Getting Started: 7punches and Time Clocking

Updated September 06, 2024 13:29

7punches is a time clocking app that integrates seamlessly with 7shifts. This allows you to manage Employee scheduling as well as time and attendance all in one place. You then can export Reports for payroll or send this information directly to your payroll provider through one of our available Payroll Integrations and Exports.

In this article, you'll learn how to use, enable, and configure your 7punches settings.

Prerequisites

⚠️ 7punches and Time Clocking Settings can only be enabled and managed by an Admin.

⚠️ By default, Admins/Managers/Assistant Managers user types have full access to the 7punches Punch Pad. This includes launching the 7punches app, and punching in/out to manage their own time.

⚠️To help reduce the risk of using shared devices, 7punches users can now allow their employees to access the punch pad from their devices. Click here to learn more.

SKIP AHEAD TO:

Enable 7punches
Time Clocking Settings
Launch the Punch Pad
More 7punches Tools

How it Works

Punching In

With 7punches, your Employees can clock in and out from an iPad, tablet, or mobile phone terminal.

If they punch in for a scheduled shift, they have two options: (1) confirm that they are punching for the Role they were assigned to on the Schedule, or (2) select a different Role than the one they were assigned.

To check if an employee has changed roles, simply navigate to the Time Clocking page.

⚠️ Admins can enable/disable the option to change roles by heading to the web app Time Clocking Settings disable/enable Allow switching role with shift scheduled.

Mobile Web

Login to the mobile app > tap on the menu icon > Time Clocking > use the navigation keys to view a specific day > tap on the shift to expand their Time Card:

Login to the web app > Time Clocking > review a pay period > see the Warnings/Exceptions column:
If they punch in for an unscheduled shift, the Employee is presented with an option to select a Role.

⚠️ Please note that when employees clock in for unassigned roles with Account-Wide Shift Pool enabled:

Wages will not be associated with unassigned roles, and labor hours will be recorded as $0.
This may affect payroll accuracy, reporting, and tip calculations.

Enable 7punches

How to enable 7punches.

Log in to the web app as an Admin.
In the left navigation bar, select Settings > Add-ons > click the 7punches add-on option:
Click on the Enable 7punches > Go to 7punches > Start Time Clocking:
You will be prompted to enter the end date of your last payroll and your payroll frequency. Select the box On 7punches:

You can either auto-assign punch IDs or self-assign each Employee a punch ID on your own. Click here to learn more.
If you are using your POS for Time Clocking, click here for details on syncing your POS punches.
Click on Next to continue. After doing so, your first pay period will be generated. In the future, when you click on a payroll period, you’ll be able to see which Employees have clocked in and at what time, all in real-time.
Next, configure your Time Clocking settings. The following section will cover these settings in more detail.

Time clocking Settings

Log in to the web app as an Admin, and head to Time Clocking > Settings. Here,you can check the boxes for the features you want to use when it comes to when and how employees will be able to punch in.

When viewing the Time Clocking page, the settings are categorized by General Settings, POS Settings, and 7punches settings.

General Settings

General settings will apply if you use 7punches or a third-party POS integration supporting certain Actual Labor features.

Auto shift flags

Shifts will be automatically flagged as late or no-shows. Auto shift flags can later be overridden on the schedule.

Late Tolerance

The minutes after the start of a shift an employee can clock in without being auto-flagged as late. Auto shift flags can later be overridden on the schedule.

Employee timesheet and earnings access

Employees will have the ability to view their detailed timesheets and view their wage earnings per shift.
Once enabled, you gain access to:
- Employee tip visibility
  - Employees will have the ability to view their tip report breakdown.
- Employee approval of time punches
  - Employees can approve or dispute individual punches within a pay period. Once the time sheet is closed, employees can no longer modify their responses. Approved and disputed punches, along with any comments, will be recorded in the Punch Audit report and Employee Time Sheet report.
- Send punch edit alerts to employees
  - Employees will be notified when a time punch has been edited by a manager. Note: punch-in alerts from 7punches are in real-time, but some POS systems may cause a delay of up to 6 minutes.
- Send punch-in alerts to managers
  - Managers will be notified after an employee hasn't punched in for the scheduled start time. Note: punch-in alerts from 7punches are in real-time but alerts from some POS systems may have a delay of up to 6 minutes
  - For 7punches, the in/out alerts are real-time. For Toast, Touchbistro, Square, Aloha, MIcros 3700, Brink, Squirrel, Revel, and Positouch, there may be a delay of up to 6 minutes.
- Send punch-out alerts to managers
  - Managers will be notified after an employee hasn't punched out for the scheduled end time. Note: punch-in alerts from 7punches are in real-time but alerts from some POS systems may have a delay of up to 6 minutes.
  - For 7punches, the in/out alerts are real-time. For Toast, Touchbistro, Square, Aloha, MIcros 3700, Brink, Squirrel, Revel, and Positouch, there may be a delay of up to 6 minutes.
- Send punch-in reminders to employees
  - Employees will be notified if they haven't punched in after their scheduled start time.

