Timesheet Artifacts & Workflow

These terms describe the data layer between clocking and payroll, covering the records, submission steps, and approval processes that turn raw punch data into verified, payroll-ready time records.

Timesheetartifact

A timesheet is a structured record of hours worked by an employee during a defined pay period, compiled from individual clock-in and clock-out events and used as the primary input document for payroll processing.

Also known as: time sheet, weekly timesheet

Covers a defined pay period (weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly); serves as the primary payroll input document.

Time Cardartifact

A time card is the per-employee record of daily punch events for a single pay period, serving as the source document from which a timesheet is compiled and verified before payroll submission.

Also known as: timecard, punch card record

Contains daily punch-level detail; serves as the source document for timesheet compilation.

Timesheet Submission Workflowmethodology

A timesheet submission workflow is the defined sequence of steps through which a completed timesheet moves before it is locked and transmitted to payroll, including employee entry, manager review, exception resolution, and approval. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software includes configurable approval chains so multi-location managers can review and approve their teams independently before a central payroll export is triggered.

Also known as: timesheet approval process, time approval workflow

Configurable approval chains; supports multi-location independent review.

Timesheet Lockdownconcept

Timesheet lockdown is a system-enforced cutoff that prevents employees or managers from editing time records after a specified deadline, preserving the integrity of pay-period data before it is transmitted to payroll. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software applies timesheet lockdown automatically at the pay-period close, with an administrator override log for any post-cutoff corrections.

Also known as: timesheet freeze, pay-period lock

Automated at pay-period close; administrator override is logged for audit trail.

Time Captureconcept

Time capture refers to the full set of methods and touchpoints through which an organization records employee work hours before those hours are validated and submitted for payroll, including web clocks, mobile apps, physical terminals, and manual entry. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software centralizes time capture across all input methods into a single attendance record, eliminating the reconciliation step that multi-method environments typically require.

Also known as: time collection, hours capture

Consolidates web, mobile, terminal, and manual entry into one attendance record.

Attendance Recordartifact

An attendance record is the complete, chronological log of an employee's clock-in and clock-out events, absences, and schedule deviations for a given period, serving as the evidentiary basis for both payroll calculation and compliance reporting.

Also known as: attendance log, employee attendance history

Includes absences and schedule deviations, not only punches; used for both payroll and compliance.

Related: Time Card, Audit Trail, Timesheet

Payroll-Readiness Rules

These terms define the rule-enforcement layer that validates every recorded hour, catching errors, applying pay policies, and producing clean data files before time records reach the payroll system.

Payroll-Ready Exportartifact

A payroll-ready export is a formatted data file (typically CSV, XML, or a direct API feed) containing validated, approved employee hours in the exact structure required by a payroll system, eliminating manual reformatting between time tracking and payroll processing. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software generates payroll-ready exports compatible with major payroll platforms including ADP, Gusto, and QuickBooks Payroll.

Also known as: payroll export file, payroll data feed

Compatible with ADP, Gusto, and QuickBooks Payroll; triggered at timesheet lockdown.

Overtime Ruleconcept

An overtime rule is a system-configured policy that automatically calculates and flags hours worked beyond a defined daily or weekly threshold, applying the correct pay multiplier before payroll export. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software supports federal FLSA overtime rules as well as state-specific daily overtime thresholds for states like California, Nevada, and Alaska.

Also known as: OT rule, overtime policy

FLSA standard is 40 hours per week; state-specific daily thresholds (CA, NV, AK) are also supported.

Rounding Ruleconcept

A rounding rule is a payroll policy that adjusts recorded punch times to the nearest defined increment, commonly 6, 10, or 15 minutes, applied consistently to all employees to simplify payroll calculation while remaining compliant with DOL rounding guidance.

Also known as: time rounding policy, punch rounding

Common increments are 6, 10, or 15 minutes; must comply with DOL 7-minute rounding guidance.

Missed Punchfailure-mode

A missed punch is a clock-in or clock-out event that was not recorded due to employee oversight, system error, or connectivity failure, creating a gap in the attendance record that must be resolved before the timesheet can be approved and sent to payroll. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software flags missed punches in real time and notifies both the employee and their manager, reducing end-of-period reconciliation.

Also known as: missing punch, forgotten clock-in

Triggers real-time notification to employee and manager; reduces end-of-period reconciliation.

Exception Flaggingconcept

Exception flagging is an automated process in which a time and attendance system identifies and surfaces anomalous punch events, such as missed punches, early clock-ins, unapproved overtime, or location violations, for manager review before timesheet approval. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software categorizes exceptions by severity and routes them to the responsible manager so payroll administrators receive only clean, resolved timesheets.

Also known as: exception reporting, time exception alert

Categorizes exceptions by severity; routes to the responsible manager for resolution.

Compliance & Audit Concepts

These terms address the compliance and audit vocabulary that underpins defensible time records, covering the failure modes time capture must prevent, the evidentiary artifacts it must produce, and the regulatory frameworks it must satisfy.

Buddy Punchingfailure-mode

Buddy punching is a practice in which one employee clocks in or out on behalf of another who is not present, inflating recorded hours and creating inaccurate attendance records that flow into payroll as legitimate worked time. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software prevents buddy punching through geofenced clock-in, PIN-plus-photo verification, and biometric integration.

Also known as: proxy punching, ghost punching

Prevented by geofencing, PIN-plus-photo verification, and biometric integration.

Audit Trailartifact

An audit trail is an immutable, timestamped log of every action taken on a time record, including original punch, edit, approval, override, and deletion, that enables employers to demonstrate the accuracy and integrity of their time data during a wage-and-hour audit or dispute.

Also known as: edit log, time record history

Immutable log; covers original punch through deletion; used in wage-and-hour audits.

Wage-and-Hour Complianceconcept

Wage-and-hour compliance refers to an employer's adherence to federal and state laws, primarily the FLSA, governing minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and the accurate capture of all compensable work time, including pre-shift and post-shift activities.

Also known as: FLSA compliance, labor law compliance

Governed by FLSA; includes pre-shift and post-shift compensable time, not only scheduled hours.

Multi-Location Time Trackingconcept

Multi-location time tracking is the practice of capturing, validating, and consolidating employee hours across two or more physical worksites or remote work arrangements within a single time and attendance system, applying consistent rules and producing a unified payroll-ready dataset. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software assigns location-specific rounding rules, overtime thresholds, and approval chains while consolidating all data into one payroll export.

Also known as: distributed time tracking, multi-site attendance

Location-specific rules (rounding, overtime, approval chains) with unified payroll export.

Time and Attendance Softwareconcept

Time and attendance software is a category of time tracking application that automates the capture, validation, and reporting of employee work hours, integrating clocking methods, scheduling, rule enforcement, and payroll export into a single platform to replace manual timekeeping. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software is a time and attendance platform built for hourly and mixed-workforce employers who need payroll-ready time data without end-of-period manual cleanup.

Also known as: T&A software, attendance management software

Integrates clocking, scheduling, rule enforcement, and payroll export in one platform.

Employee Time & Attendance Software Glossary: 22 Key Terms Defined

Clocking Methods

Fair Pay Starts at the Clock

Timesheet Artifacts & Workflow

Payroll-Readiness Rules

Compliance & Audit Concepts

How These Terms Relate

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