The Time & Attendance Setup screen allows users to configure and enable various settings for tracking employee work hours. This includes creating schedules, handling special requests, and setting overtime rates. Once the setup is complete, the Time & Attendance module enables managers to effectively monitor employee work activities, such as clock-in and clock-out times, travel time, late arrivals, early departures, break durations, and absenteeism.
Additionally, the module helps control labor costs by reducing over-payments, which can occur due to inaccurate time tracking. It eliminates common errors such as transcription mistakes, misinterpretation, and intentional time manipulation.
1. In the Human Resources menu, click Time & Attendance Setup.
2. The Time & Attendance Setup screen defaults to the Settings tab.
3. Enter the Grace Period (minutes) in the text box, which allows the employee an extra defined amount of time to punch in or out based on the schedule without consequence.
Hover over the information icon (i) for additional information about the field.
4. Select the District IP Format from the pull-down. The format is defined by the district and Focus provides the ability to enter IPV4 or IPV6 formats. If an employee clocks in from an unidentified IP address, the clock punch will reflect that.
5. Select Yes from the Allow Approval of the current week pull-down to allow users to approve Time & Attendance for the current week. Approving timecards in the current week allows managers to work ahead of planned absences.
6. Select Yes or No from the Allow original clock in/out to be approved pull-down to determine if users can approve time on the Original punch in or out types in addition to Grade Period and Requested clock in types.
Within the timecard approval screen, you have the ability to approve different types of clock-ins: Original (the exact time the employee clocked in/out), Grace Period (a slight adjustment to the time allowed by the system), and Requested (time adjustments requested by the employee).
7. Select an account code from the Overtime object mask: Extra hours pull-down to track overtime hours separately from regular working hours ensuring that extra hours are accounted for correctly in financial reports, payroll, or other budget-related processes.
8. Select an account from the Overtime object mask: Premium hours pull-down to track and manage hours worked that qualify for a premium pay rate, such as overtime hours paid at a higher rate (e.g., time-and-a-half or double-time). This mask allows you to assign a different accounting strip to these premium hours, ensuring that they are reported separately from regular and standard overtime hours.
9. Select Yes or No from the Default approved click in/out to original clock in/out pull-down to determine if the entered Grace Period is used by default.
10. Select Yes or No from the Allow salary clock in/out pull-down to determine whether salaried employees are permitted to clock in and out for time tracking purposes. Selecting Yes enables the clock-in/out feature for salaried staff, allowing their hours to be monitored alongside hourly employees. Selecting No disables this feature, meaning salaried employees' time will not be tracked through clock-ins, maintaining a fixed salary payment without requiring time records for attendance.
If No is selected from the Allow salary clock in/out pull-down, salaried employees will be blocked from performing normal clock-ins or clock-outs (i.e., tracking their regular work hours). However, they will still be able to clock in or out under special requests—such as approved exceptions or unique circumstances (e.g., for an off-schedule meeting, overtime, or specific projects). In essence, normal time tracking for salaried employees will be disabled, but exceptions can still be recorded.
11. Select the Default Comp. Time Bucket from the pull-down to designate where compensatory time will be automatically accrued for eligible employees. This selection ensures that any earned comp time is allocated to the specified bucket, allowing for accurate tracking and future use of the accrued time.
12. Select the Comp Time. Adjustment Code from the pull-down to specify the adjustment code that will be applied when compensatory time is modified. This code helps ensure that any changes to an employees comp time balancesuch as additions or reductions are tracked accurately and reflected properly in reports and payroll records.
13. Select Yes from the Require Employee Timecard Approval pull-down to require employees to review and approve their timecards before final submission. When enabled, employees must verify the accuracy of their recorded work hours, including regular hours, overtime, breaks, and other time entries.
This approval process ensures that employees acknowledge the hours they've worked and helps prevent discrepancies or disputes later. It also serves as a safeguard for payroll, ensuring that timecards are accurate before they are reviewed by managers or processed for payment.
When Require Employee Timecard Approval is enabled, employees won't be able to perform their usual clock-ins (such as starting or ending their shifts) until they review and approve their timecards. However, employees can still clock in under special circumstances, likely for specific exceptions or requests that fall outside normal work hours or procedures (e.g., for an emergency, special project, or approved overtime).
In other words, regular clock-ins are restricted until the timecard is approved, but clock-ins tied to special requests are still permitted.
