Time & Attendance Settings

The article provides a comprehensive guide on setting up Time & Attendance settings for employees. It explains how to configure time logging, timesheet approvals, overtime calculations, and mobile clock-in options. Admin users can create Time & Attendance groups to apply different settings for various employee segments. Key steps include navigating to settings, choosing time logging methods, and configuring approvals and holiday pay. The article also outlines important notes regarding setting changes, common issues, and frequently asked questions. This resource is essential for administrators managing Time & Attendance features in BambooHR, ensuring efficient time tracking and compliance with company policies.

  • Jul 9, 2026
  • Knowledge

Title
Time & Attendance Settings
Article Text
Time & Attendance (Formerly Time Tracking) is only included as an add-on.

How do I set up Time & Attendance settings for logging time, approving timesheets, calculating overtime, and using mobile clock-in options?

Who this is for

This guide is for admin users and users with custom access who manage Time & Attendance settings.

Use this guide when you need to:

  • Set up Time & Attendance for the first time.
  • Create different Time & Attendance groups for employees with different time tracking rules.
  • Choose how employees enter hours.
  • Set approval, overtime, holiday pay, and mobile options.
Before you start

Before you configure Time & Attendance settings, review the following:

  • Decide whether all employees should use the same Time & Attendance settings or whether you need separate Time & Attendance groups.
  • Confirm how employees should log time:
    • Start & End times
    • Start & End times with a time clock
    • Total hours worked
  • If you are using Start & End times and shift scheduling, determine if employees should be able to clock in at any time (regardless of schedule) or if they should adhere to a grace period.
  • Identify who should approve timesheets.
  • Confirm your company's overtime rules, work week start day, holiday pay preferences, and mobile access preferences.
  • If employees will use Total Hours Worked, confirm they have Edit access to their timesheet in employee access level settings.
When setting changes take effect

If you update Time & Attendance settings after enabling Time & Attendance for an employee, the timing depends on whether the employee has entered time.

Employee statusWhen the new settings apply
Employee has not entered time for the pay periodThe employee automatically transitions to the new settings immediately.
Employee has already entered time for the pay periodThe employee stays on the previous settings until the current pay period ends. The employee transitions to the new settings at the start of the next pay period.

Steps for Determining Time & Attendance Settings

1. Navigate to Time & Attendance Settings
  1. Go to Settings > Time & Attendance.
  2. Open the settings area based on whether your account uses Time & Attendance groups:
    • If no Time & Attendance groups exist, find Settings in the center column.
    • If Time & Attendance groups are in use, open Settings within the applicable Time & Attendance group.
2. Create Time & Attendance groups

Use Time & Attendance groups when different employees need different settings.

  1. Go to the Employees tab in Time & Attendance.
  2. If employees were already added to Time & Attendance before you created separate groups, BambooHR shows all employees on the Employees tab.
  3. Click Create Group to create your first Time & Attendance group.
  4. After you create the first group, any remaining employees move to the Default group.
  5. To rename the Default group, click Settings within the Default group.
  6. To create additional Time & Attendance groups, click the plus icon in the center column.

If you do not need different settings for different groups of employees, simply click on the Settings tab and continue to step 3.

3. Choose how employees log time

After opening Time & Attendance settings, choose the time logging method for the group. To see what each method looks like in use, click on the Time logging method in the table below.

Time logging methodUse this whenAdditional details
Start & End TimesEmployees need to track multiple start and end times throughout the day.
  • This works well when employees need specific start and stop times for each work segment or shift.
Start & End Times with Time Clock EnabledEmployees should clock in and out instead of manually entering start and end times.
  • You must enable the time clock if employees should clock in using a BambooHR Time Clock or Time Kiosk.

  • If you disable the web app and do not enable the mobile app option, employees will only be able to clock in using your physical time tracking device.

Total Hours Worked - Single Entry per DayEmployees enter a single total amount of time worked instead of start and end times.
  • Employees must have Edit access to their timesheet. Otherwise, the time entry box is grayed out and unusable.
Total Hours Worked - Multiple Entries per DayEmployees enter multiple segments of total time worked instead of start and end times.
  • Employees must have Edit access to their timesheet. Otherwise, the time entry box is grayed out and unusable.
4. Configure scheduling time clock options

Scheduling time clock options only appear when you select Start & End Times and enable the time clock.

