Employee Usage

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Comprehensive Punch In/Out Workflow

The employee punch workflow accommodates various scenarios based on employee status, device connectivity, and organizational policies. The following represents the complete decision tree for punch operations:

Standard Punch Workflow

Step 1: PIN Entry

  • Employee approaches the tablet device
  • Device displays PIN Entry Screen
  • Employee enters their assigned PIN using the on-screen keypad
  • System validates PIN against local database (if offline) or server database (if online)

Step 2: Conditional Routing - Multiple Assignments

  • Condition: Employee has multiple active job assignments for the current date
  • Action: System displays Assignment Picker Screen
  • Employee Response: Select the appropriate job/assignment for the current punch
  • Technical Note: Assignments are filtered based on current date and active status

Step 3: Conditional Routing - Duplicate SSN

  • Condition: Multiple employee profiles exist with the same SSN (data quality issue or legitimate scenario like same last four digits of SSN)
  • Action: System displays Profile Selection Screen showing differentiating information (Person name, job title, Employee ID)
  • Employee Response: Select the correct profile that matches their identity
  • Technical Note: This prevents incorrect time attribution in edge cases

Step 4: Conditional Routing - Extended Offline Period

  • Condition: Device has been offline for more than 24 hours
  • Action: System displays Work Date Selector Screen
  • Employee Response: Select the appropriate work date for the punch (today, Previous, or specific date)
  • Visual Indicators:
    • Highlighted incomplete punch sequences from previous dates
    • Yesterday's date marked with visual indicator
    • Today's date as default selection
  • Technical Note: Allows employees to correctly attribute punches when device has been offline across multiple days

Step 5: Time Entry Screen Display

  • Screen Components:
    • Clock display showing current time
    • Available punch buttons (Clock In, Break Out, Break In, Clock Out)
    • Left-side grid displaying today's punch history
    • Reset Timer Countdown
    • If the camera is enabled in the web clock configuration, the tablet’s front camera will open with a frame to capture the image.
    • The “Show Remaining Breaks” button is displayed when there are more than three break sets configured.
    • Employee name and work date
  • Punch Action:
    • Employee taps the appropriate button (Clock In, Break Out, Break In, or Clock Out)
    • System captures timestamp and device status
    • Punch is saved locally (always) and transmitted to server (if online)
    • Visual confirmation displayed briefly
    • Screen returns to PIN Entry Screen after reset timer expires

Step 6: Conditional - Clock-Out Question Prompt

  • Condition: Clock-out question is configured for this timeclock AND employee just tapped Clock Out
  • Action: System displays feedback form with configured questions
  • Question Types:
    • Multiple choice questions
    • Text entry fields
    • Rating scales
    • Yes/no questions
  • Employee Response: Complete all required questions before form can be submitted
  • Result: Responses saved with timestamp and associated with the clock-out punch
  • Technical Note: If offline, responses are queued for upload during next successful sync

Step 7: Conditional - Overnight Shift Handling

  • Condition: Employee is working an overnight shift that spans across calendar days
  • Applies To: Both online and offline device states
  • Action: System displays Work Date Selection Screen before time entry
  • Visual Indicators:
    • Moon icon displayed on PIN Entry Screen (indicates overnight job configuration)
    • Previous date's incomplete punches highlighted
    • Yesterday's date option clearly marked
  • Employee Response: Select the correct work date that corresponds to the shift start
    • Example: If shift started on Monday 11 PM and employee is clocking out Tuesday 7 AM, select Monday as work date
  • Technical Note: Ensures proper shift grouping for payroll calculation

Incorrect PIN Entry Workflow

When an employee enters an incorrect PIN, ZenTime implements a progressive identification system to accommodate temporary workers, new employees, or PIN entry errors.

First Incorrect PIN Attempt:

  • System validates PIN against local database (offline) or server database (online)
  • PIN not found
  • System displays error message: "Incorrect PIN. Please Try Again."
  • Employee returned to PIN Entry Screen

Second Incorrect PIN Attempt:

  • System recognizes this is the second consecutive failed attempt by throwing an exception as “PIN Incorrect. Fill the form below or contact your supervisor for assisatance.”
  • Action: System displays Temporary User Identification Form
  • Form Fields:
    • First Name (required text field)
    • Last Name (required text field)
    • Last 4 Digits of SSN (required numeric field, exactly 4 digits)

Online Mode - Form Submission Process:

