Guides
Guides to tracking time and paying crews right
Straight answers on overtime, rounding, recordkeeping, buddy punching and running a time clock — with the rules cited, worked examples, and no sales pitch until the end.
How-to guides
- How to stop buddy punchingBuddy punching is clocking in for a coworker who isn't there. See what it costs, compare 6 ways to stop it, copy a sample policy and learn the legal basics.
- How to calculate overtime payOvertime pay is hours over 40 × 1.5 × the regular rate. Learn the formula, put bonuses into the regular rate, work through examples and avoid common mistakes.
- How to track employee hoursCompare 6 ways to track employee hours by cost, accuracy and buddy-punch risk, build a free Excel timesheet with lunch-break formulas, and know what to keep.
- What happens if you forget to clock out?Forgot to clock out? You're still owed pay for the hours you actually worked. How to fix a missed punch, when auto clock-out is legal, and a sample policy.
- How to do an emergency roll call at workHow to run an emergency roll call at work: OSHA's headcount rule, roll-call wardens, muster points, visitors and contractors, drills, and a step-by-step plan.
- How to make employee ID badgesHow to make employee ID badges: standard CR80 size, what to print on them, paper vs card stock vs PVC, holders and lanyards, QR codes, and lost-badge reissues.
- How to set up a time clock kioskHow to set up a time clock kiosk: choosing a tablet, locking it with Guided Access or app pinning, mounting height, power, Wi-Fi and lighting for badge scans.
Explainers
- How QR code time clocks work, and which design to chooseA QR code time clock records a punch when a code is scanned. Compare the 3 designs, how each resists cheating, setup steps, costs and what a punch records.
- How to track time across multiple job sitesHow to track time across multiple job sites, which drive time you must pay (29 CFR 785.38), one punch a day vs a punch per site, and what location stamps prove.
Rules and compliance
- Time clock rounding rules and the 7-minute ruleRounding punches is legal federally if it's neutral over time (29 CFR 785.48(b)). See the 7-minute rule chart, 5, 6 and 10-minute rounding, and California.
- California overtime rules: daily, weekly and seventh-day overtimeCalifornia pays overtime after 8 hours a day and 40 a week, double time after 12, plus seventh-day rules. Worked examples show how daily and weekly OT combine.
- No tax on overtime: what employers need to track and reportThe no-tax-on-overtime deduction covers only the FLSA overtime premium. What employers must track each workweek and report in W-2 box 12, code TT for 2026.
- Can an employer require you to use your personal phone for work?Usually yes, but California and Illinois require reimbursement, costs can't cut into minimum wage, and privacy rules apply. What both sides should know.
- Are biometric time clocks legal? The laws by stateBiometric time clocks are legal, but Illinois BIPA, Texas, Washington and Colorado set notice, consent and retention rules. A checklist and safer alternatives.
- Can a manager clock you in, or change your time card?Yes, a manager can clock employees in and out. The law requires accurate time records, not a particular person. Editing time to cut pay is illegal.
- H-2A recordkeeping requirements, explainedH-2A recordkeeping under 20 CFR 655.122: hours offered and worked each day, earnings statements, the three-fourths guarantee worked through, and retention.
- FLSA recordkeeping requirements: what to keep, and for how longFLSA recordkeeping requirements: the time and pay records 29 CFR 516 requires, how long to keep time cards (2 years) and payroll (3 years), and state rules.
Comparisons
- Paper timesheets vs time clock appsPaper timesheets look free but cost hours of retyping, rounded-up times and lost sheets. Compare the yearly cost with a time clock app and switch in a week.
- How much does a time clock cost?What a time clock costs in 2026: punch card, badge and biometric hardware, per-user app pricing, hidden costs, and year-one totals for 10- and 25-person crews.
- QR code vs NFC vs biometric time clocks: every type comparedEvery type of time clock compared: PIN, punch card, RFID badge, NFC, QR code, biometric and GPS apps, by cost, phones needed, buddy-punch risk and privacy risk.
Reference
Clock your crew in with one phone.
Print a QR badge for everyone and scan them in and out with any phone or tablet. Free for up to 3 people — try it with your real crew before you sign up.