Record Types

Once hours are captured, the system produces artifacts that employers must understand. These four terms define the records a time tracking system generates and payroll depends on.

Timesheetartifact

A timesheet is a structured record that aggregates an employee's clock-in and clock-out events into total hours worked per day and per pay period, forming the primary input document for payroll calculation. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software generates digital timesheets automatically from punch data, eliminating manual entry and end-of-period reconciliation.

Also known as: Digital Timesheet, Electronic Timesheet

Pay-period timesheets are the standard unit; daily and weekly views are common display formats.

Time Cardartifact

A time card is an individual employee's record of punched hours for a defined pay period, historically a physical card stamped by a punch clock and now a digital equivalent produced by time tracking software.

Also known as: Punch Card, Employee Time Card

Digital time cards are functionally equivalent to timesheets in most modern software; the distinction is legacy terminology.

Attendance Logartifact

An attendance log is a chronological record of employee presence, absence, tardiness and early departure events across a team or organization, used for time tracking, compliance reporting and dispute resolution. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software surfaces absences and late arrivals in real time, giving managers a daily snapshot without manual tracking.

Also known as: Attendance Record, Attendance Report

Attendance logs are the primary artifact for FMLA, PTO and disciplinary documentation.

Job Tracking Recordartifact

A job tracking record is a time entry attributed to a specific project, client, job code or cost center, allowing employers to allocate labor hours across multiple jobs and generate per-job labor cost reports alongside standard payroll timesheets.

Also known as: Job Code Entry, Project Time Record

Job codes are the standard attribution mechanism; some platforms call these cost centers or project codes.

Payroll-Readiness Concepts

The unifying problem for cost-constrained employers is producing payroll-ready hours without manual cleanup. These five terms define the output-layer vocabulary that connects timekeeping to pay.

Payroll Exportconcept

A payroll export is a formatted data file, typically CSV, Excel, or a direct integration feed, that transfers approved timesheet totals from a time tracking system into a payroll platform, eliminating manual re-entry of hours and reducing calculation errors. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software produces payroll-ready exports compatible with 20+ payroll providers.

Also known as: Payroll File, Payroll Integration Export

CSV is the universal format; direct API integrations exist for QuickBooks, Gusto and ADP in most mid-tier platforms.

Pay Periodconcept

A pay period is the recurring calendar interval, such as weekly, biweekly, semimonthly or monthly, over which employee hours are accumulated and then submitted for payroll processing, defining the time boundary for each timesheet cycle.

Also known as: Payroll Cycle, Pay Cycle

Biweekly (26 periods per year) is the most common U.S. pay period structure per Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Overtime Calculationconcept

Overtime calculation is the automated process by which time tracking software identifies hours worked beyond a defined threshold, typically 40 hours per week under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and flags or rates them at the applicable overtime multiplier for payroll. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software applies FLSA-standard overtime rules automatically, flagging overtime hours on the timesheet before payroll export.

Also known as: OT Calculation, Overtime Rule

FLSA standard is 1.5x the regular rate for hours over 40 per week; daily overtime thresholds apply in California and a small number of other states.

Basic Reportingconcept

In free time tracking software, basic reporting refers to the standard set of pre-built reports, including total hours by employee, attendance summaries, overtime flags and pay-period totals, included in a no-cost plan without requiring a paid upgrade. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software includes basic reporting covering hours by employee, attendance trends and overtime alerts.

Also known as: Standard Reports, Built-In Reports

The distinction between basic and advanced reporting is the primary feature gate in most freemium time tracking platforms.

Rounding Ruleconcept

A rounding rule is a configurable time tracking setting that rounds punch times to the nearest defined increment, commonly 5, 6 or 15 minutes, to simplify payroll calculation, subject to FLSA requirements that rounding not systematically disadvantage employees.

Also known as: Time Rounding, Punch Rounding

FLSA permits rounding to the nearest 5 minutes, one-tenth of an hour, or quarter-hour if applied neutrally (29 CFR § 785.48).