  1. Data Transmission: Form data submitted to server immediately upon completion
  2. Server Matching Process:
    • Server searches employee database for matching First Name, Last Name, Last 4 SSN
    • Server checks for active assignments for the current date with the assignment end reason property having “Create Transaction” set to true.
  3. Case 1: Successful Match - Single Employee Found
    • Server locates one employee with matching credentials
    • Server finds active assignment(s) for current work date
    • Result: Time Entry Screen rendered for the matched employee
    • Employee can now enter punches
    • All punches are correctly attributed to the identified employee profile
    • Future PIN Entry: When same employee enters their correct PIN later, they will see all previous punches (including those from form entry)
  4. Case 1.1: No Match or Ambiguous Match
    • Scenario A: No active assignment found for the work date
    • Scenario B: Multiple employees found with same First Name, Last Name, Last 4 SSN (duplicate records)
    • Result: Data is NOT synced to Zenople Web Application
    • Entry is logged in "Aqore Zen Time Sync Fail Report" (accessible from RMS)
    • Report Entry Details:
      • Failed matching attempt timestamp
      • Submitted credentials (First Name, Last Name, Last 4 SSN)
      • Reason for failure (no active assignment / duplicate employees)
      • Timeclock ID.
      • Recommended action: Manual review required
    • Employee Impact: Employees are allowed to enter punches locally, but data will require administrative correction

Offline Mode - Form Submission Process:

  1. Local Storage: Form data stored exclusively on device (cannot contact server)
  2. Local Record Creation: System creates temporary local employee record with submitted credentials
  3. Time Entry Access: Employee immediately sees Time Entry Screen
  4. Punch Recording: All punches saved to local database tagged with the temporary credentials
  5. Case 2: Subsequent PIN Entries While Offline
    • Scenario: Same employee returns to clock in/out again while device still offline
    • Requirement: Employee must complete the identification form again with EXACT same credentials
    • Matching Process:
      • System compares new form data with locally stored temporary records
      • First Name must match exactly
      • Last Name must match exactly
      • Last 4 SSN must match exactly
    • Match Found: Employee sees previous Time Entry Screen with their historical punches
    • No Match: System creates separate new temporary employee record (data fragmentation issue)
  6. Multiple Device Complications (Offline Scenario):
    • Scenario: Two or more devices are offline; same employee uses both devices
    • Device A: Employee fills form with credentials, enters punches
    • Device B: Employee fills form with same credentials, enters punches
    • Issue: Devices cannot communicate with each other while offline
    • Result: Both devices treat entries as completely separate employee records
    • Example Problem: Employee clocks in on Device A (offline), clocks out on Device B (offline)
      • Device A shows Clock In only (incomplete punch)
      • Device B shows Clock Out only (incomplete punch)
    • Resolution: When devices come online, sync process identifies mismatch and flags for manual correction
  7. Online Recovery Process:
    • When Device Returns Online: Automatic sync initiated
    • Sync Frequency: Every 10 minutes (configurable)
    • Matching Attempt: Server receives locally stored form data and attempts to match employee
    • Successful Match: All punches are attributed to correct employee profile retroactively
    • Failed Match: Entries remain in "Sync Fail" status and appear in "Aqore Zen Time Sync Fail Report"

PIN Screen Visual Indicators

The PIN Entry Screen provides critical status information through visual indicators:

Connection Status Indicator:

  • Green Line (bottom of screen): Device is online and actively syncing with server
  • Red Line (bottom of screen): Device is offline, operating in local-only mode

Overnight Job Indicator:

  • Moon Icon (top right): Indicates this timeclock is configured for overnight shifts
  • Function: Alerts employees that work date selection will be required

Additional Visual Elements:

  • Clock Display: Current device time (used for punch timestamps)
  • Date Display: Current device date
  • Company Logo: Organization branding (if configured)
  • Language Selector: If multiple languages configured
  • Connectivity Strength: Wi-Fi or cellular signal indicator (if configured)

Break Time Logging

Break tracking in ZenTime accommodates various break policies and ensures compliance with labor regulations.

Standard Break Workflow

Step 1: Initiate Break

  1. Employee enters PIN on PIN Entry Screen
  2. System follows same conditional routing as punch workflow (assignment selection, profile selection, work date if needed)
  3. Time Entry Screen displays with "Break Out" button available
  4. Employee taps "Break Out" button
  5. System records break start timestamp
  6. Visual confirmation displayed

Step 2: Complete Break

  1. Employee returns from break
  2. Employee enters PIN on PIN Entry Screen
  3. System recognizes break is in progress (punch sequence logic)
  4. Time Entry Screen displays with "Break In" button available
  5. Employee taps "Break In" button
  6. System records break end timestamp
  7. Break duration automatically calculated
  8. Visual confirmation displayed

Break Compliance Surveys

US Government Compliance Requirements:

When break compliance is enabled (configured in WebClock setup), employees may be required to complete mandatory surveys related to break periods. These surveys ensure compliance with federal and state labor laws regarding meal breaks and rest periods.