OptionWhat it doesBest for
AnytimeAllows employees to clock in at any time, even outside a scheduled shift or when no shift is scheduled. Grace periods still apply behind the scenes for shift association and reporting, but they do not prevent clock-in.
Teams that are new to scheduling and want to publish schedules without disrupting current time tracking behavior.
Only during a scheduled shiftLimits clock-in to employees who are within an eligible scheduled shift window. Employees must have a scheduled shift and be within the allowed clock-in window based on the shift start time and configured grace period.
Teams that want tighter enforcement between scheduled time and actual clock-in behavior.
Are you using BambooHR Time Clocks?

BambooHR Time Clocks display employee schedules regardless of your clock-in configuration. The option you choose determines whether employees can clock in only during their scheduled shift or at any time.

Option 1: Allow clock-ins only during scheduled shifts

Choose this option if employees should only be able to clock in during their scheduled shift window.

When an employee attempts to clock in:

  1. The employee authenticates at a BambooHR Time Clock.
  2. The employee selects Punch In.
  3. BambooHR compares the punch time to:
    • the employee's published shift
    • the configured grace period
  4. If the punch occurs within the allowed window, BambooHR accepts the punch and the employee is clocked in.
  5. If the punch occurs outside the allowed window, BambooHR rejects the punch and the clock displays a message indicating the employee is outside their scheduled shift and when they can clock in.

This configuration helps ensure employees clock in according to their scheduled shifts. This settings still allows employees to view their published schedules by navigating to Self Service > View Schedule on the time clock.

Option 2: Allow employees to clock in anytime

Choose this option if employees should be able to clock in regardless of their scheduled shift.

When an employee clocks in:

  1. The employee authenticates at a BambooHR Time Clock.
  2. The employee selects Punch In.
  3. BambooHR records the punch without validating it against the employee's scheduled shift.
  4. Employees can still view their published schedules by navigating to Self Service > View Schedule on the time clock.
  5. The employee's schedule serves as a reference only. BambooHR does not reject or block punches based on scheduled shift times.

This configuration is useful for companies that want employees to view their schedules on the time clock without restricting when they can clock in.

5. Configure timesheet approvals

Use approval settings to choose who approves employee timesheets and when approvals are due.

  1. In Who will approve timesheets?, choose one of the following:
    • The employee's manager
    • A specific person in the account
  2. If you use multiple Time & Attendance groups, assign an approver for each group as needed.
  3. In Timesheets must be approved by, enter the time and number of calendar days before the pay date that timesheets must be approved.
  4. The approval deadline uses your company's timezone.

Approval behavior to know

ScenarioResult
The approver is set to the manager, but the employee does not have a “Reports to” listed or their job information tab does not have an active line of data.
Hours worked are automatically sent to the Account Owner for approval.
A timesheet is submitted, then the employee gets a new manager.
The approval request remains in the previous manager’s inbox.
A specific approver also has Time & Attendance enabled.
The approver can approve their own timesheets.
6. Configure overtime settings

Use overtime settings to choose the overtime rules and work week start day for the group.

SettingDescription
Overtime RulesChoose Standard U.S. and Canada Rules or Custom Rules
Standard U.S. and Canada RulesUses automatic calculations based on U.S. state and federal overtime rules and Canadian province overtime rules. The employee’s location on the Job tab determines which rules apply.
Custom RulesLets you set unique Daily, Daily Double, and Weekly Double overtime calculations. If custom overtime rules are selected for a Time & Attendance group, the rules apply only to employees enrolled in that group.
Work week starts onSets the start day of the work week so overtime rules calculate correctly.

Overtime notes and limitations

  • Overtime hours appear in a separate column on the Payroll Hours report.
  • If you update the work week start day after setting up Time & Attendance, the change takes effect at the start of the next pay period.
  • After changing the work week start day, overtime will not be calculated for some days on the next timesheet.
  • If an employee's overtime status is Exempt in the Compensation table, overtime will not be calculated for that employee.
7. Configure holiday pay

Use holiday pay settings to determine how holiday hours appear for employees.

