How to Import Attendance from a Time Clock
Why time-clock data gets lost on the way to payroll
Many businesses already have a time clock or biometric reader at the door. The problem is getting its data into HR and payroll: someone exports a report every week and retypes check-in and check-out times into a spreadsheet, then works out lateness and overtime by hand.
Retyping introduces errors, and manual overtime calculations are disputed. Days that HR already corrected are overwritten by the next import, or the same week is imported twice and overtime doubles. Employees who forgot to clock in have no way to ask for a fix.
A good import matches people by their employee code or clock ID, leaves corrected and leave days alone, can be repeated without duplicates, and feeds shift rules that work out lateness and overtime the same way every time.
Why this happens
- Clock reports are retyped by hand.
- Overtime is calculated in a spreadsheet.
- Re-imports duplicate or overwrite corrected days.
- Forgotten clock-ins have no correction process.
- Overtime is paid without approval.
Biznsbook addresses this through time-clock attendance import, lateness and overtime from shifts, overtime approval before payroll, attendance corrections in HR Management, on the same attendance records Payroll reads.
Small gaps in attendance rarely fail loudly. They show up later as numbers nobody can explain. Recording each step where it happens removes the guesswork.
Step-by-step: Import Attendance from a Time Clock
Written for payroll and HR teams in small and mid-sized businesses using Biznsbook Payroll with HR Management.
- Download the sample file. Open HR → Time → Import and download the sample file.
- Fill it from the clock export. Use EmployeeCode (or BiometricID) and Date, plus optional CheckIn, CheckOut and Status columns.
- Upload it. Upload the file. Days corrected by hand and days on leave are left alone, and importing the same file again updates the same days instead of duplicating them.
- Let shifts do the maths. With check-in and check-out times, Biznsbook works out lateness after the shift start plus grace minutes, early exit, overtime beyond the shift hours, and half days where the shift sets the hours.
- Approve overtime. In HR → Time → Overtime, tick days and approve or decline. With Overtime needs approval before it is paid on (the default), Payroll pays only approved overtime.
- Handle corrections. Employees raise corrections from My Attendance, even for a day with no record; the reporting manager or HR approves or rejects, and approving keeps the original times.
- Review the records. HR → Time → Records shows history by date, employee or department, with a month view and calendar for each employee.
Review results after the first full every pay period cycle. Adjust roles, mappings, or approvals where the same exception repeats.
Screen-level flows live in the Help Center. This guide focuses on the business process; help articles cover click-by-click navigation.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Mistake 1: Clock reports are retyped by hand. Repeating this each month usually shows up first in overtime paid on retyped hours.
- Mistake 2: Overtime is calculated in a spreadsheet. Repeating this each month usually shows up first in overtime paid on retyped hours.
- Mistake 3: Re-imports duplicate or overwrite corrected days. Repeating this each month usually shows up first in overtime paid on retyped hours.
- Mistake 4: Forgotten clock-ins have no correction process. Repeating this each month usually shows up first in overtime paid on retyped hours.
- Mistake 5: Overtime is paid without approval. Repeating this each month usually shows up first in overtime paid on retyped hours.
Each of these turns into a question HR cannot answer quickly. Fix the process on the record rather than in email threads or spreadsheets.
Best practices that hold up as you scale
- Download the sample file — Open HR → Time → Import and download the sample file.
- Fill it from the clock export — Use EmployeeCode (or BiometricID) and Date, plus optional CheckIn, CheckOut and Status columns.
- Upload it — Upload the file.
- Let shifts do the maths — With check-in and check-out times, Biznsbook works out lateness after the shift start plus grace minutes, early exit, overtime beyond the shift hours, and half days where the shift sets the hours.
- Approve overtime — In HR → Time → Overtime, tick days and approve or decline.
Give every employee their clock ID before the first import, and keep overtime approval switched on.
How Biznsbook supports this workflow
time-clock attendance import is part of Biznsbook and works on the same records as the rest of attendance, so the decision, the stock and the books stay in step and every action is recorded with who did it and when.
lateness and overtime from shifts is part of Biznsbook and works on the same records as the rest of attendance, so the decision, the stock and the books stay in step and every action is recorded with who did it and when.
overtime approval before payroll is part of Biznsbook and works on the same records as the rest of attendance, so the decision, the stock and the books stay in step and every action is recorded with who did it and when.
attendance corrections is part of Biznsbook and works on the same records as the rest of attendance, so the decision, the stock and the books stay in step and every action is recorded with who did it and when.
