Activating the time clock
As an administrator, you can activate and manage the time clock from the settings in your Workfeed account. To navigate to the time clock settings, open the settings by clicking on '⚙️' in the top right and select 'Time clock'. Here you'll be able to activate the time clock and manage its settings.
The terminal or in-app time clock?
Workfeed allows you to choose between two different time clocks, the terminal and in app time clock. Here's how they work and how they differ:
The terminal time clock
The terminal time clock can be used on a physical device in the workplace. To use the terminal time clock, you can set up a tablet or computer at the location and open the time clock with your unique time clock link and code. Copy the link, paste it in a new browser window, and enter the code to set it up.
When employees arrive and leave the workplace, they can check in and out at the terminal by selecting their name on the screen.
The in-app time clock
The in-app time clock is a GPS-based time clock, located inside the Workfeed mobile app. Instead of letting employees check in on a physical device, the in-app time clock allows employees to check in from the app based on their GPS location. Here, employees will only be able to check in for a shift if they are present in one of the designated GPS zones.
Customizing your time clock settings
Once the terminal or in-app time clock is activated, your employees can start checking in and out for their shifts. All clocked hours will automatically be sent to you for review. However, you have different options where you can customize the time clock settings:
Settings
If you have certain employees who should not be able to check in or out of shifts, you can exempt them.
Manage how far in advance and after shifts, employees may check in and out.
Note that if you don't set a preferred time slot before and after (0m before, 0m after), your employees must check in and out at the exact start and end times of their shifts.
You can also choose to round to the start and/or end of the shift if the employees check in before or after the shift's planned times.
You can ease the review process using automation by enabling 'Auto-approve clocked times'.
You can also enable 'Allow check-in without shift", so employees can create a new shift when checking in or check in earlier on the same day they already have a shift.
Breaks
If you want to track your employees' break times, you can enable 'Check in and out of breaks during the shift'. Read more about how it works here.
It's also possible to enable 'Allow employees to edit their break'. The clocked times will not be automatically approved since the adjustments will be sent to you for approval.
You can also choose to enable 'Manually edit break duration when checking out'.
Approving working hours
When an employee has checked in and out, and the shift is completed, the hours are sent to you for approval. You can manage these hours from the time tracking overview by clicking on the blue button that says 'X changes awaiting approval'.
After clicking on 'X changes awaiting approval', you can manage the working hours. You will be able to see both the scheduled hours and the edited/checked hours. To approve the hours, simply tick ☑️ them off and click on 'Approve'.
FAQ
1. How does the time clock work for my employees?
This guide will show you how it works for your team.
2. Can I use the in-app and terminal time clock simultaneously?
Yes, you can activate both the in-app and terminal time clock and allow your employees to clock in using both methods. It is also possible to have one site clock in via the terminal and another through the in-app time clock.
3. Can employees check in for work if they're not assigned to a shift?
By default, employees can only check in if they are assigned to a shift. However, if you enable the setting 'Allow check-in without shift' in the time clock settings, they will be able to check in without being assigned to a shift.
4. What happens if an employee forgets to check in or out?
If an employee forgets to check in and/or out, the clocked/edited hours will remain empty, and the scheduled hours will be shown.
5. Can I activate the time clock for specific departments?
No, it is not possible to enable or disable the time clock for specific departments. All time clock settings apply to the whole Workfeed account.
6. Why does the terminal time clock stop working?
When you are using Workfeed in the same browser as the terminal time clock, the link stops working. Therefore, we recommend opening the terminal time clock URL in an incognito browser.