  1. Choose whether employees receive:
    • A full day's pay
    • A special holiday pay rate
  2. Based on your selection, holiday hours appear in the Holiday column on the following reports:
    • Payroll Hours report
    • Payroll Hours detail report

Holiday pay behavior to know

ScenarioResult
The employee’s hire date is before the holiday.
Timesheets are automatically adjusted to reflect holiday pay.
The employee’s hire date is in the middle of a pay period with a holiday.
The system only shows the holiday if the hire date is before the holiday.
8. Require location for mobile clock-in and clock-out

If Time & Attendance is set up with Start & End Times and the time clock is enabled, you can require employee location when clocking in and out on mobile.

When location is required:

  • Employees must enable location services in the mobile app to clock in and out.
  • A map icon appears on the home screen, timesheet, and day detail to show that location information was collected with the time entry.

If employees use a BambooHR Time Clock or Time Kiosk, enabling mobile access allows employees to clock in without using the physical time tracking device.

9. Save your changes

After you select the Time & Attendance settings for the group, save your changes.

Important notes / limitations
  • Time & Attendance setting changes may not apply immediately to employees who have already entered time in the current pay period.
  • Total Hours Worked requires employees to have Edit access to their timesheet.
  • Scheduling time clock options only appear when Start & End Times is selected and the time clock is enabled.
  • If web clock-in and mobile clock-in are both disabled, employees can only clock in from a physical time tracking device.
  • Overtime is not calculated for employees marked Exempt in the Compensation table.
  • Holiday pay only applies when the employee's hire date is before the holiday.
  • Requiring location for mobile clock-in and clock-out only applies when the time clock is enabled.
Common issues and fixes
IssueLikely causeFixNext step
An employee does not move to new Time & Attendance settings right away
The employee already entered time in the current pay period.
Wait until the current pay period ends. The employee will move to the new settings at the start of the next pay period.
Contact BambooHR Support if the employee does not transition after the next pay period starts.
The time entry box is grayed out for employees using Total Hours Worked
The employee does not have Edit access to their timesheet.
Update the employee’s access level settings to allow Edit access to the timesheet.
Have the employee refresh their timesheet and try again.
Employees cannot clock in from the web app
Disable clock-in and clock-out on web is selected.
Clear the setting if employees should be allowed to clock in from the web app.
Confirm whether mobile or physical device clock-in should also be available.
Employees can only clock in from a physical device
Web clock-in is disabled and mobile access is not enabled.
Enable either web clock-in or mobile access if employees should have another clock-in option.
Review device requirements for the affected group.
Timesheets go to the Account Owner instead of a manager
The approval setting uses the manager, but the employee does not have a “Reports to” listed.
Add the correct “Reports to” value for the employee.
Confirm future timesheets route to the correct manager.
A submitted timesheet is still in a previous manager’s inbox
The employee’s manager changed after the timesheet was submitted.
The approval request remains with the previous manager.
Determine whether the previous manager can approve it or whether support is needed.
An approver can approve their own timesheet
The approver is assigned as a specific person and also has Time & Attendance enabled.
Assign a different approver if self-approval is not desired.
Review approver assignments for each Time & Attendance group.
Overtime is not calculating for an employee
The employee’s overtime status is Exempt in the Compensation table.
Review and update the employee’s overtime status if needed.
Confirm the employee’s location and overtime rule settings are correct.
Holiday pay does not appear for an employee
The employee’s hire date is not before the holiday.
Confirm the employee’s hire date and the holiday date.
Update the hire date only if it is incorrect.
Employees cannot clock in on mobile when location is required
Location services are not enabled in the mobile app.
Have the employee enable location services for the mobile app.
Confirm the map icon appears after a mobile time entry is recorded.
Common questions

1. Can I use different Time & Attendance settings for different employees?

Yes. Create Time & Attendance groups when different employees need different settings.

2. What happens to employees who are not added to a new group?

Employees who are not added to a new group remain in the Default group. You can rename the Default group by clicking Settings within that group.

3. Can employees clock in without using a physical Time Clock or Time Kiosk?

Yes, if mobile access or web clock-in is enabled. If web clock-in is disabled and mobile access is not enabled, employees can only clock in using the physical time tracking device.

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