Business rules

HRLocker Detailed Business Rules: TimeOn, TimeOff, and TOIL Management

This document provides an in-depth explanation of the business rules for managing timesheets (TimeOn), leave (TimeOff), and Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) within HRLocker. This guide includes every possible detail to ensure managers, HR professionals, and IT administrators can manage and troubleshoot complex scenarios.

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TimeOn: Detailed Rules for Timesheet Management

Overview

TimeOn in HRLocker allows employees to log their work hours either through basic timesheets or clock-in timesheets, depending on the company’s configuration. Both timesheets interact with leave requests and TOIL in specific ways, and permissions for editing, submitting, and approving vary between employees, managers, and admins.

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Timesheet Types

1. Basic Timesheets: These allow employees to manually enter their working hours. Managers can only edit basic timesheets when the proper permissions are in place, and only if the timesheet is in Unsubmitted or Awaiting Approval status.

2. Clock-in Timesheets: These require employees to log their hours by clocking in and out. Employees cannot edit clock-in timesheets manually, but they can update project-specific times while the timesheet is Unsubmitted. Any clock-in data (including actual clock-in and clock-out times) is stored in the system and can be viewed by managers.

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Editing Timesheets

Employees Editing Their Own Timesheets

• Basic Timesheets: Employees can edit their own basic timesheets as long as the timesheet is in Unsubmitted status. Once a timesheet is submitted, it is locked and can no longer be edited by the employee unless reactivated by a manager or admin.

• Clock-in Timesheets: Employees cannot manually edit clock-in timesheets. Clocking in and out records are automatically saved, and these entries cannot be modified. However, project times (specific to tasks or assignments) can be edited by employees before the timesheet is submitted.

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Managers Editing Employee Timesheets

• When “Submit Timesheets on Behalf of Employees” is Off:
  • Managers can only edit clock-in timesheets in Unsubmitted status.
  • Basic Timesheets and Clock-in Timesheets that are in Awaiting Approval or Archived status cannot be edited by managers. This ensures that only timesheets actively awaiting submission can be altered by a manager.
• When “Submit Timesheets on Behalf of Employees” is On:
  • Managers have broader permissions and can edit any type of timesheet (both Basic and Clock-in), as long as the timesheet is either in Unsubmitted or Awaiting Approval status.
  • Managers cannot edit their own clock-in timesheets under any circumstances due to conflict-of-interest restrictions. These timesheets must always be submitted by the employee and approved by a designated manager.

Managers must be explicitly granted TimeOn approver permissions for specific employees or offices to edit their timesheets. Permissions can be based on hierarchical relationships (manager-subordinate) or on specific office-based access configurations.

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Submitting Timesheets

The submission rules determine whether an employee, manager, or admin can submit timesheets, depending on the Submit Timesheets on Behalf of Employees setting.

1. If “Submit Timesheets on Behalf of Employees” is Off:
   • Only employees can submit their own timesheets from Unsubmitted to Submitted status. Managers are prohibited from submitting timesheets on behalf of employees.
2. If “Submit Timesheets on Behalf of Employees” is On:
   • Managers or admins can submit timesheets on behalf of employees. This action is logged in the system for transparency, clearly indicating who submitted the timesheet. After submission, the manager must still approve the timesheet as a separate action to avoid conflicts in the approval process.

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How Leave Types Integrate with Timesheets

HRLocker automatically integrates leave data with timesheets. Whether leave is pre-populated in timesheets depends on specific TimeOn office settings, notably the Populate Times While on Leave setting.

Leave Display on Timesheets

• Leave is displayed on timesheets in color-coded entries that match the Who’s Off calendar for visual consistency.

• Basic Timesheets and Clock-in Timesheets handle leave differently based on the office’s Populate Times While on Leave setting:

  • Basic Timesheets:
    • If “Populate Times While on Leave” is Off: Leave times are pre-populated only for certain leave types, such as Rostered On and Working from Home. No other leave types will pre-populate.
    • If “Populate Times While on Leave” is On: Leave entries for Rostered On, Working from Home, and Public Holidays will pre-populate, filling in the work pattern hours for those days.
  • Clock-in Timesheets:
    • If “Populate Times While on Leave” is Off: No hours are pre-populated. Employees must clock in and out to record their time.
    • If “Populate Times While on Leave” is On: Leave times are pre-populated, except for Rostered Off, Rostered On, and Working from Home types. However, if the employee clocks in on a day with pre-populated leave, the clock-in event will overwrite the leave entry.

Leave and Clock-in Priority

If an employee clocks in on a day when leave has been pre-populated:

• The clock-in event will always overwrite the pre-populated leave entry on the timesheet. For example, if an employee clocks in during a scheduled Public Holiday, their actual clock-in time will replace the pre-filled work pattern hours.

Half-Day Leave Entries

• For clock-in timesheets, if an employee takes a half-day leave (e.g., AM or PM), the system splits the work pattern in half for that day. The clocked-in hours for the remaining half of the day will be calculated, and the leave time will be deducted from the total.

Existing Timesheet Entries and Leave Requests

• HRLocker’s business rule prevents leave from overwriting any pre-existing timesheet entry. If a timesheet entry already exists and leave is later requested, the leave request will not modify or replace the existing entry, ensuring that manual or clocked-in time is prioritized.

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Rugged App: Android Clock-in Tool for Field or On-Site Use

The Rugged App is a specially designed clock-in tool for employees working in field locations or offices with dedicated ruggedized tablets.

