How to Replace Manual Timesheets With Free Time and Attendance Procedures | EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software

How to Configure a Free Time and Attendance System for Your Team

beginner · Half a day

How to Configure a Free Time and Attendance System is the procedure for establishing employee records, schedules and clock-in device access in a no-cost time tracking platform. It is executed by an HR administrator or business owner before the first pay period and produces a live system ready to capture punches.

1. Create Employee Profiles
Prerequisites
- Employee roster with names, roles, departments and pay types (hourly vs. salaried)
- Admin login to your EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software free time and attendance account
Open the employee directory in EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software and add a profile for each team member. For every employee, enter their full name, job title or role, department assignment and pay type (hourly or salaried). If you have employees working across different job sites, shop floors or warehouse zones, tag each profile with the correct location so reporting and scheduling filter correctly from day one.
Use a prepared roster rather than adding employees from memory. A spreadsheet export from your previous payroll system or even a printed employee list works. The goal is to avoid discovering missing profiles mid-pay-period, which creates missed punches that require manual corrections later.
Double-check that each employee's pay type is accurate. An hourly employee miscategorized as salaried will not trigger overtime calculations, and the error will surface only at payroll, when it is expensive to fix.
Expected outcome: Every employee on your roster appears in the system directory with correct name, role, department, location and pay type.
2. Define Pay Period Settings
Prerequisites
- Defined pay period cadence confirmed with your payroll processor or accountant
Navigate to the payroll configuration panel in EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software and set your pay period frequency: weekly, biweekly or semi-monthly. Enter the exact start day for the current period. This setting controls when timesheet reports generate and when approved hours roll into your export file.
If your team includes employees on different pay schedules (salaried semi-monthly, hourly biweekly), confirm the system supports multiple pay groups and assign each employee to the correct one. Mismatched pay period assignments cause hours to land in the wrong reporting window, which forces manual corrections at export time.
Record your payroll submission deadline alongside the period-end date so you know exactly how many days you have between timesheet lock and payroll file delivery.
Expected outcome: The system displays the correct pay period start date, frequency and end date, and each employee is assigned to the right pay group.
3. Configure Break and Overtime Rules
Prerequisites
- Overtime rules and break policies documented for your jurisdiction and company policy
Enter your jurisdiction's required break durations and your company's daily and weekly overtime thresholds in the platform's rule configuration panel. For example, if your state requires a 30-minute unpaid meal break after five consecutive hours, add that rule so the system flags violations automatically instead of relying on a manager to catch them.
Do not skip daily overtime thresholds. Some states calculate overtime on a daily basis (hours beyond eight in a single day), not just weekly. If you operate in one of those states and only configure a 40-hour weekly threshold, the system will undercount overtime, creating underpayment exposure that surfaces during audits or employee disputes.
EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software allows you to set rounding rules as well. If your company rounds punches to the nearest quarter-hour, configure that here so calculated hours match your payroll policy from the first punch forward.
Expected outcome: Break, overtime and rounding rules are saved in the system and will automatically flag violations and calculate overtime on every punch going forward.
4. Set Up Clock-In Device Access
Prerequisites
- Device inventory confirmed (employee smartphones, shared kiosk tablet or desktop browsers)
