Tame Those Timecards! Common Timekeeping Challenges
Happy Office Manager Appreciation Month, AADOM community! We recognize that what you do every day is vital to the successful operation of any business – and we applaud you!
You’re also some of our favorite people to work with. Not only do you want to find the best solutions to your people management problems, but you also want to learn all you can so you are better prepared the next time the issue arises. Plus, your empathy in challenging situations is unmatched – which can be difficult to have when dealing with challenging team problems. We love that about you!
For those that are new here (AADOM just keeps growing!) we take time each month to answer questions submitted by you about situations that you are encountering in your offices. Be sure to submit any and all questions you have about HR; we love to tackle your daily management challenges with you. This month, we are focusing on every Office Manager’s favorite thing… timekeeping and payroll (the sarcasm is strong here).
This month, our HR Tuesday LiveCast sessions are returning, so be sure to tune in and watch our HR Solution Center Manager, Grace Godlasky, and AADOM superstar Heather Colicchio discuss these issues in-depth and give some extra guidance around the topics as a whole. Timekeeping and payroll issues can be complicated and headache-inducing, and we’re going to do our best to provide you with some Tylenol.
We answer most of your questions during these HR Tuesday segments. However, we will often answer the questions we can’t get to here on the What the Hell Just Happened?! Podcast with our CEO, Paul Edwards. So be sure to subscribe to that if you haven’t already!
Remember that your daily employee interactions likely involve state, federal, or local employment laws that you must consider when trying to find the best human way to solve the core problem. We will combine the two during our answers and help you devise some great solutions.
Here are some of your best submissions this month:
One of my employees did not approve their timecard on time and payroll has passed the deadline. Can I pay them on the next payroll date in two weeks? Or do I need to pay them right away? The employee did not follow the steps of approving their timecard laid out in our handbook, so if they get paid late, that’s on them, right?
Currently, we have a form that employees fill out if they need something on their timecard edited. But this is way too much paperwork. Is it alright if we have a log in the break room that is visible to all employees? Do we need to require a reason for the edit?
We have many employees who continuously miss their time card punches. We spend hours each pay period amending employee errors. I have sent multiple emails regarding this situation. I am ready to submit payroll without corrections because I’m so tired of doing this repetitively. Please let me know what course of action I can take.
Let’s Get to the Answers:
Question: One of my employees did not approve their timecard on time and payroll has passed the deadline. Can I pay them on the next payroll date in two weeks? Or do I need to pay them right away? The employee did not follow the steps of approving their timecard laid out in our handbook, so if they get paid late, that’s on them, right?
The legal side of things: Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers are required to pay non-exempt employees for all hours worked, regardless of whether the timecard was approved by the employee.
The responsibility to ensure employees are paid for their work rests primarily with the employer – even though employees are the ones who need to do the approval on their timecards by a certain time.
Therefore, if your employee has tracked and reported their time, it’s crucial not to delay their payment. This could result in some hefty wage and hour penalties for your practice. You need to submit all known amounts of hours worked at the time you are running payroll, even if the approval deadline was missed. If there was something you did not know about, that can be corrected in the following pay period.
Now for the human approach: Although the employee failed to approve their timecard as outlined in your handbook, it’s important to handle the situation in a way that doesn’t violate the FLSA. If there are discrepancies due to unrecorded hours, you will have to address those specifically with the employee to gather the necessary information and deal with that on a case-by-case basis.
We work with Office Managers daily who have this issue, and there have been a lot of great suggestions on how they have improved their processes (to save themselves the constant headaches!).
One of our favorite suggestions, which we’ve implemented ourselves, is setting up reminders in whatever calendar software you use before the payroll deadline. Usually, these reminders will auto-notify everyone with a reminder.
For those with variable schedules or who have scheduled time off, you can calendar out reminders for their last day worked before you run payroll. This helps avoid last-minute scrambling for everyone.
If certain employees consistently fail to approve their timecards even with these reminders, then it becomes another issue that you can document and address with corrective action.