Compliance and Audit Concepts

Free-tool buyers often overlook compliance vocabulary until a wage dispute or audit forces the issue. These four terms define the accountability layer that protects both employer and employee.

Audit Trailconcept

An audit trail is a tamper-evident, timestamped log of every clock-in, clock-out, edit, approval and override event in a time tracking system, providing a verifiable record that can be produced in response to a wage dispute, labor audit or legal proceeding. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software maintains a complete audit trail for every punch and manager edit.

Also known as: Edit Log, Change Log

FLSA requires employers to retain payroll records for at least three years (29 CFR § 516.5).

Manager Approval Workflowmethodology

A manager approval workflow is a structured review process in which a supervisor reviews, edits if necessary and formally approves each employee's timesheet before it is locked and submitted for payroll export, creating an accountability checkpoint between time capture and pay. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software notifies managers when timesheets are ready for review and locks records once approved.

Also known as: Timesheet Approval, Supervisor Sign-Off

Approval workflows are the primary mechanism for catching missed punches and unauthorized overtime before payroll runs.

Wage and Hour Complianceconcept

Wage and hour compliance refers to an employer's adherence to federal and state laws governing minimum wage, overtime pay, break requirements and recordkeeping, areas where inaccurate or missing time records create the greatest legal and financial exposure.

Also known as: FLSA Compliance, Labor Law Compliance

The U.S. Department of Labor recovered $274 million in back wages for workers in FY 2023, with recordkeeping failures a leading contributing factor.

Break Trackingconcept

Break tracking is the time tracking feature that records the start and end of employee meal and rest breaks, either through a dedicated break punch or automatic deduction, ensuring that unpaid break time is excluded from compensable hours in compliance with applicable state law.

Also known as: Meal Break Tracking, Rest Break Tracking

Automatic meal-break deduction (for example, 30 minutes after 6 hours worked) is the most common configuration in free-tier platforms.

Failure Modes and Risks

The territory's core problem statement names missed punches, disputes and fragile manual systems. These four terms define what goes wrong without a reliable time tracking system, giving employers vocabulary for the risks they are trying to eliminate.

Missed Punchfailure-mode

A missed punch is a clock-in or clock-out event that an employee failed to record, resulting in an incomplete time entry that must be manually corrected by a manager before the timesheet can be approved and submitted for payroll. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software sends automated missed-punch alerts to both the employee and their manager, reducing the reconciliation queue at pay period close.

Also known as: Missing Punch, Forgotten Punch

Missed punches are the single most frequently cited cause of timesheet correction in hourly environments.

Buddy Punchingfailure-mode

Buddy punching is the practice in which one employee clocks in or out on behalf of an absent or late colleague, inflating compensable hours and creating inaccurate attendance records. PIN-only kiosk systems are particularly vulnerable to this risk.

Also known as: Proxy Punching, Punch Fraud

Facial recognition and GPS punch are the two most effective technical controls against buddy punching.

Inflated Payrollfailure-mode

Inflated payroll is the broader outcome when compensable hours exceed actual hours worked, encompassing buddy punching, early clock-in, late clock-out, extended breaks and personal activity during paid time. Inaccurate time records cost employers 2-5% of gross payroll according to industry benchmarks.

Also known as: Payroll Inflation, Unearned Hours

Manual timesheet errors can add up to $2,300 per employee annually.

Manual Reconciliationfailure-mode

Manual reconciliation is the end-of-pay-period process of correcting, cross-checking and completing timesheet records by hand, filling in missed punches, resolving discrepancies and obtaining late approvals. It is the primary administrative burden that automated time tracking eliminates. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software reduces manual reconciliation through automated punch capture and missed-punch alerts.

Also known as: Timesheet Cleanup, Payroll Reconciliation

Manual reconciliation is the core problem the free time tracking territory is built around; it motivates every evaluation question cost-constrained employers ask.

Free Time & Attendance Software Glossary: 22 Key Terms Defined

Clock-In Methods

Fair Pay Starts at the Clock

Record Types

Payroll-Readiness Concepts

Compliance and Audit Concepts

Failure Modes and Risks

How These Terms Relate

Learn More