Time & Attendance: the full procedure
Capture accurate hours and handle breaks, approvals, and absences with a written, acknowledged policy.
- Applies to: All employees; manager approves.
- Frequency: Every shift / pay period.
- Scope: A generic time-tracking process. Wage/hour, break, and overtime law varies by jurisdiction — defer specifics to local employment law / your HR or legal advisor.
What you need
- Time clock / timesheet
- Written timekeeping policy + acknowledgement
The procedure, step by step
- Put the policy in writing — Document how/when to clock in and out, break rules, and what counts as compensable time. Train everyone and have them sign an acknowledgement kept on file.
- Record hours accurately — Employees clock in/out for shifts and breaks. No specific method is required, but the record must be accurate (employers must keep hours-worked + wage records).
- Approve timesheets — A manager reviews and approves timesheets each period, correcting missed punches with documentation.
- Handle lateness and no-shows — Apply the attendance policy consistently for lateness, missed punches, and no-shows.
- Keep records — Retain time and payroll records for the period your jurisdiction requires.
Quality check before you finish
- Written policy; signed acknowledgements on file.
- Hours recorded accurately each shift.
- Timesheets approved each period.
- Lateness/no-shows handled consistently.
- Records retained per local requirement.
This is a free, source-anchored standard operating procedure (SOP) you can print and hand to staff. It documents the work sequence for a Any Small Business business — not safety or regulatory rulings, which defer to the cited authorities, the applicable code, and your own health-and-safety plan. Open the tool above to print it, toggle ink-saver, or (with a free ToolFluency Business account) edit it to match your own workflow.
Sources
- U.S. DOL — FLSA Fact Sheet #21: Recordkeeping (anchor) (dol.gov)
- SHRM — Written Timekeeping Policy & Compensable Time (shrm.org)
- SCORE — Employee Recordkeeping Checklist (score.org)
About Free Time & Attendance SOP
Free printable time & attendance SOP: clock in/out, break rules, timesheet approval, and lateness/no-show handling — accurate hours and a clean record for payroll.
How to use
- Read the full procedure top to bottom before the work — the SOP runs in order and each step builds on the last.
- Toggle Ink-saver (black & white) for a cheaper mono print for the binder; leave it off for the full-color version.
- Click Print SOP to print or save as PDF. Print one per crew, laminate it for the binder, or attach it to the job in your scheduling system.
- Train new hires on it and have staff sign off. Found something out of date? Use the feedback link — flagged SOPs are re-researched against the source list.
Frequently asked questions
What should a time & attendance policy cover?
How and when to clock in/out, break and meal rules, who approves timesheets and by when, and how lateness, missed punches, and no-shows are handled. Put the policy in writing, train everyone on it, and have employees sign an acknowledgement kept on file.
Are employers required to track hours?
In most places, yes — employers must keep accurate records of hours worked and wages (in the US, under the FLSA; other countries have equivalents), though no specific time-clock method is mandated. Break and overtime rules vary by jurisdiction, so confirm the specifics locally.
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