Objective
After completing this lesson, you will be able to contrast positive and negative time recording methods.
Time Recording Methods
For any selected time recording variant, employees can record their times by using one of the following methods:
Positive and negative time recordings are most common used methods. In combination with time recording variants, there are different processes for Time Sheet.
In this course, we learn four common combinations for time recording:
Positive with duration-based time
Negative with duration-based time
Positive with clock-time based time.
Negative with clock-time based time.
Positive Time Recording with Duration-Based Times
Employees record the duration of attendance times, on-call, and allowance, and then submit times for approval on a weekly or monthly basis. An employee’s time sheet displays a calendar view of the current week/month. It is designed for employees who record duration-based attendance time and where relevant, overtime, on-call time, and allowances. The start day of the time sheet can be any day of the week, depending on how your organization has set up your time sheet.
The breakdown of the different types of time is shown in the week summary area are known as time valuation results. They are created from the attendance time you record and from other time data, such as paid holidays and paid absences. Time valuation results represent how your attendance time is classified in preparation for later payroll processing. Time valuation results that are relevant for payroll are called time pay types.
Example 1: Positive Time Recording with Duration-Based Times
The Calendar shows that, on Public Holidays, the planned working time is 0 and displays a color change as an indication.
Example 2: Positive Time Recording with Duration-Based Times
The preceding figure shows the time sheet for one employee, Gilbert White, who records the duration of time in hours and minutes. The person is a positive time recorder, meaning that the time is recorded as all the hours worked (attendance time), in addition to overtime, absences, on-call time, and allowances. In this example, Sunday and Saturday are non-working days.
As well, the time pay type Base Pay represents a payment to an employee of the regular pay rate and different overtime premium rates. The actual display of time valuation results in employees’ time sheet depends on how your organization has set up time sheets.
Negative Time Recording with Duration-Based Times
Employees’ time sheets are automatically submitted and approved if there are no recorded exceptions or any on-call duty or allowances. If there are any exceptions, employees record the duration of exceptions to planned working time, and the duration of any on-call duty or allowances in hours and minutes. The time sheet is recorded and saved and it will be automatically sent for approval.
Here are some things about negative time recording with duration-based times:
Planned working time entries are generated automatically for employees.
Employees record exceptions to planned working time including any overtime.
Other times also include on-call time or allowances.
Other time data, such as paid absences from Time Off and paid holidays, are included.
Example: Negative Time Recording with Duration-Based Times
The time sheet displays a calendar view of the current week/month. It is designed for employees who record only exceptions to their planned working time using duration-based times, overtime, on-call time, allowances, and so on.
There are four main areas of time sheet that are the same that of positive time recording with duration-based time employee.
Hint
You can also assign each manually recorded exception to your planned working time an alternative (deviating) cost center. If you need to do so, enter a working time record and select a deviating cost center for this record.
You cannot reassign generated working time to a deviating cost center.
Positive Time Recording with Clock Time-Based Time
Employees record the start and end times of their attendance, overtime, and on-call duty as well as the duration of their allowances in hours and minutes. After doing so, they submit times for approval on weekly or monthly basis. Allowances can be recorded in any decimal unit, not necessarily in hours and in minutes. The start day of the time sheet can be any day of the week, depending on how your organization has set up your time sheet. In the example in this section, Sunday is the first day of the time sheet week.
Example 1: Positive Time Recording with Clock Time-Based Time
An employee who records the time worked by using clock times starts by entering a start and end time for each time entry.
Example 2: Positive Time Recording with Clock Time-Based Time
The planned working time is also displayed in each day, below the total recorded hours area.
DETAILS Area
The DETAILS area allows employees to record attendance, overtime, and on-call by entering Start Time and End Time for each entry, and allowances in hours or any other unit.
If you have recorded a partial-day absence in Time Off for the selected day, the start and end times (plus the duration) of this absence are displayed in the DETAILS area as shown in the preceding figure.
Negative Time Recording with Clock Time-Based Time
Employees record the start and end times of exceptions to planned working time and on-call duty. They record the duration of any allowances in hours and minutes (or any other unit). Employees’ time sheets are automatically submitted and approved, unless if there is no recorded exceptions or any on-call duty or allowances. On any exception, on-call duty or allowances, your time sheet is recorded and saved, and it is automatically sent for approval.
Example: Negative Time Recording with Clock Time-Based Time
The preceding figure shows what time sheet looks like for an employee who records only exceptions to planned working time by using clock-based times. The employee works on a five-day, eight-hour working schedule with eight hours per-day planned time generated by the system. The employee in this example has recorded additional two hours working time recorded on Friday in addition to planned working time exceptions on Friday this week. If there is no exception recorded during the week, the time sheet requires no approval.
Planned Working Time And Scheduled Breaks
The recorded working time and breaks are generated daily by the system to the current date.
Employee Time Sheet – Summary
After employees submit their time sheet, the time sheet has total hours and approval status. At the bottom, employees can withdraw their time sheets before it is approved.
Summary
- Four time recording methods are available: Positive (record all hours worked), Negative (record only exceptions to planned working time), Overtime Recording, and Absences Only. Positive and Negative are the most commonly used.
- In Positive time recording, employees manually enter all attendance times, overtime, on-call, and allowances. The time sheet must be submitted for approval.
- In Negative time recording, the system automatically generates planned working time entries. Employees only record exceptions. If no exceptions exist, the time sheet is automatically submitted and approved without manual action.
- Both methods can be combined with either the Duration-Based or Clock Time-Based variant, giving four common combinations to choose from depending on the organization's requirements.