Survey Trigger Conditions:

  • Break duration exceeds or falls short of policy requirements
  • Break timing violates policy windows
  • Employee works through required break period
  • Mandatory break is skipped

Survey Components:

  • Reason for break non-compliance
  • Voluntary vs. involuntary break modification
  • Supervisor approval confirmation
  • Employee acknowledgment of policy understanding

Online vs. Offline Survey Handling:

  • Online: Surveys submitted immediately to server for compliance tracking
  • Offline: Survey responses stored locally and transmitted during next successful sync
  • Note: Compliance violations during offline periods will not trigger real-time notifications to administrators

Multiple Break Sets

Configuration: Some organizations configure multiple break sets per shift (e.g., two 15-minute breaks and one 30-minute meal break).

Time Entry Screen Display:

  • Default View: Shows first 3 break sets (if configured)
  • “Show Remaining Breaks” Button: Displays when more than 3 break sets are configured
  • Expanded View: Clicking "Show More" reveals all configured break periods

Timesheet View

The timesheet view provides employees with visibility into their recorded time entries, promoting transparency and enabling employees to identify potential issues.

Daily Punch Display

Location: Left-side grid panel on Time Entry Screen

Display Components:

  1. Punch Name with timestamps:
    • Clock In (with times)
    • Displays the list of configured break-in and break-out names along with their times.
    • If no punches are recorded, only the punch names are shown, with the time displayed as --:--.
    • Clock Out (with times)

"Updated Time" Indicator

Purpose: Alerts employees that a punch has been modified after initial recording

Trigger Conditions:

  1. Rounding Rules Applied (If Configured):
    • Automatic time rounding per organizational policy as per the configuration.
    • Example: 8:07 AM clock in rounded to 8:00 AM
    • Example: 4:53 PM clock out rounded to 5:00 PM
  2. Manual Editing by Office Staff:
    • Supervisor or administrator corrects punch time via Zenople Web App
    • Correction of forgotten punch
    • Adjustment for documented late arrival/early departure
  3. Manual Editing by Contact Portal:
    • Supervisor with Contact Portal access corrects punch time
    • On-site supervisor makes immediate corrections
  4. Time Entry Cleared/Deleted:
    • Office staff, contact, or employee (with permission) removes erroneous punch
    • Duplicate punch elimination
    • Incorrect assignment correction

Visual Presentation:

  • Label: "Updated Time" displayed next to actual punch time by retaining actual punch time
  • Color Coding: Typically highlighted in bold font.

Important Note: Only the most recent update is marked. If a punch is edited multiple times, only "Updated Time" is shown, not the full edit history on the tablet but it retain the actual punch time (full history available in Zenople Web App).

"Show Remaining Breaks" Functionality

Purpose: Accommodates break policies with more than 3 break sets

Default Display: First 3 break sets visible without scrolling

Activation:

  • "Show remaining breaks" button appears when 4+ break sets are configured
  • Single tap expands the timesheet view

Expanded View Shows:

  • All configured break sets (4, 5, 6, or more)
  • Status of each break set:
    • Not Started (grayed out or labeled)
    • In Progress (highlighted, duration timer running)
    • Completed (timestamp pair shown with total duration)
  • Scrollable list if break sets exceed screen space

Collapse Function:

  • "Go Back" button appears by replacing the show remaining break button.
  • Returns display to default condensed view

Forgot to Punch - Employee Guidance

Forgotten punches are a common occurrence in any time-tracking system. ZenTime's approach balances flexibility with data integrity.

System Philosophy

No Retroactive Entry Requirement: Unlike some systems, ZenTime does not force employees to make up or reconstruct forgotten punches at the device. This design decision:

  • Reduces confusion at the time clock
  • Prevents inaccurate time entry guesses
  • Minimizes device queue buildup
  • Streamlines the employee experience

Continue with Next Punch Principle: If an employee forgets to punch in, break out, break in, or punch out, they should simply proceed with their next scheduled punch when they remember.

Forgotten Punch Scenarios

Scenario 1: Forgot Clock In

  • Employee realizes they forgot to clock in after starting work.
  • Employee Action: When taking the first break, proceed to clock out for the break.
  • System Behavior: Allows employees to clock in directly for a break without requiring an initial clock-in.
  • Resolution Path: Supervisor corrects via Zenople Web App by adding the missing clock in punch with the appropriate timestamp.

Scenario 2: Forgot Break Out

  • Employee takes a break but forgets to punch out.
  • Employee Action: When returning from break, attempt to punch back in.
  • System Behavior: Allows employees to break out directly for a break.
  • Resolution Path: Supervisor reviews time entries and adds a missing breakout punch based on employee report or policy default.