Assign each employee to their permitted clock-in method. The platform from EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software supports mobile app, browser-based web clock and shared kiosk PIN. For field workers on construction sites or in warehouses, the mobile app with GPS verification is typically the right fit. For a shared break room or shop floor entrance, a kiosk tablet with PIN entry works well. Office staff may prefer the web clock from their desktop browser.
Distribute login credentials or app installation instructions to every employee. Include a one-page quick-start sheet showing how to clock in, clock out, start a break and end a break on their assigned device. Employees working with gloved hands or in cold storage should test the mobile app flow before go-live day to confirm they can operate the interface in their actual working conditions.
Restrict each employee to only their authorized methods. Allowing every method for every employee increases the surface area for inaccurate punches and complicates audit review.
Expected outcome: Every employee has credentials, knows their assigned clock-in method and can access the correct device or app.
5. Create Work Schedules
Prerequisites
- Shift start and end times defined for each role or department
Build shift templates for each role in the scheduling module. A shift template defines start time, end time, break windows and the days of the week the shift runs. Assign each employee to their template so the system can flag early arrivals, late clock-ins and missed punches against expected schedules.
For teams with rotating schedules or variable shifts (common in manufacturing, staffing and transportation), create multiple templates and assign them on a weekly or per-period basis. The goal is to give the system enough context to surface exceptions automatically rather than requiring a manager to manually compare punches against a paper schedule.
If you have employees who float between departments or job codes within a single shift, configure job-code selection at clock-in so hours are allocated correctly for job costing and payroll reporting.
Expected outcome: Every employee is assigned to a shift template, and the system will flag punches that fall outside the expected schedule window.
6. Run a Test Punch Cycle
Prerequisites
- At least one employee profile with schedule and device access configured
Before going live, have one employee (or yourself on a test profile) complete a full punch cycle: clock in, take a scheduled break, clock back in from break and clock out at shift end. Then open the timesheet view and verify that the total hours, break deduction and any overtime calculation match what you expect.
This single test catches configuration errors that would otherwise affect every employee on go-live day. The most common issues discovered during test punches are misconfigured break deductions (break time not subtracted, or subtracted twice), overtime thresholds that do not trigger and rounding rules that round in the wrong direction.
If the test punch produces unexpected results, revisit the break, overtime and rounding rule settings configured in step three. Fix and re-test before proceeding. Skipping this step is the single most common cause of first-pay-period payroll corrections.
Expected outcome: The test employee's timesheet shows the correct total hours, break deduction and overtime calculation, confirming the system is configured accurately.
7. Publish the Go-Live Date
Prerequisites
- Test punch cycle completed and verified (step six)
Notify all employees of the exact date the digital system replaces paper timesheets. State clearly that paper timesheets or spreadsheet entries will no longer be accepted after that date. Include a reminder of each employee's assigned clock-in method and a link to the quick-start sheet distributed in step four.
Choose a go-live date that aligns with the start of a new pay period. Starting mid-period means you will have a split period (part paper, part digital) that requires manual reconciliation at export time.
Post the announcement through your normal communication channels: email, bulletin board on the shop floor, group text or the announcement feature in EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software if your team already has app access. Confirm receipt from every employee before the go-live date so no one is surprised on day one.
Expected outcome: Every employee has received written notice of the go-live date, their assigned clock-in method and instructions for their first digital punch.

