Time and attendance
Time and attendance is the system of record for the hours employees actually work: clock events, absences, breaks, edits, and approvals.
Time and attendance keeps four layers apart: the schedule, attendance, the time record, and the payroll earning that pays. Capture starts at a time clock: the device or app for clocking in and out. A GPS time clock also stamps each punch with a location, often enforcing a geofence around the work location. A biometric time clock deters buddy punching (one employee clocking in or out for another) by matching a fingerprint or face. A clock event is captured data, not yet a payroll earning or proof time reached payroll.
What records does wage and hour law require?
Federal rules require, for each non-exempt employee, the hours worked each workday and the total hours worked each workweekWorkweek (FLSA). A workweek under the Fair Labor Standards Act is a fixed, regularly recurring period of 168 consecutive hours used to compute overtime.Click to open the term. The rules also require identifying information, the pay rate, and the wage computations behind each payment. No particular timekeeping method is mandated. A wall clock, mobile app, kiosk, or paper sheet all work when the record is accurate and complete. Exempt employees may be asked to record time as well, since timekeeping does not change exempt status. State rules can require more, including meal and rest period records and longer retention.
- 3 yearsPayroll records
- 2 yearsTime cards, work schedules, and wage-computation records
- 29 CFR Part 516, Records to Be Kept by Employers
- Fact Sheet #21: Recordkeeping Requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
General information, not legal or tax advice. Apply current federal and state rules with qualified guidance.