The process of employee timecard approval should also encompass attestation, which refers to the formal acknowledgment by employees that their recorded hours are accurate. Including attestation means that not only do employees approve their timecards, but they also affirm that the information is correct. This is applicable to both hourly and salaried employees, ensuring that all staff members take responsibility for their reported hours. This additional step enhances accountability and can help reduce errors or disputes regarding time worked, providing a clear record that employees have verified their time entries.
14. Enter an Employee Timecard Signoff Message in the provided text box. Once entered, the message displays on the View Timecards screen of Employee Self Service.
15. Multiple District IP Addresses can be entered per district buildings and/or locations. Enter the Location/Title and the IP Address in the provided text boxes.
a. Press the Enter key to save the IP address.
b. Add as many IP addresses as needed by entering new information in the bottom row.
0-9, x, and X are allowed in the IP Address range. The x and X can be used as wildcards. The IPs in the setup support wildcards like 192.168.x.x or even 19x.1XX.X.X. Leaving a part of the IP address blank is also treated as a wildcard.
1. In the Human Resources menu, click Time & Attendance Setup.
2. Click the Schedules tab.
Enter all the information for a new schedule in the top row.
3. Enter the Title of the schedule in the text box.
4. Enter the Code in the text box if a code is used to identify the schedule. This is not a required field.
5. Enter the Start Time of the schedule (grace period excluded) in the text box.
6. Enter the End Time of the schedule (grace period excluded) in the text box.
7. If you and your district are using the automatic breaks feature, the break length in minutes should be entered in the Break Length (minutes) text box.
8. Select the Automatic Break checkbox to automatically subtract the break length from the employee's timecard.
9. Select the Variable Schedule check box to ignore start/end times, specifically on the clock in/out block.
10. Press Enter to save the schedule.
11. Add as many schedules as needed by entering new information in the top row.
12. Click the field to make edits. Changes save automatically.
13. Click the delete button (red minus sign) to remove the schedule.
The Special Request(s) tab allows users to create special requests that can be selected upon clocking in/out when employees work outside of their normal scheduled hours for various reasons, such as Security Detail for Football Game, PTA Meeting, Field Trip, etc.
1. In the Human Resources menu, click Time & Attendance Setup.
2. Click the Special Request(s) tab.
Enter the information for the new special request in bottom row of the Types section.
3. Select the Active check box to allow employees to use the special request.
4. Select the Sub check box to allow...
5. Enter the Title of the special request in the text box.
6. Enter the special request Code in the text box, if applicable.
7. Enter the Rate Start and Rate End dates in the text boxes provided to establish the time period during which the special request type is applicable.
8. Enter the Hourly Rate to specify the hourly pay rate associated with the special request type. Its used when the special request involves paying employees at a different hourly rate than their standard rate.
9. Enter the Differential amount to indicate any pay differential associated with the special request. For example, a shift differential for working night shifts.
10. Enter the Amount to specify a fixed amount of money associated with the special request. For example, a $50 bonus for completing a certain task.
11. Enter the Minimum mins, which is the required number of minutes an employee must work for a special request to apply. The minimum minutes setting ensures that an employee is credited with a set amount of time. If an employee clocks in for less time than the specified minimum (e.g., 30 minutes), but the minimum minutes is set to 180, they will still be paid for 180 minutes.
12. Select the Time Paid from the pull-down to determine how the time is paid for this special request. Options include:
- Hourly: Standard hourly rate.
- Time and a Half: 1.5 times the standard hourly rate.
- Double Time: 2 times the standard hourly rate.
- Double Time and a Half: 2.5 times the standard hourly rate.
13. Select the applicable Approver from the pull-down menu to designate an alternate user who will approve any clock-in associated with this special request.
14. Press the Enter key to save the type of request.
15. Add as many special request types as needed by entering information in the bottom row.
16. Edit the applicable fields by clicking the field and making changes. Changes save automatically.
17. Click the delete button (red minus sign) to remove the request type.
Once created, Special Requests display on the Punch In/Out block on the Portal.
The account strip can be masked to the employee job allocation if applicable using the Type accounting strip mask(s) section. The accounting strip can be set to any element of a valid allocation.