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How to Enforce Daily Clock-In Accuracy Across Your Team

beginner · 15 minutes per shift

How to Enforce Daily Clock-In Accuracy is the procedure for ensuring every employee punches in and out correctly each shift, preventing missed punches and buddy punching from accumulating into period-end cleanup. It is executed by a shift manager or supervisor on every scheduled workday and produces a clean, exception-free daily punch log.

1. Review the Live Attendance Dashboard at Shift Start
Prerequisites
- System configured per the setup procedure (employee profiles, schedules and device access live)
- Manager account with punch-editing and exception-view permissions
- Notification settings enabled for missed-punch alerts in EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software
Open the attendance view in EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software within the first few minutes of the scheduled shift start. The dashboard shows which employees have clocked in, which are within the grace period and which are missing. Compare the live list against today's schedule.
For multi-site operations (warehouse floors, construction job sites, branch offices), filter the dashboard by location so you see only the employees assigned to your site. If you manage remote field workers, confirm that GPS-verified mobile punches are appearing with location data attached.
This step takes less than two minutes but is the single highest-value daily habit in the entire system. Catching a missing punch at 7:05 a.m. is a quick text message. Catching it three days later is a disputed correction that consumes both manager and HR time.
Expected outcome: You have a real-time count of who is clocked in, who is within the grace window and who is missing, within minutes of shift start.
2. Identify and Contact Employees With Missed Punches
Prerequisites
- Live attendance dashboard reviewed (previous step)
Flag any scheduled employee who has not clocked in by the end of the grace window. Contact them directly by phone, text or radio before the shift is well underway. The purpose is to determine whether the employee is on-site and forgot to punch, is running late, or is a no-show.
Do not wait until mid-shift or end of day. The longer a missed punch goes unaddressed, the harder it is to verify the actual start time and the more likely it is that the correction will be disputed. Same-shift resolution is always more accurate and less contentious than after-the-fact reconstruction.
If the employee is on-site and simply forgot, move immediately to the next step. If the employee is absent, record the absence per your company's attendance policy so the timesheet reflects reality.
Expected outcome: Every missing employee is contacted and their status (forgot to punch, late arrival, no-show) is confirmed within the first portion of the shift.
3. Correct Legitimate Missed Punches Immediately
Prerequisites
- Employee confirmed on-site with a verified arrival time
For employees who are on-site but forgot to clock in, use the manager punch-edit function in EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software to add the correct clock-in time. Attach a note explaining the reason ("Employee on-site, forgot mobile punch") and save the corrected record.
The platform logs every manual edit with the editor's name, a timestamp and the attached note. This audit trail is what protects you if the punch is later questioned during a pay dispute or a wage-and-hour review. A correction without a note is an edit without context, which is far weaker in a compliance review.
Resist the temptation to batch-correct missed punches at end of day. Each correction is more accurate when made within minutes of the event, while both manager and employee remember the details.
Expected outcome: The corrected punch appears in the employee's daily log with the accurate time, a manager note and an automatic audit-trail entry.
4. Flag Suspected Buddy Punches for Same-Day Review
Prerequisites
- GPS verification or device-ID tracking enabled on employee clock-in methods
If GPS or device data shows a clock-in from an unexpected location (an employee supposedly on the warehouse floor but the punch originated from a residential address), place a hold on the punch in EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software and notify both the employee and HR for same-day investigation.
Do not delete the punch or assume fraud. The goal is accurate records, not accusations. There may be a legitimate explanation: the employee clocked in from the parking lot before entering the building, or a device GPS glitch placed the pin incorrectly. The hold keeps the punch visible but unapproved until the facts are reviewed.
Document your finding in the punch notes. If the punch is verified, release the hold. If it cannot be verified, escalate to the dispute resolution procedure.
Expected outcome: Any punch with inconsistent location or device data is flagged, held and documented for same-day review rather than silently accepted or deleted.
5. Confirm Break Compliance at Mid-Shift
Prerequisites
- Break rules configured in system settings
- Employees trained on break clock-out and clock-in procedure
At the midpoint of each shift, check that employees on mandatory break schedules have clocked out for their required break and clocked back in within the allowed window. The system from EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software flags break violations automatically if you configured break rules during setup, but a mid-shift check confirms you are catching violations in real time rather than at period end.
For employees working in environments where stepping away from the line or job site is difficult (manufacturing production lines, active construction zones, cold-storage warehouses), confirm that the break clock-out procedure is practical. If employees consistently miss break punches because the kiosk is in a different building, consider enabling mobile break punches for those roles.
Missing break records create compliance exposure in jurisdictions that require documented meal and rest periods. A proactive mid-shift check is far cheaper than a retroactive audit response.
Expected outcome: All employees on mandatory break schedules have recorded break punches within the required window, or violations are flagged and addressed before shift end.
6. Close the Shift Log at Shift End
Prerequisites
- All mid-shift break checks completed (previous step)
At the end of the shift, return to the attendance dashboard in EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software and verify that every employee who clocked in also has a corresponding clock-out. An open punch (clock-in with no clock-out) will distort the hours calculation and carry over as an exception into the period-end review.
For employees who left without clocking out, contact them before you leave for the day. Add the corrected clock-out time via the manager edit function and attach a note. For employees whose shifts span overnight or extend past your own departure, confirm that the next shift supervisor will handle the handoff.
Once every punch pair is complete and all flags are resolved, the day's punch log is clean. This is the daily output that feeds into the period-end timesheet review. Consistently clean daily logs are what make period-end approval a short, predictable task instead of a multi-hour correction session.
Expected outcome: Every active clock-in has a matching clock-out, no open punches remain and all corrections are documented with manager notes.

