Setting up punch rounding rules

You can set up rules to automatically round time punches, either to make payroll calculations simpler or to give shift workers a grace period when starting or ending work.

Once a rounding rule is created, it can be selected in a punch entry policy. Any users who are assigned that policy will have their punch times rounded according to the rule.

Rounding rules are applied when the employee punches in or out via the web, mobile, or CloudClock applications. The employee will see the rounded value as the recorded punch time. However, both the original and the rounded times are available in reports and the punch Audit History available to supervisors and payroll managers.

If you're located in California, you should never round break times, as rounding those times violates California's labor laws.

Adding a rounding rule

To add a rounding rule:

  1. Go to Administration > Punch Time Entry > Rounding Rules.
  2. Click Add Rounding Rule.
  3. Choose the type of rounding:
    • Grace Period Rounding
      If a shift worker punches in within x minutes of their shift start time, the punch is rounded to the start time. The same applies when punching out at the end of their shift. Requires the Scheduling add-on.
    • Interval Rounding
      Punch times are rounded to a specified fraction of an hour, such as 15 minute intervals.
    • Custom Script
      Used for custom rounding logic. If you have custom rounding requirements, please contact Replicon for pricing and implementation details.
  1. Enter the rounding option as outlined in the sections below.

Leave the Rounding Rules Details area empty.

  1. Click Save.

You can now select the rule in a punch entry policy and assign the policy to users.

Copying a rounding rule

You can make a copy of a rounding rule, in case you want to base a new rule on an existing one, or retain variations of two similar rules.

To make a copy of a rule, select the rule on the Administration > Punch Time Entry > Rounding Rules list page, then click More > Make a Copy:

 Or, select a rule, then click the Make a Copy of this Rule link located at the bottom, right-hand corner of the rule’s page:

Using grace period rounding

Grace period rounding is only supported when using the Scheduling add-on.

Grace period rounding can be used to give shift workers leeway when starting or ending their shift. You can choose how many minutes the employee can be late or leave early while still getting credit for working the full shift. If the employee punches in or out within the grace period, their punch will be rounded to their shift start or end time.

To set up a grace period:

  1. Set the Rounding Rule Type to Grace Period Rounding.
  2. Enter the Grace Period in minutes and seconds.

For example, if you want to allow employees to be up to 10 minutes late, set the grace period to 10 minutes and 0 seconds. If an employee is scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m. and punches in at 9:07 a.m., their punch time will be rounded to 9:00 a.m. If the employee punches in at 9:12 a.m., their punch time will remain at 9:12 a.m.

The grace period applies before and after the shift times. For example, if a user punches in 5 minutes before their shift starts, the punch will be rounded. Rounding is not applied to shift breaks.

Using interval rounding

Interval rounding can be used to round punches to even portions of an hour. For example, you can round the punches to 15 minute intervals such as 9:00, 9:15, 9:30, and so on.

To set up interval rounding:

  1. Set the Rounding Rule Type to Interval Rounding.
  2. Enter the Rounding Interval in minutes and seconds.

The interval is the portion of an hour that punches are rounded to. For example, to round punches to 9:00, 9:10, 9:20, etc, enter 10 minutes and 0 seconds. We recommend using an interval that is an even fraction of an hour, such as ½ hour (30 minutes) or ¼ hour (15 minutes).

  1. Enter the Rounding Split in minutes and seconds.

The split specifies the threshold for rounding up versus rounding down. For example, to round down when a punch is made within the first 5 minutes of the interval, enter 5 minutes and 0 seconds. A punch at 9:03 a.m. would be rounded down to 9:00 a.m. and a punch at 9:06 a.m. would be rounded up to 9:10 a.m. The split must always be less than the interval.

Interval rounding is only applied when punching in and out. It is not applied to punch times recorded when starting a break.

Related links

How time punching works
Time punching setup checklist
Setting up punch entry policies
Creating places
Setting up punch validation rules