Punch Time – Operational Aspects
Punch Types – punch types provided by the system are as follows. Punch types not used can be inactivated but not added.
Type / Required / DescriptionIn / Yes / Indicates the start of a shift or the return from a break
Out / Yes / Indicates the end of a shift
Break / No / Indicates the start of an paid or unpaid break
Transfer / No / Indicates a change in recordable activity during a shift, perhaps to a different rate or task. May be paired with an account code, comp rate code or other peoplesoft chart field.
Meal / No / Indicates a work break during the shift for a meal.
Punch capture
A self-service web clock is provided by the application. The web clock will be configured to capture the employee’s punch type. It can be configured to provide basic text instructions to the employee. When the punch is submitted, the software will record time of day corresponding to the punch type. The clock can also be configured to capture additional data fields provided by the software, such as account code.
The web clock is a peoplesoft time and labor self-service page and as such will require the following sequence of activities
- Personal computer access
- ASU network authentication (if required)
- oasis HCM authentication
- portal navigation to the clock page
- punch type
- optional data (account code, etc)
- log off / sign off
(Can the web clock be considered a TCD and be locked down as such?)
With each in / out punch pair captured by the system, the system will calculate the resulting segment of elapsed time. Calculation rules will be developed and applied to the time segments for the creation of overtime and other pay manipulation processes as required by the company.
System edits must be developed to capture missing punch values. Typically, the employee’s time approver would be notified of such exceptions and would follow up by adding a corrective transaction.
Schedule Management
The software provides for schedules to be created and linked to employees. A schedule can be defined as any repeating work pattern. They provide the site with the ability to more effectively manage exceptions at the individual and department level. At an individual level, the company can know how the employee’s presence at the work site measures against expectations. At the group level, a department can quickly analyze and react to planned and unplanned absences when all schedules are known. Schedules are optional, and could be implemented in whole or part across the workforce.
Once an employee’s schedule is known, and punch time is used, additional system edits can be developed to provide analysis of the following
- Early punch in and late punch out. These scenarios could create overtime for the employee and would require analysis by the approver prior to payment. Procedures must be developed for management to handle these cases in a uniform manner.
- Late punch in and early punch out. These scenarios could create a reduction in pay for the employee, and typically are of interest to management to identify and document expected work time missed.
However, schedules require maintenance, and the company must realize this and provide sufficient resources to set up and maintain this effort. Schedule management requires the following
- Shift set up. Each unique combination of start time and end time must be defined. It is recommended that this activity remain centralized.
- Schedule set up. Each unique repeating work pattern of shifts must be defined. It is recommended that this activity remain centralized.
- Employee schedule assignment. This can be performed centrally or deployed to supervisors. As employees change jobs or work patterns, schedules must be reassigned so that they are always current for an employee. Areas that manage part-time student populations should pay careful attention to the management effort and weigh it with the potential benefits.
Breaks
With punch time, the system can record paid or unpaid breaks. A break event can be implemented as a required punch pair (Meal / In) or (Break / In) or programmed into the schedule as an automated ‘meal deduct’ of a programmed amount of time. Following is an example:
- 8 Hour Shift:
o In: 8:00 am
o Break 12:00 pm
o In: 12:30 pm
o Out: 4:30 pm
Crossover shifts
Certain divisions that maintain a 24x7 operation must schedule employees into shifts which cross midnight. In these cases, the system provides ‘day breaker’ rules to define the assignment of calendar day to the punch segment. This adds complexity to rule processing for holiday pay and shifts that cross the FLSA reporting period.