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How to Review and Approve Timesheets at Period End

intermediate · 1 hour

How to Review and Approve Timesheets at Period End is the procedure for auditing every employee's accumulated punch data, resolving outstanding exceptions and locking the timesheet record before payroll runs. It is executed by an HR administrator or payroll manager on the last day of each pay period and produces a fully approved, locked timesheet set ready for export.

1. Pull the Period-End Timesheet Report
Prerequisites
- All daily punch logs for the period are complete and exception-free (per the daily enforcement procedure)
- Manager punch-edit permissions active for any remaining corrections
Generate the pay-period summary report in EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software. This report shows every employee's total regular hours, overtime hours, break deductions and any flagged exceptions for the period. Sort by department or location if you manage multiple sites so you can review in logical batches.
Before scanning individual records, confirm the report date range matches your pay period exactly. A one-day offset (common when period start day is configured incorrectly) shifts hours between periods and causes discrepancies that are difficult to trace once the export reaches your payroll processor.
Save a working copy of this report. You will use it as the comparison baseline when you validate the export file in the payroll export procedure.
Expected outcome: A complete period summary report is generated with the correct date range, showing every employee's hours, overtime and exception flags.
2. Filter for and Address All Exceptions
Prerequisites
- Period-end timesheet report generated (previous step)
Sort the report by exception flag. Common exception types include missed punches that were never corrected during daily enforcement, unapproved overtime and break-rule violations. Address each flagged record individually.
For missed punches, contact the employee or their shift supervisor to reconstruct the correct time and apply the correction with a documented note. For unapproved overtime, confirm with the manager whether the overtime was authorized. If it was, approve it. If it was not, document the finding but still pay the hours worked, as overtime that was actually worked must be compensated regardless of prior authorization under federal wage-and-hour rules.
Do not approve the period until the exception filter shows zero unresolved flags. Every flag that passes into the export becomes a manual correction in payroll, which is exactly the manual cleanup this system is designed to eliminate.
Expected outcome: The exception filter shows zero unresolved flags. Every missed punch, overtime question and break violation has been corrected or documented.
3. Verify Overtime Accuracy
Prerequisites
- Overtime and break rules confirmed in system settings during initial setup
Cross-check flagged overtime hours against approved schedules in EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software. Confirm that overtime reflects actual worked time, not a system artifact from an unclosed punch or a misconfigured daily overtime threshold.
Pay special attention to employees who work across multiple departments or job codes within a single period. If the system calculates overtime per department rather than per employee, the total may be incorrect. Verify that the overtime rule aggregates hours at the employee level across all assignments.
For employees in jurisdictions with both daily and weekly overtime rules, confirm that both thresholds are triggering correctly. A common misconfiguration is a system that applies only the weekly 40-hour rule while ignoring the daily 8-hour rule, resulting in systematic underpayment that compounds every period.
Expected outcome: Every overtime entry in the period reflects verified worked hours, with correct application of both daily and weekly overtime thresholds where applicable.
4. Request Employee Acknowledgment
Prerequisites
- Employee self-review workflow enabled in system settings