Attendance import, overtime and corrections are under HR → Time. Self Service clock-in needs the setting in HR → Settings and the Employee Self Service licence for staff.
Suggested implementation timeline
- Week 1: Set up time-clock attendance import and the permissions the people involved need.
- Week 2: Run the real process in Biznsbook only, with no side spreadsheet, for one team or site.
- Week 3: Review what was recorded with the people involved and tighten the rules where they disagreed.
- Month 2: Roll out to every team or site.
- Ongoing: Closing attendance before each pay run.
Shifts, rosters and the attendance day
Each attendance day is judged against the person's shift. Lateness counts after the shift start plus its grace minutes, an early exit is leaving before the shift ends, and a short day that came from Self Service clock-in or a time-clock import becomes a half day when the shift sets the hours for it. Holiday and weekend statuses are applied by the system, for example when leave is approved.
A roster puts people on a different shift for a period, such as night cover for a month. On those dates the roster shift is used instead of the shift on the employee record, so imported punches are judged against the right hours. Removing the assignment goes back to the normal shift.
Daily Attendance still lets HR mark people Present, Absent, Half day, Work from home or On leave, with bulk actions, for staff who are not on the clock. A night shift can clock out the next morning, and nobody approves their own correction.
Metrics to track monthly
- Late days per employee per month
- Overtime pending approval at pay-run time
- Corrections raised and their outcome
- Days with a check-in but no check-out
Start with three metrics; trend direction matters more than a single point-in-time snapshot.
Manual workarounds vs Biznsbook
Compare common manual workarounds with Biznsbook time-clock attendance import and the related capabilities.
| Capability | Manual / Spreadsheet | Biznsbook |
|---|---|---|
| Getting punches in | ❌ Retyped weekly | ✅ File import by employee code or clock ID |
| Lateness and overtime | ❌ Spreadsheet formulas | ✅ Worked out from each shift |
| Re-importing | ❌ Duplicates or overwrites | ✅ Updates the same days; corrected days left alone |
| Overtime pay | ❌ Paid as recorded | ✅ Paid only when approved |
| Forgotten clock-in | ❌ Email to HR | ✅ Correction request with approval |
| History | ❌ Folders of reports | ✅ Records by date, employee or department |
Closing attendance before each pay run
Before each payroll run, import the last clock file for the period, clear pending corrections, and approve or decline all pending overtime. Check employees with many late days or missing check-outs, and confirm rosters for the next period are in place. Approving a correction updates or creates the day and keeps the original times, so the record shows both what the clock said and what was agreed. Keep the clock's export files for the period alongside the payroll run, so any question about hours can be traced back to the original punches. Employees on Self Service clock-in need no import at all: their Clock in and Clock out land on the same attendance day, and a night shift can clock out the next morning. Both routes feed the same overtime approval.
Write the import routine and overtime approval deadline into your payroll calendar.
Frequently asked questions
Does Biznsbook connect to my time clock directly?
No. Export the clock's data and import it as a file with EmployeeCode or BiometricID, Date and optional CheckIn, CheckOut and Status.
What happens if I import the same file twice?
The same days are updated instead of duplicated.
Will an import overwrite days HR corrected?
No. Days corrected by hand and days on leave are left alone.
How is overtime worked out?
From the shift: time beyond the shift's working hours, and every hour on a weekend or holiday. Overtime shorter than the ignore threshold is ignored.
Is overtime paid automatically?
With Overtime needs approval before it is paid switched on, which is the default, Payroll pays only approved overtime. If a day's times change, its overtime goes back for approval.
Can staff clock in without a time clock?
Yes. Turn on Employees may clock in and out from Self Service, optionally asking for the device location; staff use Clock in and Clock out on My Attendance.
How this differs by industry
Retail
Store groups import each branch's clock file weekly and approve overtime before the payroll run.
Wholesale & distribution
Warehouses with biometric readers match staff by BiometricID and use rosters for seasonal night shifts.
Manufacturing
Plants import shift punches daily so lateness and overtime are visible to supervisors the next morning.