Scenario 3: Forgot Break In

  • Employee returns from break but forgets to punch in
  • Employee Action: At end of shift, proceed to clock out
  • System Behavior: May display warning about incomplete break sequence
  • Resolution Path: Supervisor adds missing break in punch or removes break out punch if break was not actually taken

Scenario 4: Forgot Clock Out

  • Employee finishes shift but forgets to clock out
  • Most Common Scenario: Employee leaves job site without punching out
  • System Behavior: Wokdate selector screen is displayed with the yesterday punch for employee to clock out
  • Automatic Flagging: System typically flags incomplete shifts for supervisor review
  • Resolution Path: Supervisor contacts employee to confirm actual end time and corrects punch via Zenople Web App

Supervisor Correction Process

Access Method: Zenople Web App → Timesheet Navigation

Correction Capabilities:

  1. Add missing punches with specific timestamps
  2. Delete erroneous or duplicate punches
  3. Modify existing punch times
  4. Add notes/explanations to time entries
  5. Submit for payroll processing

Correction Workflow:

  1. Supervisor reviews flagged or incomplete time entries
  2. Contacts employee if actual time is unclear
  3. Makes appropriate corrections in web interface
  4. Adds notes documenting reason for change
  5. Approves corrected timesheet
  6. Sync to ZenTime: Corrected times sync back to device during next sync cycle
  7. Employee Visibility: When employee next punches in, they see "Updated Time" marker for corrected entries

Audit Trail: All corrections are logged within the “Time Keeping Audit Log” Report in RMS

Image Capture Feature – Web Time Clock, Zen Time, and Mobile App

This document explains the feature that allows users to capture images while entering punches using Web Time Clock, Zen Time, and the Mobile App. Below is the detailed explanation of the feature and its configuration.

 

Configuration Setup

The setup process is the same for both Web Time Clock, Zen Time and Mobile App.

Setup in Customer → Service Profile

  1. Navigate to Customer → Service Profile.
  2. Open the Service Profile and go to the Timesheet section.
  3. Configure the following settings:
  • Transaction Template:
    • Templates Based on 2 Entries
    • Templates Based on 4 Entries
  • Allow Web Time Entry:
    • This checkbox must be selected.

 

Setup in Customer → Web Clock

Time Clock Punch Sequence

  • This should be configured according to the selected Transaction Template.

Time Clock Property

  • Camera: Set to Required.

 

Pre-conditions

Before using this feature, the following conditions must be met:
 (Please note that these conditions apply to new transactions and are intended for testing prerequisites.)

  1. The employee must be assigned to an assignment for the same customer.
  2. The assignment status must be Current.
  3. The transaction for the current AP must not be closed.

Using the Image Capture Feature

Web Time Clock

Steps

  1. Navigate to the Web Time Clock of the respective customer.
  2. Enter the PIN of the assigned employee.
  3. Enter punches for all entries.
  4. An image will be automatically captured by the system during each punch entry.

Zen Time

Steps

  1. Open the ZenTime application.
  2. Enter the PIN of the assigned employee.
  3. Enter punches for all entries.
  4. The system will capture an image for each punch entry.

 

Mobile App

Steps

  1. Open the Mobile App.
  2. Log in using the employee’s credentials.
  3. Navigate to Assignment → Time Entry.
  4. Enter punches for all entries.
  5. An image will be captured by the system for each punch entry.

 

Visibility of Saved Images

Saved images can only be viewed from the Admin Summary page. However, this page can be accessed from multiple areas:

  1. Web Time Clock → Admin Summary
  2. Contact Portal → Time Clock → Admin Summary
  3. TMS → Time Clock → Admin Summary
    (This option is used by a limited number of clients.)

 

How to View Saved Images

Since the Admin Summary page is common across all modules, the process for viewing saved images remains the same regardless of where it is accessed.

Steps

  1. Navigate to the Admin Summary page.
  2. Search for the employee whose time entries were recorded.
  3. Click the Edit button for the employee’s transaction.
  4. In the Actual Punch Info section, you will see the saved images along with the Actual Punch Time.
  5. Click on an image to view it in a larger size.
  6. To close the image preview, click the Close button.
  7. Alternatively, you can view the saved images using the Information icon for the same transaction.
  8. Click the Information icon.
  9. In the Actual Punch Info section, the saved images and corresponding punch times will be displayed.

 

Important Notes

  1. Saved images cannot be removed by either the Admin or the Employee once they are captured.
  2. The only way to remove saved images is by deleting the entire transaction.
  3. If an Admin modifies the Actual Punch Time, the associated saved image will remain unchanged.




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