If your company policy or jurisdiction requires employees to review and confirm their hours before final approval, send the self-review notification through EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software. This gives each employee a window to review their total hours, overtime and break records and raise a dispute before the timesheet is locked.
Set a clear deadline for the acknowledgment window. A common approach is to give employees 24 hours from notification to respond. After the deadline, unacknowledged timesheets proceed to approval unless a dispute has been formally raised.
In jurisdictions that require written employee sign-off on time records, this step is not optional. Skipping it creates audit exposure. The platform's electronic acknowledgment with a timestamp and employee ID satisfies most electronic-signature requirements, but confirm with your legal counsel if you are unsure about your specific jurisdiction.
Expected outcome: Every employee has been notified, and either acknowledged their hours or raised a dispute within the review window.
5. Resolve Any Employee Disputes Before Approval
Prerequisites
- Employee acknowledgment window closed (previous step)
- Escalation contact identified for unresolved cases
For each employee who disputes their recorded hours during the acknowledgment window, follow the punch dispute resolution procedure (covered in the next procedure in this hub). Do not approve a disputed timesheet. Approving and exporting a disputed record means the employee receives a paycheck they have already challenged, which creates a correction run in the next period and erodes trust in the system.
If the dispute cannot be resolved before your payroll submission deadline, escalate to your HR director or payroll manager and document the delay. Pay the undisputed portion on time and process the disputed hours as a correction once the resolution is complete.
Track the number of disputes per period. A rising dispute count often signals a configuration issue (wrong rounding rule, missing schedule assignment) rather than an employee behavior problem.
Expected outcome: All disputes are resolved and documented, or escalated with the undisputed portion approved and the disputed portion held for correction.
6. Approve All Timesheets
Prerequisites
- All exceptions resolved and all disputes closed or escalated
Mark each employee's timesheet as approved in EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software. Approval locks the record against further edits and timestamps the approval with your administrator ID. Once locked, only a system administrator with override permissions can re-open the timesheet.
Review the approval summary screen to confirm that every employee in the period shows "Approved" status. If any row shows "Pending" or "Disputed," do not proceed to export. A partial export creates discrepancies between your time system and your payroll processor that are tedious to reconcile.
The locked timesheet is your compliance record. In a wage-and-hour audit, the locked, timestamped, approval-tracked timesheet from the platform is materially stronger than a paper timesheet with a manager signature.
Expected outcome: Every employee timesheet shows "Approved" and "Locked" status, with an approval timestamp and administrator ID recorded.
7. Archive the Period Record
Prerequisites
- All timesheets approved and locked (previous step)
Save the approved timesheet report as a PDF or CSV to your designated payroll records folder. This archive serves as your backup audit trail independent of the platform. While EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software retains records in the cloud, maintaining your own copy protects you in the event of a system migration, account change or data-retention policy expiration.
Name the file consistently (e.g., "Timesheets_Approved_2025-01-01_to_2025-01-15.pdf") so files are easy to locate during an audit. Store them in a folder with restricted access, as timesheet data contains compensation information that qualifies as sensitive employee data.
Federal recordkeeping rules require retention of time and pay records for a defined period. Confirm the retention duration with your legal counsel and set a calendar reminder for destruction at the end of the retention window.
Expected outcome: A dated, named archive file is saved in your payroll records folder with restricted access, ready for audit retrieval.