REMEMBER, HR TUESDAY DEPENDS ON THE AADOM TRIBE, ASKING GREAT HR-RELATED QUESTIONS! Submit your HR questions for CEDR to discuss on the next HR Tuesday LiveCast here!
Question: Currently, we have a form that employees fill out if they need something on their timecard edited. But this is way too much paperwork. Is it alright if we have a log in the break room that is visible to all employees? Do we need to require a reason for the edit?
The legal side of things: It’s perfectly legal to maintain a log in a central location, such as the break room, where employees can note their timecard corrections. The key here is ensuring that no sensitive or personal information is recorded on this log.
As you mentioned, details like employee names and dates/times of missed punches are acceptable. However, avoid including fields that could reveal protected information, such as social security numbers or specific reasons for the missed punches, which could inadvertently disclose private health or personal details.
Now for the human approach: It sounds like you’re looking for a way to reduce paperwork while maintaining an efficient and compliant time-tracking system – and we get that. Walking into work the day before payroll approvals to a giant stack of paper on your desk is never ideal.
Using a communal log can be a practical solution, but it’s essential to consider how this change affects your team’s sense of privacy and trust. As we mentioned above, the best move is not to have a field on the form for the reason for the edit. This approach respects their privacy and avoids unnecessary exposure to personal circumstances.
However, if you need to understand the reasons behind missed punches for disciplinary or management purposes (such as an employee continually needing the same punch edited because they are always late and forget), it would be more appropriate to continue using a private form where employees can confidentially provide this information.
You can always implement this new system, monitor how it is received, and be open to feedback. If issues arise, such as employees feeling uncomfortable with the visibility of their time corrections, it may be necessary to reconsider the setup.
In any case, maintaining a backup of the log in a secure management or payroll folder is recommended, as it ensures that you have a reliable record of all edits made.
Additionally, if you are looking for a more streamlined and private method to manage timecard edits, consider exploring specialized HR systems like the one offered by us here at CEDR! Our system provides efficient, confidential ways to handle time tracking and PTO requests, which might be a helpful upgrade from your current process for both you and your employees. Chat with us today to learn more.
Question: We have many employees who continuously miss their time card punches. We spend hours each pay period amending employee errors. I have sent multiple emails regarding this situation. I am ready to submit payroll without corrections because I’m so tired of doing this repetitively. Please let me know what course of action I can take.
The legal side of things: It is essential to remember that under the FLSA, employees must be compensated for all hours worked, regardless of whether they properly clock in or out. While it’s tempting to submit payroll without making corrections for missed punches, doing so could lead to underpaying employees, which is not only a legal risk but could also negatively impact employee morale and trust.
Now for the human approach: Given the repetitive nature of this issue despite multiple email communications, it may be time to escalate the matter beyond electronic communication. Hosting a mandatory in-person meeting could be more effective.
During this meeting, explain the importance of accurate timekeeping—not just for payroll accuracy but also for compliance with labor regulations. Share how time spent correcting these errors impacts your ability to perform other essential duties. This personal interaction might make the message more impactful and convey the seriousness of the situation.
Moreover, it is within your rights as an employer to enforce corrective actions for non-compliance. You can start by issuing formal write-ups to employees who repeatedly fail to follow timekeeping procedures. Ensure that these disciplinary actions are documented and consistently applied to all employees to avoid any claims of unfair treatment.
After the meeting and implementing any corrective actions, continue to monitor the situation closely. If problems persist, consider whether the current timekeeping system is intuitive enough for your employees or if additional training sessions might be necessary.
The timekeeping software we offer to our CEDR members has the option to allow employees to clock in and out from their personal cell phones, with GPS tracking to ensure they are in the right place when doing it. Implementing software like that could drastically reduce the amount of missed punches you are fixing. If this sounds like it would help you, contact us today to hear more about it!
HAVE A QUESTION FOR CEDR? Submit your HR questions for CEDR to discuss on the next HR Tuesday LiveCast here!
