system-optimized)
🔒 Verification & Security
Every clock action can pass through multiple verification layers configured per business.
| Verification | What It Checks | Flagged As |
|---|---|---|
| GPS / Geofence | Distance from assigned location using Haversine formula | Location Mismatch |
| IP Address | Against business or location allowed IP ranges | Suspicious IP |
| Photo Verification | Selfie captured at clock-in and clock-out | Photo Verification Failed |
| Device Fingerprint | Checks against user’s known devices list | Unknown Device |
| Time Window | Early/late buffer minutes around shift start and end | Outside Time Window |
When any verification fails, the record is automatically flagged for manager review with a detailed reason.
💡 Pro Tip: IP validation supports two modes — Lenient (flag and allow) and Strict (block the action entirely). GPS falls back to IP-based geolocation when GPS coordinates are unavailable.
📊 Manager Dashboard
The attendance management dashboard gives managers a real-time view of their team’s status across all locations.
| Dashboard Widget | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Today’s Summary | On-time count, late count, expected vs. actual attendance, absence rate |
| Currently Clocked In | Live list of employees currently working with clock-in times |
| No-Shows | Scheduled employees who missed their shift (excludes ad-hoc shifts) |
| Pending Reviews | Flagged attendance records awaiting manager action |
| Recent Entries | Latest clock-ins/outs across managed locations |
| Location Detail | Drill-down view showing scheduled vs. actual per shift per location |
Context-Specific Review Actions:
Managers see different action options based on the type of issue:
| Issue Type | Available Actions |
|---|---|
| No-Show | Mark as Excused, Unexcused Absence, Add Manual Entry |
| Location Mismatch | Accept Location, Unauthorized Location, Correct Location |
| Tardiness | Accept Late Arrival, Tardiness Violation, Correct Time |
| Security Concern | Verify as Legitimate, Flag for Investigation, Update Device Registry |
| Photo Verification | Accept Without Photo, Require Photo Resubmission |
⏰ Overtime Calculations
The system automatically calculates regular, overtime, and double-time hours using configurable thresholds.
| Calculation | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Regular Hours | All hours up to the weekly overtime threshold |
| Overtime Hours | Hours between the overtime and double-time thresholds |
| Double-Time Hours | Hours exceeding the double-time threshold |
| Labor Law Compliance | Location-based rules can override business defaults (uses the more restrictive threshold) |
The overtime calculator accounts for pay period length, automatically scaling weekly thresholds to match semi-monthly, bi-weekly, or custom pay periods.
💡 Pro Tip: Payable hours are calculated from shift start time (not early clock-in time), so employees who arrive early are paid from the scheduled start.
🤖 Automated Operations
Background jobs handle time-sensitive operations without manual intervention.
| Automation | What It Does | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Auto Clock-Out | Clocks out employees who forgot, using shift end time + buffer or max hours | Scheduled job |
| Clock-Out Reminders | Sends push notification before shift ends | X minutes before shift end |
| Missed Check-In Detection | Marks records as “missed” when shift ends without a clock-in | After shift end time |
| Stale Record Cleanup | Auto-closes attendance records open for 24+ hours | Daily cleanup |
| Real-Time Timesheet Sync | Pushes clock-in/out data to timesheet entries on every save | After each attendance save |
Auto clock-out records are automatically flagged for manager review with detailed notes about the automatic action.
🔔 Notification Rules
Configurable notification rules alert the right people at the right time.
| Rule Type | Description | Channels |
|---|---|---|
| Missed Check-In | Employee didn’t clock in by threshold time | Email, SMS, Push, Slack |
| Missed Check-Out | Employee checked in but didn’t clock out by threshold | Email, SMS, Push, Slack |
| Late Check-In | Employee clocked in after the late buffer | Email, Push |
| Early Check-Out | Employee clocked out before shift end | Email, Push |
| Suspicious Activity | IP, device, or time window flags detected | Email, Push |
| Location Mismatch | GPS coordinates outside geofence radius | Email, Push |
| Consecutive Late | X consecutive late arrivals (configurable threshold) | Email, Push, Slack |
| Consecutive Missed | X consecutive no-shows (configurable threshold) | Email, Push, Slack |
Notifications can target the employee, their manager, all managers, all admins, or specific users.