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How to Resolve a Punch Dispute

intermediate · 30 minutes per dispute

How to Resolve a Punch Dispute is the procedure for investigating and correcting a contested clock-in or clock-out record when an employee challenges the accuracy of their logged hours. It is executed by an HR administrator or manager when a dispute is raised and produces a documented, corrected or upheld punch record.

1. Retrieve the Disputed Punch Record
Prerequisites
- Access to the full punch log for the disputed shift, including GPS coordinates and device ID
- Employee's written or verbal statement identifying the disputed time
Open the employee's punch log in EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software and locate the specific clock-in or clock-out entry being contested. Note the recorded timestamp, the device type (mobile, web, kiosk) and whether any manager edits were already applied to this punch during daily enforcement.
If the employee's dispute references a specific date and time ("I clocked in at 6:45 a.m. on Tuesday but the system shows 7:02 a.m."), navigate directly to that entry. If the dispute is broader ("My hours are short this period"), pull the full period log and ask the employee to identify which specific punches they believe are incorrect. Broad disputes without specific entries are difficult to investigate and should be narrowed before proceeding.
Screenshot or export the punch record before making any changes. This preserves the original state for comparison after the investigation.
Expected outcome: The specific disputed punch entry is located and its original state is preserved via screenshot or export.
2. Review Supporting Data
Prerequisites
- GPS verification or device-ID tracking was enabled for the disputed punch
Examine the GPS location, device ID and timestamp metadata attached to the disputed punch. The platform from EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software records this data automatically for every mobile and kiosk punch.
For a disputed clock-in time, check whether the GPS coordinates place the employee at the work location at the claimed time. For a disputed clock-out, check whether the device data is consistent with the employee still being on-site. If the employee punched via web browser, review the IP address to determine whether it originated from the workplace network or a remote location.
This data is factual, not subjective. It either corroborates or contradicts the employee's stated time. Present the data neutrally; the purpose is to establish an accurate record, not to accuse the employee of dishonesty. Framing the review as a fairness exercise ("Let's make sure you get paid for every minute you worked") maintains trust in the system.
Expected outcome: You have a factual assessment of whether the location, device and timestamp data support or contradict the employee's claimed time.
3. Cross-Reference Manager Notes From the Shift
Prerequisites
- Manager notes from the shift in question (from the daily enforcement procedure)
Check the shift log notes entered during daily enforcement for the day in question. Did the shift supervisor flag a missed punch, record a correction, or note that the employee arrived late? These notes, entered in real time during the shift, carry more evidentiary weight than either party's memory days later.
If no manager notes exist for the disputed shift (because the daily enforcement procedure was skipped that day), document that gap. The absence of a contemporaneous record makes the dispute harder to resolve definitively and is a strong argument for consistent daily enforcement going forward.
Cross-reference any related entries: did the employee have a missed punch corrected on a nearby day? Is there a pattern of late clock-ins that suggests a device or process issue rather than a one-time error?
Expected outcome: All available manager notes and shift context for the disputed day are reviewed and documented in the investigation record.
4. Compare the Disputed Punch Against the Schedule
Prerequisites
- Employee's schedule for the disputed day is accessible in the system
Pull the employee's assigned schedule for the disputed day from EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software and compare it against the contested punch. Determine whether the disputed punch falls within, before or after the expected shift window.
This comparison helps distinguish between common dispute scenarios. If the employee claims they clocked in at 6:45 a.m. but the system shows 7:02 a.m. and the shift starts at 7:00 a.m., a rounding rule may have adjusted the punch. If the employee claims they worked until 5:30 p.m. but the clock-out shows 5:00 p.m. and the shift ends at 5:00 p.m., the system may have auto-rounded or the employee may have forgotten to punch out for the extra time.
Understanding the schedule context often reveals a system configuration explanation rather than a data error, which makes the resolution faster and less adversarial.
Expected outcome: You can articulate whether the disputed punch is consistent with the schedule, whether a rounding rule affected it and whether the discrepancy has a configuration explanation.
5. Issue a Resolution Decision
Prerequisites
- All supporting data reviewed (GPS, manager notes, schedule comparison)
Based on the GPS data, manager notes, schedule comparison and employee statement, make one of two decisions: correct the punch to the verified time, or uphold the original record.
If you correct the punch, enter the verified time using the manager edit function in EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software and attach a resolution note summarizing the evidence ("GPS confirms employee on-site at 6:47 a.m.; original punch of 7:02 a.m. was delayed due to mobile app connectivity. Corrected to 6:47 a.m."). If you uphold the original record, attach a note explaining the basis ("GPS, device ID and manager shift note all consistent with 7:02 a.m. clock-in. Employee's claimed time of 6:45 a.m. not supported by available data. Original record upheld.").
The attached resolution note is the audit-trail artifact that protects both the employee and the company. It transforms a he-said, she-said dispute into a documented, evidence-based decision.
Expected outcome: The punch record is either corrected to the verified time or upheld, with a detailed resolution note attached to the record in the system.
6. Notify the Employee of the Outcome
Prerequisites
- Resolution decision made and documented (previous step)
- Escalation contact (HR director or payroll manager) identified for unresolved cases
Send the employee a written summary of the resolution. Include the original disputed time, the final recorded time (corrected or upheld), a brief summary of the evidence reviewed and the next step if they wish to escalate. Written notification by email or through the platform from EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software creates a record that the employee was informed.
If the employee accepts the resolution, the dispute is closed and the corrected (or upheld) timesheet can proceed to period-end approval. If the employee wishes to escalate, route the dispute to your HR director or the designated escalation contact identified in the prerequisites.
Regardless of the outcome, thank the employee for raising the concern. A system that resolves disputes quickly and transparently builds trust. A system that dismisses or delays them teaches employees to stop reporting errors, which degrades record accuracy over time.
Expected outcome: The employee has received written notification of the resolution, understands the corrected or upheld hours and knows how to escalate if they disagree.