Key Features of the Rugged App:

1. PIN-based Authentication: Each employee using the Rugged App must be assigned a unique PIN. The PIN can be generated automatically or manually entered by managers in HRLocker. These PINs ensure secure clock-ins, and only employees with clock-in permissions can use the app.

2. Photo Verification: Each time an employee clocks in, a photo is captured for identity verification. Managers can review these photos when auditing timesheets.

3. PIN Reporting: The Employee PIN Number Report is available to admins to track PINs associated with each employee for easier management.

4. Data Retention: Photos taken at clock-in are retained for 12 weeks. After this period, the images are automatically deleted from HRLocker. Managers can view photos from Unsubmitted and Submitted timesheets, but once a timesheet is approved, the images are hidden from view.

Remote Management and Security

• The Rugged App is managed via a third-party Mobile Device Management (MDM) system (SureMDM), which allows HRLocker admins to remotely control the application, update it, and ensure it functions securely on rugged tablets.
• The system allows admins to configure app settings remotely, ensuring all tablets remain in kiosk mode and are locked to HRLocker’s Rugged App interface.

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TimeOff: Leave Management Rules

HRLocker’s TimeOff system ensures leave requests and approvals follow the necessary business rules, ensuring compliance with company policy and labor regulations.

Manager Permissions for TimeOff

Managers can be granted the following leave-related permissions:

• Request Leave on Behalf of Employees: Managers can request leave for their subordinates or employees they have permission to manage. This is typically used when an employee is unavailable or in situations where bulk leave requests are needed.

• Approve or Auto-Approve Leave: Managers can approve leave requests for employees they manage, or the system can be configured to auto-approve leave based on predefined rules. Auto-approval is typically used for certain types of leave, such as Public Holidays, where no manager intervention is required.

Compliance and Leave Types

• Leave Type Customization: HRLocker allows admins to configure different leave types (e.g., Annual Leave, TOIL Leave, Public Holidays). Each leave type can be assigned specific business rules, including approval workflows and whether they are counted toward compliance regulations.
• Who’s Off Calendar: Managers can see the Who’s Off calendar, which shows real-time visibility into employee leave, ensuring there are no scheduling conflicts or insufficient staffing during critical periods.

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TOIL: Detailed Rules for Time Off in Lieu

What is TOIL?

TOIL (Time Off in Lieu) is an alternative to overtime pay, allowing employees to take additional leave for hours worked beyond their standard workweek. The TOIL system can be automatically managed via timesheets or manually adjusted by managers.

TOIL Generation and Permissions

TOIL is accumulated in the following ways:

• Timesheet Approval: When timesheets are approved, the system checks if the employee worked extra hours beyond their contracted weekly hours. If so, the extra hours are converted into TOIL.
• Manual Adjustments: Managers can manually add or remove TOIL from an employee’s balance based on special cases (e.g., correcting errors or granting TOIL outside normal parameters).

Positive and Negative TOIL

• Positive TOIL: Employees gain TOIL when they work more hours than their defined working week. These hours accumulate in their TOIL balance and can be used for additional leave.

• Negative TOIL: If Negative TOIL is enabled (per employee), employees lose TOIL if they work fewer hours than their contracted week. For instance:

  • A standard working week of 37.5 hours could yield +2.5 hours TOIL if the employee works 40 hours. However, in a week where the employee only works 35 hours, -2.5 hours would be deducted from their TOIL balance.

TOIL Expiry Settings

HRLocker supports multiple TOIL expiry options:

1. TOIL Never Expires: Employees accumulate TOIL indefinitely unless manually adjusted by a manager.
2. TOIL Expires on a Fixed Date: TOIL is set to expire on a predefined date (e.g., December 31 of each year). After this date, any unused TOIL is cleared from the employee’s balance.
3. TOIL Expires After a Set Period: TOIL expires after a certain number of days or weeks after it is earned (e.g., TOIL expires 45 days after it is generated).

Managing TOIL Balances

Employees and managers can view TOIL balances through the TimeOff page, which shows:

• The total TOIL balance for the employee.
• The breakdown of TOIL earned, used, and expired.
• TOIL Activity Logs that track all actions affecting the TOIL balance, such as leave approvals, deletions, and timesheet adjustments.

TOIL Approval

• Multi-Select Approval: HRLocker allows managers to approve multiple TOIL leave requests at once. However, if there is insufficient TOIL balance to cover all requests, the system will reject all requests, providing an error message explaining the shortfall.

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Compliance Reporting: Detailed Rules for HRLocker’s Compliance Monitoring

HRLocker’s Compliance Reporting feature is designed to ensure organizations comply with labor regulations related to working hours, breaks, and minimum rest periods. This is essential for avoiding legal violations and penalties.

Compliance Reporting Rules

1. Average Working Week:

   • HRLocker ensures that employees' average working hours over a defined period do not exceed the legal limits. These limits can be configured per country and per office, allowing for regional differences in labor law.
   • If an employee’s working hours exceed the legal limit over a rolling period (e.g., 48 hours/week over 17 weeks), a compliance alert is generated, notifying the manager.

2. Breaks Not Recorded:

   • This rule ensures that employees are recording mandatory breaks during their workdays. If an employee works a full shift without recording the required break (e.g., a 30-minute break for a full shift), the system flags this as a compliance issue.

3. Minimum Rest Period:

   • Employees are required to have a minimum rest period between the end of one workday and the start of the next (e.g., 11 hours). If an employee is scheduled to work before this rest period has elapsed, the system raises a compliance alert. This ensures that companies are adhering to labor laws regarding rest periods between shifts.

These rules can be customized per country and office, ensuring that HRLocker’s compliance system matches local labor laws.