Punch and Time Entry Types

Defines the specific punch actions and manual entry modes that generate time records, including edge cases that cause payroll errors.

Clock-In Punch

A clock-in punch is the time-stamped event recorded when an employee begins a work period, marking the official start of compensable time within the HRIS timekeeping system.

Also known as: punch in, start punch

In ADP Workforce Now, a clock-in punch creates a timestamped row in the employee's timecard with date, time and clocking method.

Clock-Out Punch

A clock-out punch is the time-stamped event recorded when an employee ends a work period, closing the open time interval started by the corresponding clock-in punch and completing a payable time segment.

Also known as: punch out, end punch

An unpaired clock-in punch with no corresponding clock-out creates an open interval, the most common source of timecard exceptions in ADP and Workday.

Missed Punch

A missed punch is a clock-in or clock-out event that an employee failed to record, leaving an open or incomplete time interval in the HRIS that must be corrected before the timecard can be approved and submitted to payroll. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software identifies missed punches as the single most common cause of payroll cleanup work.

Also known as: forgotten punch, missing punch

ADP Workforce Now flags missed punches as timecard exceptions with a red indicator; managers must approve the correction before payroll processing.

Manual Time Entry

Manual time entry is the process of directly typing or selecting start and end times, or total hours, into an HRIS timesheet when an employee was unable to clock in or out using the standard punch method.

Also known as: manual punch, time override

In Workday, manual time entry uses the Enter Time action on the Time worklet; entries require manager approval before flowing to payroll.

Transfer Punch

A transfer punch is a clock event that simultaneously records a clock-out from one cost center, department, or job code and a clock-in to another, allowing labor costs to be allocated accurately when an employee works across multiple roles or locations in a single shift.

Also known as: department transfer, job transfer punch

UKG/Kronos and ADP Workforce Now both support transfer punches via a Transfer option at the time clock or in the mobile app.

Related: Clock-In Punch, Job Code, Timecard

Timesheet

A timesheet is a structured record, digital or paper, that lists an employee's hours worked per day and pay period, either populated automatically from punch data or filled in manually, and submitted for manager approval before payroll processing.

Also known as: time sheet, weekly timesheet

Gusto and Paychex Flex both offer digital timesheets that auto-populate from clock punches and flag unapproved entries before payroll runs.

Compliance and Policy Concepts

Names the rules, rounding conventions and overtime triggers that govern whether captured time is policy-compliant and dispute-free.

Time Rounding

Time rounding is a payroll policy that adjusts recorded punch times to the nearest defined increment, typically 5, 6, or 15 minutes, to simplify payroll calculation, subject to FLSA rules requiring that rounding neither systematically favors the employer nor disadvantages employees. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software notes that ADP Workforce Now and Paychex Flex both support configurable rounding rules.

Also known as: punch rounding, quarter-hour rounding

The most common rounding increment in U.S. payroll is 15 minutes (quarter-hour); FLSA guidance requires the rule to be neutral over time.

Grace Period

A grace period is a configurable window before or after a scheduled shift start during which a late or early clock-in punch is treated as on-time, preventing minor tardiness from generating timecard exceptions or triggering rounding adjustments.

Also known as: punch grace window

ADP Workforce Now allows grace period configuration at the pay rule level; a 7-minute grace period is a common default in retail and healthcare.

Buddy Punching

Buddy punching is a form of time fraud in which one employee clocks in or out on behalf of an absent colleague, inflating the absent employee's recorded hours and creating inaccurate payroll data. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software covers buddy punching prevention controls available in ADP, UKG/Kronos and Gusto kiosk environments.

Also known as: proxy punching

Buddy punching is most commonly prevented by biometric verification, photo capture at the kiosk, or geofenced mobile clocking.

Overtime Rule

An overtime rule is a pay policy configured in an HRIS that automatically calculates premium pay, typically 1.5 times the regular rate, when an employee's hours exceed a defined daily or weekly threshold, as required by the FLSA or applicable state law.

Also known as: OT rule, overtime threshold

Federal FLSA threshold is 40 hours per workweek; California requires daily overtime after 8 hours. Both are configurable in ADP Workforce Now pay rules.

Time Capture Policy

A time capture policy is an employer's documented rules governing how, when and where employees must record their work time, specifying approved clocking methods, rounding rules, grace periods and correction procedures to ensure consistent, compliant and payroll-ready time data. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software recommends documenting time capture policies and configuring them consistently across all clocking methods to eliminate ambiguity for frontline employees.

Also known as: timekeeping policy, attendance policy

A written time capture policy is a best-practice requirement under FLSA recordkeeping rules (29 CFR Part 516).

Payroll-Readiness Artifacts

Defines the outputs and approval objects that move time data from capture to payroll, the downstream layer employees and managers interact with before pay is processed.

Timecard

A timecard is the HRIS record that aggregates all punch events and manual time entries for an employee within a pay period, displays calculated totals and any exceptions, and serves as the primary object that managers approve before payroll is processed.

Also known as: time card, digital timecard

In ADP Workforce Now, the timecard view shows punch-by-punch detail, daily totals, exception flags and approval status in a single screen.

Timecard Exception

A timecard exception is a system-generated flag on an employee's timecard indicating a condition that requires review, such as a missed punch, an early or late clock-in, an unscheduled absence, or hours that exceed a configured threshold, before the timecard can be approved. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software covers how to resolve the most common timecard exceptions in ADP Workforce Now, Workday and UKG/Kronos before payroll close.

Also known as: punch exception, time exception

ADP Workforce Now displays exceptions in red on the timecard grid; unresolved exceptions block the manager approval action.

Pay Period

A pay period is the recurring calendar interval, weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly, over which an employee's work hours are accumulated, reviewed and submitted to payroll for wage calculation and disbursement.

Also known as: payroll period, pay cycle

Biweekly (every two weeks, 26 pay periods per year) is the most common pay period in U.S. private-sector payroll, per Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Payroll Lock Date

A payroll lock date is the deadline set by payroll administrators after which no further timecard edits, punch corrections, or manual entries are accepted for the current pay period, ensuring the payroll run processes a finalized, stable dataset. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software flags the payroll lock date as the single most important deadline in the timekeeping workflow.

Also known as: payroll cutoff, time lock deadline

ADP Workforce Now and Paychex Flex both support configurable lock date notifications sent to managers and employees.

Job Code

A job code is an alphanumeric identifier assigned to a role, task, or cost center within an HRIS that employees select at clock-in, or during a transfer punch, to attribute their labor hours to the correct department, project, or pay rate for payroll and reporting.

Also known as: labor code, cost code, department code

In UKG/Kronos and ADP Workforce Now, job code selection at the time clock enables multi-department labor cost reporting without manual allocation after the fact.

Employee Time Clock Glossary. 22 Key Timekeeping Terms Defined

Clocking Methods

Fair Pay Starts at the Clock

Punch and Time Entry Types

Compliance and Policy Concepts

Payroll-Readiness Artifacts

How These Terms Relate

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