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How to Export Approved Timesheets to Payroll

beginner · 20 minutes

How to Export Approved Timesheets to Payroll is the procedure for converting a locked, approved timesheet set into a payroll-ready file and transferring it to your payroll processor or accountant. It is executed by an HR administrator or business owner immediately after period-end approval and produces a formatted export file with zero manual hour entry.

1. Confirm All Timesheets Are in Approved Status
Prerequisites
- All timesheets approved and locked for the pay period (per the period-end review procedure)
- Payroll submission deadline noted to ensure export is completed on time
Run the period summary report in EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software one final time and verify that every employee row shows "Approved" status. Do not proceed if any row shows "Pending" or "Disputed." A single unapproved timesheet in the export creates a payroll discrepancy that requires a manual correction run in your payroll system.
This is a deliberate redundancy check. You already approved all timesheets in the previous procedure, but the few seconds it takes to re-confirm prevent the most common and most expensive export error. Payroll correction runs consume disproportionate time relative to the error that caused them.
If you discover an unapproved timesheet at this stage, return to the period-end review procedure and resolve it before continuing. Do not export a partial set.
Expected outcome: The period summary report shows 100% "Approved" status across all employee rows with no exceptions.
2. Select the Export Format
Prerequisites
- Payroll processor's required file format confirmed (CSV, XLSX or direct integration)
Choose the file format required by your payroll processor. EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software supports CSV for manual upload into payroll platforms, XLSX for accountant handoff and direct API sync for integrated payroll systems. The platform supports integrations with over 20 payroll and HR systems, so check whether your processor has a direct connection before defaulting to a file export.
If your payroll processor accepts a direct API sync, this step is a one-time configuration rather than a recurring choice. Once the integration is active, the system pushes approved hours directly without a file intermediary.
If you use a file-based workflow, confirm the column order and field labels your payroll processor expects. A mismatch between the export columns and the import template is the second most common source of payroll discrepancies after unapproved timesheets.
Expected outcome: The correct export format is selected and, for file-based workflows, the column structure matches the payroll processor's import template.
3. Apply Pay-Rate Mapping
Prerequisites
- Employee pay rates and pay types verified in the employee profiles
Confirm that the export from EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software maps each employee's regular hours, overtime hours and PTO to the correct pay codes your payroll processor expects. Pay codes are the labels your payroll system uses to apply the right rate: "REG" for regular, "OT" for overtime, "PTO" for paid time off and so on.
If your company uses shift differentials (a premium rate for night shifts, weekend shifts or hazardous-environment work), verify that those hours are tagged with the correct differential pay code in the export. A differential hour exported under the regular pay code means the employee is paid the base rate instead of the premium, which creates underpayment and a correction obligation.
Review this mapping at least once per quarter, or whenever your payroll processor changes import templates. A mapping that was correct six months ago may drift if either system is updated.
Expected outcome: Every hour type (regular, overtime, PTO, differential) is mapped to the correct pay code in the export configuration.
4. Generate the Export File
Prerequisites
- Export format selected and pay-rate mapping confirmed (previous steps)
Run the export from the payroll export panel in EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software. Select the correct pay period date range and generate the file. If using a direct API sync, trigger the sync and confirm the transmission status.
For file-based exports, download the file to a known location on your computer. Do not rename the file before validation (next step), as some payroll import systems are sensitive to file naming conventions.
If the export fails or generates an error message, check the most common causes: a timesheet that reverted to "Pending" status since your confirmation in step one, a pay-rate field left blank in an employee profile, or a date-range mismatch. Correct the issue and re-run the export rather than attempting to fix the file manually in a spreadsheet editor.
Expected outcome: A payroll export file is downloaded (or API sync is transmitted) with no error messages.
5. Validate the Export Against the Summary Report
Prerequisites
- Period summary report saved from the period-end review procedure
- Export file generated (previous step)
Open the exported file and spot-check three to five employee records against the period summary report you generated in the period-end review procedure. For each spot-checked employee, confirm that regular hours, overtime hours and deductions in the export file match the approved summary report exactly.
Pay particular attention to employees with overtime, shift differentials or mid-period schedule changes, as these are the records most likely to diverge between the summary and the export. If any record does not match, investigate before submitting. The most common cause is a pay-code mapping error (overtime hours exported as regular hours), which is correctable in the export configuration without re-running the entire approval process.
This validation takes only a few minutes but prevents payroll errors that consume hours to correct after paychecks are issued.
Expected outcome: Spot-checked records in the export file match the approved summary report exactly, confirming the export is accurate.
6. Submit to Your Payroll Processor
Prerequisites
- Export file validated (previous step)
Upload the validated file to your payroll platform, email it to your accountant, or confirm the API sync completed in EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software. Note the submission timestamp. If your payroll processor has a confirmation receipt or upload acknowledgment, save it alongside the export file.
For businesses using a direct integration, check the sync log in the platform to confirm that the payroll system received and accepted the data. A successful transmission on the sending side does not always mean a successful import on the receiving side; verify both ends.
If you submit by email, include the pay period dates, the employee count and the total hours in the email body so your accountant can cross-check before processing. This simple summary catches errors that would otherwise surface as incorrect paychecks.
Expected outcome: The payroll file is submitted to your processor with a confirmed receipt or sync log entry, and the submission timestamp is recorded.
7. Archive the Export File
Prerequisites
- Payroll submission confirmed (previous step)
- Payroll records folder with restricted access established during setup
Save a copy of the exported file alongside the approved timesheet PDF you archived during the period-end review procedure. Use the same naming convention and restricted-access folder. This paired archive (approved timesheet report plus export file) gives you a complete audit trail from punch to payroll for every pay period.
If your payroll processor modifies the file during import (adding columns, recalculating totals), save their post-import version as well. In the event of a dispute or audit, being able to show the exact file you sent and the exact file the processor imported closes the accountability gap between the two systems.
With this step complete, the pay period's timekeeping lifecycle is closed. The five procedures in this hub, executed in sequence, have taken you from system configuration through daily enforcement, period-end review, dispute resolution and payroll export with a documented, auditable record at every stage.
Expected outcome: The export file is archived alongside the approved timesheet report in the payroll records folder, completing the auditable record for the pay period.

