What's covered in this guide?:
Troubleshooting an offline time clock
When Workforce.com is unable to connect to a time clock, the time clock will display as offline on your dashboard.
When a time clock goes offline, an error appears at the bottom of the Time Clock app. Click the arrow to expand the error and see the full message.
Work through the steps below in order. If the error message on your time clock matches one of the steps, skip straight to that step.
1. Check your pending clock-ins
Open the Time Clock app with a manager or admin passcode.
Open the menu in the top right and select Pending Clock Ins.
This shows any clock-ins that haven’t been sent yet because of a poor connection.
Opening this section is often enough to start sending them. If it’s empty, or the clock-ins don’t go through, move on to the next step.
2. Check your Wi-Fi
Check the device is connected to the internet. To confirm, open the web browser on the device and visit a few websites. If the internet is working, move on to the next step.
3. Restart your device
Restart the tablet, then check whether the time clock is back online.
4. Update your time clock
We regularly update the Time Clock app to make it more reliable. When an update is available, a message appears at the bottom of the time clock. Tap the message and follow the prompts.
5. Reauthenticate your time clock
If you see this message, there’s an authentication problem:
“Authentication problem. Clock-ins will be sent after this problem is resolved. Go to ‘Reauthenticate’ in the Manager Settings to fix.”
To reauthenticate your time clock:
Enter a manager or admin passcode.
Open the menu in the top right.
Select Settings.
Select App Details.
Select Reauthenticate.
Select Continue, then confirm your time clock setup code. To find your setup code, see Installing the Time Clock App.
Note: If the time clock is online but times haven’t reached timesheets, check Pending Clock Ins. Any times listed there will be sent once the internet connection is fully restored.
FAQs and Troubleshooting
How quickly do clock-ins reach timesheets?
How quickly do clock-ins reach timesheets?
The Time Clock app sends each clock-in to Workforce.com as soon as it’s recorded, so it usually appears on timesheets within seconds. If the device loses connection, clock-ins are saved on the device and sent once it reconnects.
To check whether a clock-in was delayed, open the Timesheet Audit History. It’s only visible to admins.
The Time column shows when Workforce.com received the clock-in.
The Changes column shows when it was recorded on the time clock.
These are usually the same. If they’re different, the device probably had connection problems at the time.
What does the time clock warning on a timesheet mean?
What does the time clock warning on a timesheet mean?
It means one of your time clocks went offline during this timesheet period. The warning disappears once:
the time clock is reconnected (see the steps above), or
the time clock is deleted, in Settings → Time Clocks.
This warning doesn’t stop you approving or exporting timesheets.
Will reauthenticating delete my pending clock-ins?
Will reauthenticating delete my pending clock-ins?
No. Pending clock-ins are kept. Once the connection is back, the time clock sends them, and they disappear from the Pending Clock Ins list.
Will deleting the Time Clock app remove pending clock-ins?
Will deleting the Time Clock app remove pending clock-ins?
Yes. Deleting the app deletes any pending clock-ins, and they can’t be recovered. Check that Pending Clock Ins is empty before deleting the app.
How does the time clock decide whether to show Start, Break or Finish?
How does the time clock decide whether to show Start, Break or Finish?
After an employee enters their passcode, the time clock picks the most likely action. If it’s wrong, the employee can tap the correct one. The Break option only shows when Allow staff to clock breaks is turned on.
Scenario | Action selected |
The employee is clocked out | Start |
The maximum shift length has passed since the shift started | Start |
Clocked in, more than 1 hour until the rostered finish, and no break taken | Break Start |
Clocked in, less than 1 hour until the rostered finish | Finish |
Clocked in and a break has already been taken | Finish |
Unscheduled shift, less than 5 hours since the shift started | Break Start |
Unscheduled shift, and either more than 5 hours since the shift started or Allow staff to clock breaks is off | Finish |
Article keywords: time clock, timeclock, tablet
Why are clock-ins splitting into separate shifts, or showing twice on the timesheet?
Why are clock-ins splitting into separate shifts, or showing twice on the timesheet?
Usually one of these:
The employee clocked in twice. A second Start while they’re already clocked in creates a second shift, even on a different device.
They clocked out a long time after they clocked in. A Finish only joins the shift if it’s within the Maximum shift length (hours). Otherwise it becomes a separate shift with only a finish time. To check it, go to Settings > Timesheets, click Show Advanced Settings... under Advanced, and check Maximum shift length (hours).
They clocked out more than once. An extra Finish can create a separate shift.
Their shift covered two scheduled shifts back to back. Workforce splits it to match the schedule.
They changed teams during the shift in the mobile app, if Enable team switching is on. This finishes one shift and starts another, which is expected.
