Time Tracking
Employee Time Clocks FAQ
This FAQ covers 20 of the most common questions about employee time clocks. Whether you are evaluating your first punch clock, comparing hardware types, or planning a multi-location deployment that feeds payroll automatically, these answers give HR managers, operations leads and payroll administrators decision-ready guidance organized by topic.
· Published May 21, 2026
20 questions
- What is an employee time clock?
- An employee time clock is a device or system that records when each worker starts and ends a shift. The record it creates serves two purposes: paying employees accurately and meeting the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requirement that employers maintain records of hours worked. Time clocks range from mechanical card punches to biometric terminals to mobile apps. Regardless of form factor, the core job is the same: capture who worked, when and where so the data can move into payroll without manual re-entry. how to track time right
- What is a punch clock machine?
- A punch clock machine is a physical device employees use to record clock-in and clock-out times. The original mechanical card punch stamped a time on a paper card that a payroll clerk read manually. Modern electronic punch clocks replace the paper card with a digital record stored in the cloud, transmitted via network or Wi-Fi. The distinction matters: mechanical punches require manual transcription (a common source of payroll errors), while electronic punch clocks write data directly into a time and attendance system. Most buyers today mean the electronic version when they say 'punch clock.'