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How to Configure a Free Time and Attendance System for Your Team

1. Create Employee Profiles

2. Define Pay Period Settings

3. Configure Break and Overtime Rules

4. Set Up Clock-In Device Access

5. Create Work Schedules

6. Run a Test Punch Cycle

7. Publish the Go-Live Date

How to Enforce Daily Clock-In Accuracy Across Your Team

1. Review the Live Attendance Dashboard at Shift Start

2. Identify and Contact Employees With Missed Punches

3. Correct Legitimate Missed Punches Immediately

4. Flag Suspected Buddy Punches for Same-Day Review

5. Confirm Break Compliance at Mid-Shift

6. Close the Shift Log at Shift End

How to Review and Approve Timesheets at Period End

1. Pull the Period-End Timesheet Report

2. Filter for and Address All Exceptions

3. Verify Overtime Accuracy

4. Request Employee Acknowledgment

5. Resolve Any Employee Disputes Before Approval

6. Approve All Timesheets

7. Archive the Period Record

How to Resolve a Punch Dispute

1. Retrieve the Disputed Punch Record

2. Review Supporting Data

3. Cross-Reference Manager Notes From the Shift

4. Compare the Disputed Punch Against the Schedule

5. Issue a Resolution Decision

6. Notify the Employee of the Outcome

How to Export Approved Timesheets to Payroll

1. Confirm All Timesheets Are in Approved Status

2. Select the Export Format

3. Apply Pay-Rate Mapping

4. Generate the Export File

5. Validate the Export Against the Summary Report

6. Submit to Your Payroll Processor

7. Archive the Export File

How These Procedures Connect

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