🏪 Time Clock Kiosk
The kiosk mode transforms any tablet or display into a shared time clock station.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Session Management | Manager creates a session tied to a location with an encrypted passcode |
| Employee Identification | Employees enter their Employee ID + PIN to identify themselves |
| Session Security | Configurable timeout, rate limiting (5 attempts / 5-min lockout), signed tokens |
| Auto-Reset | Screen resets after each punch (configurable 3-30 seconds) |
| Punch Counter | Tracks total punches per session for audit purposes |
| Portal Access | Employees can connect via a web portal using the session code |
📈 Analytics & Reporting
The analytics dashboard provides admin-level insights into attendance patterns and potential fraud.
| Report | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Overview Dashboard | Total records, review rate, records by day with flagged overlay |
| Fraud Metrics | Suspicious IP counts, unknown device percentages, location mismatches |
| By Location | Locations ranked by number of flagged records |
| By Employee | Employees ranked by flag count for investigation |
| SFTP Export | Automated CSV exports to external payroll systems on daily/weekly/monthly schedules |
| CSV Import | Bulk import attendance records from CSV or Excel files |
🏆 Employee Self-Service
Employees have full visibility into their own attendance from the personal dashboard.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Pay Period Summary | Hours worked, target hours, completion percentage, regular/overtime/double-time breakdown |
| Upcoming Shifts | Next 4 shifts with clock-in availability status |
| Missing Clock-Outs | Records that need a clock-out with direct action buttons |
| Attendance History | Paginated history of all past attendance records with status, duration, and location |
| Undo Clock-Out | 15-minute window to undo an accidental clock-out |
| Absence Reporting | Report an upcoming absence with reason codes before the shift starts |
| Shift Feedback | Optional post-shift feedback prompt after clock-out (when enabled) |
🔗 Hardware Time Clock Integration
Physical time clock devices sync punches into the platform via a normalized integration layer.
| Capability | Details |
|---|---|
| Supported Devices | IDCube, ZKTeco, and any device supporting HTTP webhooks |
| Punch Types | Clock In, Clock Out, Break Start, Break End |
| Sync Modes | Pull (scheduled polling) and Push (real-time webhooks) |
| Deduplication | External punch IDs prevent duplicate records |
| Employee Matching | Badge ID maps to user profile for automatic association |
| Verification | Biometric verification status (fingerprint, face) carried through to attendance record |
User Roles & Permissions
| Capability | Employee | Manager | HR / Admin | Super Admin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clock in / out for self | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| View own attendance history | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Undo own clock-out (15 min) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Report own absence | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| View team attendance dashboard | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Review flagged records | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Excuse / unexcuse absences | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Adjust clock times | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Approve / reject records | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| View analytics & fraud metrics | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Configure notification rules | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Manage kiosk sessions | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Import / export attendance data | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Configure security settings | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| View all locations | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Getting Started
For Employees
- Navigate to Attendance — Open the Time & Attendance module from your dashboard
- Clock In — When your shift window opens, click or tap the Clock In button; provide photo/GPS if prompted
- Take Breaks — Start and end breaks as needed; required breaks appear automatically
- Clock Out — Tap Clock Out when your shift is done; the system calculates your hours instantly
- Review Your Summary — Check your pay period hours, overtime, and attendance history
For Managers
- Open the Dashboard — Navigate to Attendance Management to see your team’s real-time status
- Monitor Live Attendance — Check the “Currently Clocked In” widget and “No-Shows” list
- Review Flagged Records — Act on items in the “Pending Reviews” queue using context-specific actions
- Adjust Times — Correct clock-in/out times for employees who had issues
- Set Up Kiosk — Create a kiosk session for shared devices at your location
For Administrators
- Configure Security Settings — Set GPS geofence radius, IP restrictions, photo verification, and time window buffers
- Set Up Break Types — Define which breaks are required, paid/unpaid, and their durations
- Configure Notifications — Create rules for missed check-ins, late arrivals, and consecutive issues
- Set Overtime Thresholds — Configure weekly overtime and double-time hour limits
- Enable Integrations — Connect hardware time clocks and set up SFTP import/export schedules
Best Practices
- ✅ Enable GPS verification for field and multi-site workforces to prevent buddy punching
- ✅ Configure auto clock-out to ensure stale records don’t accumulate and distort reports
- ✅ Set up break types matching your local labor laws before going live
- ✅ Use notification rules for consecutive late arrivals to catch patterns early
- ✅ Review flagged records daily — the context-specific actions make reviews fast and consistent
- ✅ Enable real-time timesheet sync so payroll always reflects the latest clock data
- ✅ Use kiosk mode for locations where employees don’t have individual devices
- ✅ Configure the late clock-in buffer to avoid false “late” flags for employees arriving 1-2 minutes after shift start
- ✅ Leverage the undo window — the 15-minute undo period reduces unnecessary manager corrections
- ✅ Export attendance via SFTP on a schedule that aligns with your payroll processing dates
Related Resources
- Shifts & Scheduling Overview — Create and manage the shifts that attendance tracks against
- Leave Management Overview — Approved leaves are automatically excluded from no-show calculations
- Timesheet Export Overview — Attendance data flows into timesheets for payroll processing
- Scheduling Teams Overview — Organize employees into teams for location-based attendance management
Accurate time tracking is the foundation of fair pay and labor compliance — Time & Attendance makes it effortless for every role in your organization.
