How to Configure Employee Time Cards

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employers are required to keep payroll records upon which income computations are based for at least two years. This includes time sheets or time cards. The latter is used in conjunction with a time clock, which employees use to punch or swipe in and out. Depending on the time clock, you may need to configure the time card to pay the employees appropriately.

Instructions

1. Change decimals to minutes. The time card may reflect the punches in hours and minutes. Convert as follows: 15 minutes = .25; 30 minutes = .50; and 45 minutes = .75. For instance, say the employee's time card for Monday to Thursday reflects a total of 37 hours and 45 minutes worked. Configure to reflect 37.75 hours.

2. Round employees' time up and down to the nearest quarter hour. Round minutes from one to seven down and round minutes from eight to 14 up. For instance, say the employee clocked in at 8:07 a.m.; round down to 8 a.m. Say she clocked out at 5:09 p.m.; round up to 5:15 p.m.

3. Change military time to regular time. Some time clocks show the punches in military time instead of regular time. Add one to each hour past noon to configure military time. Consequently, 1300 is 1 p.m., 1400 is 2 p.m., 1500 is 3 p.m. and 1600 is 4 p.m.

References

• U.S. Department of Labor: Recordkeeping Requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
• U.S. Department of Labor: The Health Care Industry and Hours Worked

Resources

• Time Sheets: Hourly Time Tracking For Small Business