How Do I Round Time Punch Entries (Attendance) in TimeForge?

TimeForge includes a powerful and flexible time and attendance management system, and is able to track time punches on an accurate minute-by-minute clock (which is synchronized with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and is always on time). TimeForge can use the clock in and clock out time punches to calculate payroll for your pay period without any problems. Accurate time tracking is part of what TimeForge does!

However, some businesses (especially in the restaurant, hotel, and hospitality industries) prefer to round time punch for easier calculations. To make time punch calculations easier, TimeForge can round each clock in or clock out time to the nearest 5, 10, 15, 30, or 60 minute period.

Navigate to Attendance Options

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Navigate to the Attendance Options tab in TimeForge.

Set Rounding Rules for Clock In and Clock Out Times

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Pick the correct rounding rule from the drop-down for time punches in TimeForge. Make sure to Save your settings.

Please note: TimeForge will not round any time entries provided by your POS system. If you want to round time and attendance in your Point of Sale system, please do so within the POS software.

Please note: TimeForge will not round previous time periods. Changing the rounding rules will only affect upcoming time punch entries.

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How Can Time Punches Be Limited to a Specific Computer?

There are many benefits to Software As A Service (SaaS software), which is why TimeForge was built from the ground up as a web-based software solution. More specifically, Managers do not have any software to install, nothing to upgrade, and there are no worries about backups or restoring of data. However, one common concern with web based software and time card tracking is ensuring that staff members are physically at work before they are allowed to clock in.

TimeForge is able to accomplish this by limiting time punches (clocking in and out) to a specific IP address. IP addresses are unique identifiers for computers on the Internet, and are normally provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). In many cases, multiple computers in a single office will share a single IP address through the use of a router or firewall device (such as those provided by Cisco, Linksys, D-Link, or Netgear). Similar to a phone number, only physical location at a time can have an IP address. For example, if your IP address is 208.45.167.3, no other computer system in the world will have that IP address.

TimeForge can require that staff members must be at the physical location that corresponds to your IP address before allowing them to clock in or out. This TimeForge lesson covers the specifics of configuring your IP address inside of TimeForge.

In some cases, your ISP will provide a dynamic IP address, which changes every few weeks. Most ISP’s will allow you to get a static, or sticky-static IP address for a nominal monthly fee.

Please note: Additionally, TimeForge can require that employees must clock in and clock out using a fingerprint scanner, which will restrict clocking in and out to a single physical computer at your location.

Navigate to the Attendance Options

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Locate the Attendance Options tab inside of TimeForge.

Add your IP Address to the list of allowed IP Addresses

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Within TimeForge, you can specify one or more IP addresses for employees to clock in.

To add an IP address for employees to clock in:
1. You can type your IP address into the text box. IP addresses should be separated by a space, comma, or on separate lines.
2. Instead of typing in the IP address, you can click on the “Add this computer to allowed IPs” link, and TimeForge will add your current IP address to the list of allowed IP addresses.

Make sure to Save your settings.

Employees Will Not Be Allowed To Clock In from Restricted Computers

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Employees that try to clock in to TimeForge from a computer at a different IP address than the IP addresses you have allowed, will receive a warning similar to the above screen shot.

These staff members will not be able to clock in or clock out.

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How Do I Exit Time Clock Mode?

TimeForge Attendance makes time & attendance tracking easy for your business. Employees clock-in or clock-out for work similar to what is done with a traditional time clock. However, with TimeForge Attendance, reports are automated, employees can see what’s going on, and payroll is one click away.

In addition to clocking in and out, TimeClock includes Time Clock Mode. With Time Clock Mode, staff members can point and click on their name, allowing them to quickly clock in and out of the TimeForge system.

Choose Your Name from the List of Staff Members

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Choose your name from the list of staff members. Only TimeForge managers are able to exit Time Clock Mode.

Enter Your Password

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Enter your password, and then click on Exit TimeClock Mode.

