Clocking from your foundU platform

Explore which clocking option is best for you

Timekeeping is a vital part of the shift approval process because it offers an accurate record of when, where, and for how long employees work. Accurate clock times can directly influence employee pay, which is why selecting the right timekeeping method for your business is essential. This helps ensure that work hours are correctly recorded, avoiding payroll discrepancies. 

This article will help you make an informed decision by comparing our different clocking options and recommending the best solutions for various types of businesses. 

In this article, we will cover:

• Considerations for each method of timekeeping you can use
• Benefits for each clocking option
• FAQs

  If you are looking for ways to customise employee clocking or streamline shift approvals, please refer to our article on Clock Settings. 

Timekeeping Considerations

Which timekeeping option is best for your business

If you want to simplify and enhance employee time tracking for your business, whether you have an in-office team or remote workers, foundU has three excellent options for clocking in:

• • Employees can effortlessly clock in using their mobile phones through the user-friendly Employee App
  • On-site team members can easily clock in from an iPad via the foundU Clock App
  • You can also clock in from your POS system or other devices using Browser Clocking

Each method offers unique benefits tailored to different needs. Take the time to explore each option carefully so you can choose the perfect solution for your business. Ready to streamline your time-tracking and boost productivity? foundU has you covered! 

The image below compares the key features and benefits of using each clocking method. 

For more information on each of these clocking options, please refer to the sections below. 

Alternate Timekeeping Options

In addition to the clocking methods previously mentioned, where employee hours are recorded through clocking for breaks and shifts, foundU offers two more options to capture shift times, these are:

• • Submit Shifts
  • Clock Times Import

These options can be used in conjunction with the clocking methods, allowing some employees to clock in while others submit their shifts, or for employees to have access to both options. However, it's important to note that employees cannot use both methods for the same shift. 

Submit Shifts

Submit Shifts simplifies the process of reporting work hours for employees. Instead of clocking in and out, employees can simply complete their shift, update the necessary details, and send the information directly to their manager for review—all through the Employee App. This makes it a quicker and easier way to keep track of work hours.

Some common benefits of using Submit Shifts include:

• • On-site supervisors can sign off on shifts before they are submitted
  • Employees can add comments, leave, allowances or reimbursements
  • Can be enabled per employee

Refer to the image below, which compares the key features and benefits of using Submit Shifts with those of the other clocking methods. 

  For further information about setting up and using Submit Shifts, please refer to our article here. 

Clock Times Import

If your business has more advanced clocking compliance needs, such as using a finger scanner or facial recognition, you might consider an external clocking system. Don't worry—your shift approvals and payroll accuracy can still be seamlessly maintained through the Clock Times CSV import. This way, you can enjoy the best of both worlds: advanced features and smooth operation. 

  For further information about using the Clock Times Import, please refer to our article here.

Your Clocking Options

Employee App (Phone Clocking)

One of the primary methods for employees to clock in for their shifts is through the Employee App on their mobile devices. Once onboarded, all employees are encouraged to download this app to easily access their shift details at any time.

With a simple toggle in their profiles, you can enable your employees to clock in and out effortlessly from their phones, ensuring they always have a way to clock in, especially when they're frequently on the move. 

Some common benefits of using the Employee App include:

• • Great for employees constantly on the move or regularly working at multiple job sites
  • Allows employees to clock for different Operations from 1 device
  • Can be enabled per Operation and per Employee
  • Employees can use the Employee App, which they should already have, without needing to install any additional apps

This method of clocking will be useful for:

• • Construction or Labour Hire employees who regularly work between clients
  • NDIS workers so they can clock with each patient separately
  • Direct employees who work between multiple sites or venues
  • Remote workers, so they can clock when working from home

  To read more information on setting up and using the Employee App (Phone Clocking), please see the help guide article here. 

Clock App (iPad Clocking)

This clocking method is ideal for businesses that need employees to clock in from a centralised location, ensuring they are on-site at the start of their shifts.

The Clock App, available exclusively on iPad, is the only clocking option that offers two ways for employees to clock in for their shifts. These are either by:

• • Entering their foundU ID and Passcode
  • Scanning their QR code (Optional)

  QR Code scanning is a feature that streamlines the clocking process by automatically clocking employees once scanned. Learn more about this convenient feature here. 

Some additional benefits of using the Clock App include:

• • You can capture photos when employees clock in and out
  • Clock times are still recorded when there is no internet connectivity
  • Ensures that all employees are clocking in from 1 centralised place

This method of clocking will be useful for:

• • Hospitals
  • Hospitality venues (Restaurants, Clubs, Hotels)
  • Event spaces or warehouses where QR clocking can speed up employee timekeeping

  To find out more about setting up and using the Clock App (iPad Clocking), please refer to the help guide article here.  

Browser Clocking (Other Devices)

Discover the versatility of our browser-based clocking system. It combines the convenience of on-site clocking with the flexibility to use any device with internet access and a browser. Whether your business has just one computer or a POS system, this option is perfect for you.

Simply link the device to an operation, bookmark the URL, and you're ready to go—making time tracking easier than ever. 

Some common benefits of using Browser Clocking include:

• • Compatibility with any device, such as tablets, POS systems or a PC
  • No App or browser extension installation is required

This method of clocking will be useful for:

• • Retail Workers for clocking on their POS System
  • Office Workers or Medical Practices

  To find out more about setting up and using the Browser Clocking, please refer to the help guide article here.  

FAQs

FAQs

My employee has forgotten to clock in/ out. Can I adjust their clock times?

