Time & Attendance: Shift Scheduling and Time Tracking

BambooHR Time & Attendance integrates shift scheduling and time tracking to enhance workforce management. This system allows for efficient planning of employee shifts, regulation of clock-in times, and accurate recording of worked hours according to company policies. The guide outlines how these features interact, detailing their specific controls and limitations. Managers can utilize scheduling to manage shifts while time tracking remains essential for payroll calculations based on actual worked hours, not scheduled shifts. Employees can view their upcoming shifts and clock in based on set parameters. The document also addresses common misconceptions regarding the functionalities of scheduling and time tracking, emphasizing that shifts do not appear on timesheets and payroll relies solely on approved worked time.

  • Jun 25, 2026
  • Knowledge

Title
Time & Attendance: Shift Scheduling and Time Tracking
Article Text
BambooHR Time & Attendance is available as an add-on product.

How do scheduling and time tracking work together in Time & Attendance?

Who this is for

This guide is for admins and managers who need to understand how scheduling works with time tracking in BambooHR Time & Attendance.

How the two features work together

Time & Attendance includes both time tracking and scheduling. Time tracking records time worked, while shift scheduling helps employees and managers work from published shifts and scheduled clock-in rules.

At a high level:

  • Shift scheduling organizes when employees are expected to work.
  • Time tracking records when employees actually work.
  • The connection between them is strongest at clock-in and shift association.
  • Pay is still based on approved worked time (reflected in timesheets), not scheduled time.
  • You may use time tracking without the shift scheduling feature, but shift scheduling will not work without enabling the time tracking feature.
  • Shift scheduling is primarily managed though the Time & Attendance tab in the left navigation menu. Time tracking is managed through the Time & Attendance tab in Settings.
Who can use scheduling with time tracking
  • Scheduling is only available for employees using start & end times with the time clock enabled.
  • Employees using total hours worked cannot be scheduled.
How scheduling affects time tracking features

When scheduling is enabled for an employee, time tracking uses shift information in a few specific ways.

1. Clock-in behavior can follow the employee’s scheduled shift

Users with access to Time & Attendance settings can control when scheduled employees are allowed to clock in through the Time & Attendance group setting Scheduling Time Clock Options. Available options are Anytime or Only during a scheduled shift.

If the setting is Anytime

  • Employees can clock in at any time, even if they do not have a scheduled shift.
  • Scheduling does not restrict clock-in eligibility.
  • Grace periods are still used to determine which shift an employee may be clocking-in for.

If the setting is Only during a scheduled shift

  • Employees must have a scheduled shift at the time of clock-in.
  • Clock-in is only allowed within the eligible scheduled shift window.
  • The schedule’s grace period defines how early clock-in can begin.
2. Employees can see their next published shift

Employees view scheduling inside the time tracking experience on web.

Employees can view their shift information from:

  • The Home page My Time widget
  • The employee profile Timesheet tab summary

The next published shift appears on the employee clock-in widget, helping employees know when they are scheduled to work.

What time tracking controls within Time & Attendance

Even when shift scheduling is enabled, time tracking still controls core timekeeping functions.

Time tracking continues to control:

Scheduling and time tracking limitations

1. Timesheets do not show shift details

Schedule information is not represented on timesheets. Existing timesheet reports also do not display shift information such as shift start or shift end.

2. Payroll is still based on worked time

Scheduling does not send pay data directly to payroll. Pay is always computed from approved worked time, not scheduled time. Scheduling influences what time gets tracked, but payroll still depends on time tracking data (as recorded on spreadsheets).

3. Breaks are not configured on shifts

Breaks are not associated with shifts at this time.

4. Projects and tasks are not assigned to shifts

Time can still be recorded as a standard entry or on a project or task, but projects and tasks are not assigned to a shift.

5. Shift differentials are not assigned at the shift level

Shift differentials remain assigned by standard filters. They are not configured per shift.

6. Advanced reporting is not included yet

Items such as scheduled versus actual time and early or late flags are not currently included in Time & Attendance reporting.

How time entries are classified around scheduled shifts

When scheduling is in use, BambooHR evaluates how punches relate to the employee’s scheduled shift and grace period.

Normal punches

A punch is treated as normal when it occurs within the eligible scheduled shift window, including the allowed grace period before the shift start.

Unscheduled punches

A punch is treated as unscheduled when it occurs:

  • Outside the allowed scheduled shift window, or
  • On a day when no shift is scheduled.

At clock-in, a punch outside the grace period may be flagged as unscheduled. At clock-out, BambooHR performs a retrospective check. If the actual hours worked overlap a scheduled shift, BambooHR can associate that time with the shift for reporting purposes, even if the original clock-in was flagged as unscheduled.

How scheduling and time tracking interact with Time Off and Holidays

Time off

Pending and approved time off appears on the scheduling calendar for managers. Managers can still schedule a shift on the same day as a time off request.

This means scheduling does not automatically block a shift because of time off.

Holidays

Holiday assignments also appear on the scheduling calendar. Managers can still schedule a shift over a holiday. Holiday hours are given regardless of the employee’s schedule, and holiday pay depends on the employee clocking time for that day.

This is an important distinction:

  • The schedule will show the holiday.
  • The employee can still be scheduled.
  • Holiday pay still depends on worked time rules, not simply the scheduled shift.

What employees experience

Employees only see published shifts. They can:

  • View their own published shifts
  • See their current or next scheduled shift
  • Clock in and out when allowed by company rules
  • Open a read-only schedule view on web, kiosk, or mobile

Employees cannot:

  • View draft shifts
  • View coworker shifts
  • Edit, delete, swap, or claim shifts

If an employee is not assigned to a schedule, their clock-in and clock-out experience works as a time clock only.

Common misconceptions

MisconceptionWhat is true instead
If a shift is scheduled, it will appear on the timesheet.Timesheets remain unchanged at this time and do not display schedule details.
Scheduling sends pay directly to payroll.Payroll is based on approved worked time, not scheduled time.
Employees can always clock in once they are scheduled.Clock-in timing depends on the schedule grace period and the Time & Attendance group clock-in eligibility setting.
Breaks are configured on shifts.Breaks are still managed through Time & Attendance settings. They are not yet tied to shift scheduling.
Projects, tasks, and shift differentials are part of the shift setup.These features are still managed through Time & Attendance settings. They are not tied to shift scheduling at this time.
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