1. In the Human Resources menu, click Time & Attendance Setup.
2. Click the Special Request(s) tab.
3. In the Type accounting strip mask(s) section, enter the information in the last row of the table.
4. Select the special request type from the For type pull-down.
5. Enter the Start Date and End Date in the provided text boxes to determine the application timeframe.
6. Select the applicable account strip using the element pull-downs, such as Fund, Function, etc.
7. Press the Enter key to save the entry.
8. Add as many entries as needed by entering information in the bottom row.
9. Click the field to make edits. Changes save automatically.
10. Click the delete button (red minus sign) to remove an entry.
The Overtime Matrix tab on the Time & Attendance screen is a tool that allows administrators to define specific rules and rates for overtime pay based on various criteria such as pay type, date range, and days worked. This tab serves as a configuration interface where administrators can set up different overtime scenarios, including rates for daily and weekly thresholds, overtime on non-work days, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. It provides flexibility to tailor overtime policies according to organizational needs and labor regulations. Once configured, the Overtime Matrix ensures accurate calculation and application of overtime rates for employees based on their work schedules and hours logged.
1. In the Human Resources menu, click Time & Attendance Setup.
2. Click the Overtime Matrix tab.
3. Existing rates for overtime pay displays in the table. To add a new row of data, enter information in the top row.
4. Select the Pay Type from the pull-down to specify the type of payment associated with the overtime scenario being defined.
5. Enter the Start Date in the text box to indicate the beginning date of the time period during which the defined overtime rules are applicable.
6. Enter the End Date in the text box to specify the end date of the time period during which the defined overtime rules are applicable. If left blank, the rules remain active indefinitely.
7. Select the basis for calculating overtime from the Based On pull-down. Worked refers to hours actually worked, typically validated with clock-in records. Paid refers to hours for which an employee is compensated, considering leave taken, over specific thresholds like 8 hours or 40 hours.
8. Enter the Over Daily Hours in the text box to indicate the overtime rate to be applied when an employee exceeds a certain threshold of daily hours worked.
9. Select the overtime rate to be applied when overtime occurs on a Non Work Day from the pull-down, such as Extra Hours, Double Time and Half, etc.
10. Select the overtime rate for hours worked on a Saturday from the pull-down, such as Extra Hours, Double Time and Half, etc.
11. Select the overtime rate for hours worked on a Sunday from the pull-down, such as Extra Hours, Double Time and Half, etc.
12. Select the overtime rate for hours worked on a Holiday from the pull-down, such as Extra Hours, Double Time and Half, etc.
13. Select the overtime premium for employees who work on their seventh consecutive day from the Seventh Day pull-down. It may be activated if an employee works seven days in a row. The system determines whether this applies based on the schedule and adjusts the rate accordingly.
14. When all information has been entered/selected, press the Enter/Return key to save the line of data.
To edit existing information, click the field and edit the text or change the selection.
Click the delete button to remove overtime data for the select Pay Type.
a. In the confirmation pop-up window, click OK.
The Comp Time Setup tab is a dedicated area within the Time & Attendance module that allows administrators to configure and manage compensatory time policies for employees. This feature is designed to help organizations effectively track and allocate comp time, ensuring compliance with labor regulations and company policies. Within this tab, you can set parameters such as pay types, accrual limits, and the specific date ranges for comp time accumulation. By leveraging these settings, you can streamline the management of compensatory time, enabling employees to benefit from earned time off while maintaining clear oversight of labor costs.
1. In the Human Resources menu, click Time & Attendance Setup.
2. Click the Comp Time Setup tab.
Enter the compensatory time information in the top row of the table.
3. Select the applicable Pay Type from the pull-down to designate the specific pay classification that will be associated with the compensatory time. This selection determines how the accrued comp time is treated in payroll calculations, ensuring that it aligns with the organization's compensation policies and accurately reflects the employee's pay structure when the comp time is utilized
4. Enter the Start Date and End Date to define the period during which compensatory time will be accrued or tracked using the specified Pay Type. This date range establishes the timeframe for calculating eligible hours and ensures that any accrued comp time is accurately recorded within the specified dates.
5. Enter the number of Max Hours to specify the maximum amount of compensatory time that an employee can accumulate. This limit helps manage labor costs and ensures that employees do not accrue excessive comp time, promoting a fair balance between work and time off. Once the maximum hours are reached, any additional comp time earned may either be forfeited or subject to a different pay treatment, depending on the organization's policy.
6. Press the Enter/Return key to save the comp time data. The line turns blue once saved.
To edit existing information, click the field and edit the text or change the selection.
Click the delete button to remove comp time data for select pay types.