Can I stop staff clocking in more than once by mistake?
Can I stop staff clocking in more than once by mistake?
Yes. Go to Settings > Timesheets, click Show Advanced Settings... under Advanced, and set Minimum interval between clock-ins (minutes).
If someone repeats the same action within that time, for example taps Start twice, Workforce keeps the first one and ignores the repeat. It’s set to 0 (off) by default.
How do I fix a duplicate or split shift on a timesheet?
How do I fix a duplicate or split shift on a timesheet?
There’s no option to merge shifts. Instead:
On the shift you want to keep, correct the Start and Finish times.
On the duplicate shift, click the bin icon (Clear shift) to clear its times.
You can’t clear a shift once it’s approved or the timesheet has been exported.
Why don’t the times on the timesheet match what the employee clocked?
Why don’t the times on the timesheet match what the employee clocked?
Usually because of clock-in rounding. Go to Settings > Timesheets and check Clock-in Time Rounding and Clock-out Time Rounding:
Rounding of times (minutes) rounds clock-ins and clock-outs to the nearest interval. New UK accounts round to 15 minutes.
Use smart clock-in rounding and Use smart clock-out rounding round clock-ins forward and clock-outs back. New UK accounts have this on.
Round clocks-ins to scheduled times and Round clocks-outs to scheduled times change times within the rounding interval to the scheduled start or finish.
To see the time the employee actually clocked, look under the Start or Finish box on the timesheet for the C label (Clocked Time) (US: P, Punched Time). Click it to use that time instead.
If times are out by whole hours, check the time and time zone on the time clock device. Log in with an admin passcode and go to Settings → About Time Clock. Also check the Time Zone on the location of the employee’s main team. Their clock-ins use that time zone.
Why is a night shift split across two days?
Why is a night shift split across two days?
A shift belongs to the day it started. The clock-out joins it as long as it’s within the Maximum shift length (hours).
If the clock-out is later than that, or the clock-in is missing, the clock-out becomes a separate shift on the next day.
Check the maximum shift length in Settings > Timesheets under Show Advanced Settings..., then fix the shift (see How do I fix a duplicate or split shift? above).
How do I add a missed clock-in?
How do I add a missed clock-in?
Open the employee’s timesheet and type the time into the Start or Finish box for that day. Every day on the timesheet has a blank shift you can type into. If the day already has a shift, click the + icon (New shift on the same day) to add another.
To let employees add missed times themselves, go to Settings > Permissions and turn on Allow staff to add times to their own timesheets. Times employees add themselves show as needing manager confirmation.
Why can’t an employee see the clock-in button in the mobile app?
Why can’t an employee see the clock-in button in the mobile app?
Staff can only clock in from their phone if remote clock-ins are turned on for their team:
Go to Settings > Timesheets.
Under Remote Clock-ins, turn on Allow staff to clock-in remotely using the Workforce mobile app.
Under Teams allowed to use remote clock in, make sure the employee’s team is selected. If no teams are selected, all teams can clock in remotely.
The employee also needs to allow location access on their phone. For more help, see Mobile App Troubleshooting.
Why can’t staff clock in when they’re not scheduled, or before their shift?
Why can’t staff clock in when they’re not scheduled, or before their shift?
A clock-in restriction is probably set up. Go to Settings > Time Clocks, then Clock-in Restrictions, and check the restrictions listed. A restriction can block clock-ins that are Unscheduled, Earlier than scheduled, Later than scheduled or Away from scheduled location. Early and late restrictions allow a set number of minutes’ lenience.
To let staff clock in when they’re not scheduled, delete the Unscheduled restriction with Delete Restriction.
To stop staff clocking in early, click Add new restriction, choose Clock in, then Earlier than scheduled, and set the lenience in minutes.
Unscheduled only counts published shifts, so staff on an unpublished rota are blocked too. New UK accounts have a restriction on the mobile app that blocks clocking in and out away from the scheduled location. For more detail, see Clock-in Restrictions.
The time clock is online, but some clock-ins still aren’t on the timesheet. Why?
The time clock is online, but some clock-ins still aren’t on the timesheet. Why?
Check:
The employee is active. Clock-ins for inactive staff aren’t accepted.
The tablet’s date and time are correct. Clock-ins more than 10 minutes in the future are rejected.
The timesheet hasn’t been exported. Clock-ins don’t fill in Start and Finish on an exported timesheet. Unlock the timesheet, then enter the times. If the clocked time shows under the box, click the C label (US: P) to use it.
The employee works at the time clock’s location. A time clock set to certain locations only shows staff in teams at those locations.
If none of these explain it, contact Workforce support with the employee’s name and the time they clocked in.
Article keywords: time clock, timeclock, tablet