POS Settings

The POS settings will only apply if you are using your POS integration for time clocking.

Edit POS time punches in 7shifts

Anyone with access to time clocking through the time clocking permission will be able to edit all punches that came from a POS, and 7shifts will become the source of truth for these new POS punches. Future edits from the POS to that punch will not reflect in 7shifts, and edits to a punch in 7shifts will not be reflected to the POS. Additionally, these punches will also be visible in your punch audit report so you can view a history of punch changes. Learn more about editing pos time punches here.

Click here to learn more about Time Clocking & Integration Settings for Labor Visibility.

7punches Settings

The 7punches settings will apply if you are using the 7punches app for time clocking.

Employee health check

Employees must complete a health check upon punch-in to ensure they aren't presenting symptoms of COVID-19. Employees who fail the health check will be locked-out from punch-in and all managers will be notified via email and SMS. Learn more about COVID-19 health requirements.

Mobile Punch

Employees will be able to punch in and out of their shifts from their mobile device. However, as employee location data will not be retrieved or shared, the employee could potentially punch-in without being in the restaurant.
Once enabled, you gain access to Geofencing
- Employees will be able to punch in/out on their device when they are within the set range of the restaurant—and will be prevented from punching if they are outside that set range.

Buddy punch prevention

A photo will be taken after an employee has punched in or out for managers to later verify their identity

Grace period

Allows you to turn on features that provide flexibility to how employee punches are approved and rounded within time clocking.
If enabled, you gain access to:

- Auto-approve punches
  - Employee punches will be automatically approved before/after the start of a shift based on the set grace period.
- Rounding for early punch-in
  - Employees’ clock-in times will be rounded to their scheduled start time when they punch in early AND are within the set grace period.
- Rounding for late punch-in
  - Employees’ clock-in times will be rounded to the nearest grace period interval when they punch in after their scheduled start time. Example: If the grace period is set to 10 minutes and the employee’s shift starts at 9:00am, but they punch-in at 9:03am, their clock-in time would be rounded down to 9:00am. However, if the employee punches in at 9:08am, their clock-in time would be rounded up to 9:10am.
- Rounding for punch-out
  - Employees' clock-out times will be rounded to the nearest grace period interval when they punch out after their scheduled end time. Example: If the grace period is set to 10 minutes and the employee's shift ends at 3:00pm, but they punch-out at 3:03pm, their clock-out time would be rounded down to 3:00pm. However, if the employee punches out at 3:08pm, their clock-out time would be rounded up to 3:10pm.
- Prevent early punch-in
  - Employees will not be able to punch in before their shift start time, unless they are within the set grace period. Example: If the grace period is set to 10 minutes and the employee’s shift starts at 3:00pm, but they try to punch in at 2:49pm, they will not be allowed to punch in. However, if the employee tries to punch in at 2:50pm, they will be allowed to punch in.

Auto punch-out

Any unclosed punches will be automatically punched out at the preset time set below.

Allow punch without shift

Employees can punch-in when they do not have a shift that day.

Allow switching role with shift scheduled

Employees will be able to punch in for a different role than the one originally assigned. Their punch will still map to the scheduled shift, and a warning will appear in the exception column of the Time Clocking page to indicate the change.

Allow breaks

Employees will be able to punch-in and out for breaks.

Declare tips

Employees will have the ability to declare their tips on punch-out.

Pro Tip!

An Account may have a punch system set up where some Employees are clocking in on the POS and on 7punches (for example, Accounts with different Locations). When reviewing punches, you'll find it helpful to look at the source of the punch. Find it at the top of the punch information, highlighted in the red box below.

Be sure to click Save at the bottom of the page when you're done! From here, you may find it helpful to share this handy article that covers: 7punches for Employees.

Launch the Punch Pad

You will need to download the 7punches app for iOS or Android on your tablet / mobile device that will be used for punching in. Click here to learn more about the 7punches app.

How to View, Add, and Edit Punches for Admins & Managers
Locking Timesheets and Pay Periods in 7shifts for Admins & Managers
Closing Timesheets and Pay Periods in 7shifts for Admins & Managers

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