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How Do I Start Time Clock Mode?

Using TimeForge Attendance will make time and attendance management easy at your business. Employees can clock-in or clock-out, in a manner similar to a time clock. In addition to standard clocking in and out, TimeClock includes a Time Clock Mode, a proprietary TimeForge Attendance feature.

With Time Clock Mode, employees can point and click on their name, allowing them to quickly clock in and out of the TimeForge system.

Navigate to the Attendance Tab, and Choose the TimeClock Mode

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Click on TimeClock Mode to enter the time clock mode, allowing employees to clock in and out by choosing their name from a list of staff members.

Acknowledge the Warning

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Only a manager can request that a computer enter TimeClock Mode, and while in TimeClock Mode, that computer cannot access any other part of TimeForge.

Employees Clock In and Out by Choosing Their Name

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Staff members can clock in and out by simply clicking on their name in the list of employees. To reduce buddy punching and employee fraud, you can require that employees enter their password before they successfully clock in or out.

Additionally, in Time Clock Mode, TimeForge can also enforce the labor schedule – making sure that employees clock in and out at the correct time.

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How Do I Require Passwords in Time Clock Mode?

Using TimeForge Attendance will make time & attendance tracking easy for your business. Using TimeForge Attendance, employees clock-in or clock-out for work very similar to what is done with a traditional time clock. However, with TimeForge Attendance, reports are automated, employees can see what’s going on, and payroll is one click away.

In addition to clocking in and out, TimeClock includes Time Clock Mode, a proprietary TimeForge Attendance feature.

With Time Clock Mode, employees can point and click on their name, allowing them to quickly clock in and out of the TimeForge system.

In TimeClock Mode, passwords can be required to ensure that staff members are not buddy punching – clocking each other in without actually being at work.

Navigate to the Attendance Options

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Choose the Attendance Options to configure the time and attendance options.

Configure Passwords for TimeClock Mode

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Make sure that employees are required to enter their passwords when in TimeClock Mode.

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How Do I Use TimeForge Attendance with Dinerware POS?

TimeForge integrates and is able to communicate with several Point of Sale systems to reduce the amount of data entry that you need to perform while managing your labor. One POS system that TimeForge integrates with is Dinerware. Dinerware is a focused and easy-to-use Point of Sale system, with dealers all over the world.

To integrate TimeForge with Dinerware POS, you first need to install the TimeForge Dinerware Bridge software on the Brain computer system.

The TimeForge Dinerware Bridge software will read and write to your Dinerware system as necessary, and can enforce your TimeForge schedules – preventing employees from riding the clock.

In some cases, you may want to use TimeForge Attendance exclusively as a way to track time and attendance at your business. To do this, you can turn off the synchronization of time punch entries from the POS system, and can use the full power of the TimeForge Attendance system, including our fingerprint scanner (to stop buddy punching), and our comprehensive meal and staff break system.

Make Sure that the Connector and Translator are Both Running

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Check the Windows task bar, which is the bar that normally runs along the bottom of the computer and contains the Start menu (on the left) and clock (on the right).

You should see icons similar to those shown above. Both of these icons should be displayed, and if they are, then the TimeForge Dinerware Bridge is working properly.

Disable the Dinerware Time Punch Synchronization

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1. In the TimeForge Translator, make sure that the “Allow clock in and clock out, regardless of schedule settings” is selected. This will allow your users to clock in and out of Dinerware as necessary – which is important for choosing cash drawers and meal coursing, as well as check printing.

2. In the TimeForge Translator, make sure that the “Use Dinerware Time Punches for TimeForge Attendance” is NOT selected. This option turns off the synchronization of the Dinerware time punches, and instead allows you to use TimeForge Attendance for tracking time.

Synchronize the TimeForge Connector

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To be able to use the software immediately, you will need to force the software to synchronize itself.