For compliance purposes, clock times can only be recorded when an employee clocks for their shift. If an employee fails to clock in or out, their time will not be recorded.

However, you can adjust and approve their shift times in Approve Shifts to ensure that your employee is paid for the correct time worked.

Where can I view an employee's clock times?

An employee's clock times can be viewed in 2 places, both of these can be located from Time & attendance:

• Approve Shifts - Their clock times will display on their shifts for any casual and non-salaried employees.
• Clock Log - Complies a list of all employee clock times. Additionally, the Clock Log can be filtered to display just your salaried employees.  

Is there a way I can automate shift approvals using clocking?

Yes! There are 4 clock settings to assist you with automating the approved time for your employee's shifts; these are:

• Ignore clocked break duration and start time in favour of original rostered break duration and start time? - This will apply the rostered break start time and duration when approving shifts. This can be used with Break Scheduler to automatically apply your breaks when rostering.
• Automatically approve shifts that are clocked within specified time thresholds - This will automatically approve shifts when they are clocked within a specified threshold.
• Use the rostered start/ finish time if the employee clocks in between - Approve times will default to rostered start/ finish times when clocked within a specified threshold.
• Auto adjust clock in/out times? - This setting will round approve times to the nearest increment (e.g. 15 minutes). This is used when a shift's clock times far exceed the rostered start/ finish time (e.g. When employees stay back to work).

For further information on setting up these settings, please refer to the "Clock settings to speed up shift approvals" section above. 

Can an employee clock in without a shift?

Absolutely! Employees can clock in either on the iPad or from their phone (when they are within their geofence) without a shift.

When an employee clocks in without a shift, it will create an unassigned shift in Approve Shifts for approval. There are 2 main use cases where an unassigned shift has been created:

• Employee clocks in without a shift (e.g. is called in to work).
• Employee ends their shift instead of starting their break (these are 2 different buttons). As such, when they clock in, a new shift is created. 

We have lost wifi. Do you know if my employee clock can be used while offline?

If you are tracking time using the foundU Clock App on an iPad, your employees can continue clocking in and out. Once you regain connectivity, the clock times will be sent to your platform.

If your employees are using the Employee App on their phones to track time, internet connectivity is necessary. If internet connectivity is lost, your employees will be unable to clock in or out. If you work in a rural area, you may prefer to use the Submit Shifts feature to capture employee times.

Can my salaried staff clock?

Yes, your salaried employees can use foundU for timekeeping!

However, there is no requirement for salaried employees to clock, as their shifts do not go through to Approve Shifts for approval.

If you prefer your salaried employees to track their hours by clocking, you can advise them on which roster to clock against and view their clock times from the Time & attendance > Clock Log.

What is a geofence, and what does it have to do with clocking?

A geofence is used by employees who clock in using the Employee App on their phones.

It is an invisible boundary set to each roster that prevents employee clocking unless they are inside the boundary. This ensures that employees are on-site before they can clock in.

For further reading, please see the "Employee App (Includes set Geofence/ Geolocation set-up)" section above for more details.

How does the Timezone set in my roster configuration affect the clock times of my employees?

Roster timezones in the roster configuration help to ensure accuracy in clocking by giving the system information about where (which timezone) the employee is likely to be clocking in.

For example:

• Use a specific timezone in your roster configuration, when your employees will be clocking their times in one appropriate timezone.
  • I.e. All employees on the Brisbane cafe roster should be clocking in using AEST times, so we select the 'Australia/Brisbane' timezone.
• Use the 'No Timezone (use device location)' option, when employees are operating throughout different states but all clocking on one roster (geofence not enabled).
  • I.e. All employees on the State managers roster will be clocking on in multiple time zones, so we select the 'No Timezone'  option.

Daylight saving time is approaching, and I am unsure about when my employees should clock in and out during the time change. Can you provide guidance on clocking during daylight saving time?

There are a few key things to note around Daylight saving time (DST) that will be of interest to you:

• DST will not affect rostered shift times of your employees - This means they should have no confusion about when to attend or leave work.
• DST only affects overnight shifts (starting before and ending after 2 am), so normal day shifts will never be affected.
• During DST, employees should clock in and out as normal.
• Device settings such as 'automatic date and time updates' on an employee's phone or business iPad may affect the times that are displayed in the platform during DST, please refer to our guide below on how to make changes to shift duration time to ensure payroll accruracy.

You'll be able to edit and make changes to shifts that have been affected by DST where needed. We recommend reading our detailed guide on Daylight Saving Time (DST).

I'd like to use the Clock questionnaire, can I use multiple clocking questions?

When using customised clocking questions, you are limited to:

• 1 question for clocking in.
• 1 question for clocking out.

However, each of these questions can have multiple responses. By adding more response choices to your question, you can gain better data from your employees. You can also require a comment for specific answers to gain more understanding as to why an employee has answered in a specific way.

For example, your clock in question could be:

"We are heading into the new semester. Have you updated your availability?"

Responses can be:

• Yes
• No - provide a reason why
• I am not a student
• No updates required
• Not applicable

Why can't my employee clock out? When my employee tried to clock out, there was only a clock in button available.

In your platform the 'Maximum shift duration' setting determines both the maximum length of a shift and how long your employees clocking window is. 

If your employee tries to 'clock out' for their shift outside of this window, they will be unable to. Instead, they will only have the option to clock in for a new unassigned shift.

• When this occurs, the shifts will require an edit in Time & attendance > Approve Shifts. 

If your buisness requires a larger clocking window, the 'Maximum shift duration' will need to be updated. Please see our aritcle on Work Defaults, for further details.