You can do this by right-clicking on the Connector, and choosing “Synchronize Now“

Require Employees to Clock In and Clock Out at Work

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TimeForge Attendance is very flexible, and could allow your employees to clock in from their cell phones, facebook, or any Internet-enabled computer. However, most businesses will prefer to have staff clock in from restricted computers – such as those provided at their work location.

1. Lock down attendance tracking by limiting clock-in’s and clock-out’s to specific IP’s. To do so, simply click on the button displayed above.

Allow Employees to Clock In and Clock Out

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Employees can now log into TimeForge using their username (usually their email address) and password. Alternatively, if the location is using a compatible fingerprint scanner, staff members can use their fingerprints to log in to TimeForge.

After logging in, they will see a clock in / clock out box on the right-hand side of their screen.

Clocking in and out is now point and click easy!

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TimeForge University: Employees 102

Managing staff members in TimeForge is easy! This video shows some of the more advanced features of TimeForge staff management. Review employee-centric scheduling and time cards, and learn how to export employees to a CSV format.

Get the Flash Player to see this movie.

Using TimeForge, schedules can be reassigned based on turnover, or staffing emergencies, and employees can work at more than one location.

Working with labor in TimeForge at more than one store (or location) is easy! Staff members in TimeForge can clock in, clock out, receive schedules, send messages, and request time off or time they would like work.

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TimeForge University: Clock In and Out

Clocking in and out of TimeForge is easy! This video shows you how to clock in and out of TimeForge, to record the time that you were at work (on the clock).

Get the Flash Player to see this movie.

To accurately keep track of the time worked, TimeForge allows employees to clock in and out – recording the time worked, and preparing it in an easy to use format for payroll. Staff members can use our biometric (fingerprint) devices to clock in and out where necessary.

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What is the difference between a TimeForge Employee, Supervisor, and Manager?

TimeForge has 3 different security levels which determine what each staff member can do within the TimeForge labor management system.

Manager – A TimeForge Manager is able to do anything inside of the TimeForge system, including adding staff members, adding/editing employee schedules, changing sales forecasts, modifying the daily log, and running payroll reports.

Supervisor – A TimeForge Supervisor is directly in between a TimeForge Employee and a TimeForge Manager. Many aspects of the supervisor are able to be customized, on a location-by-location basis, to fit your business’s needs. By default, supervisors are able to perform every TimeForge function that a TimeForge Manager can – however, Supervisors cannot view the pay rates / salaries of other Supervisors or of any Manager.

Employee – A TimeForge Employee is the base security level for all staff members inside of the TimeForge system. Employee’s can clock in / out and view their time card (if enabled), view their own schedule, request time off, change availability, swap shifts, and set up text messaging and email notifications.

Employee security settings can be changed by editing the employee, and changing the Employee Type.

Employee Type Options

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Changing the employee security level is simple. The Employee Type field is listed at the bottom of the Employee Information page.

Supervisor Options

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TimeForge Supervisor capabilities can be configured on a per-site basis. Supervisors can be configured to have limited labor management capabilities, or can be configured with the same permission levels as a TimeForge Manager.

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What is a TimeForge Employee?

TimeForge employees are staff members (employee or manager) that use the TimeForge system. More specifically, if a staff member can log in to TimeForge, can be scheduled inside of TimeForge, or can clock in on TimeForge (or with a 3rd party plug in), then that staff member is an “employee“.

You can add, edit, and delete employees in TimeForge from the Employee List page.

Get to the Employee List on TimeForge

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The employee list page can be accessed by clicking on the Employees tab, and then choosing Edit employees

Employee List on TimeForge

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Employees can be seen on the Employee List page. Each of the columns can be sorted, and employees can easily be modified, deleted, or sent a message.

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We are one year into it now, well past being enamored with the newness. We are married to TimeForge. It's as essential to us now as any of our management tools today, and we very happy about that.- Steve @ Hermosa Cyclery
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About TimeForge

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