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Tracking Time: Manual vs Time-Clock
Tracking Time: Manual vs Time-Clock

Learn two methods of recording and tracking people's work hours on a timesheet.

Brett avatar
Written by Brett
Updated over a week ago

For customers of our Timesheets module.


Built supports two methods of recording and tracking people's work hours to a timesheet. Regardless of which method you use, the data is stored within a weekly timesheet that can be submitted by the employee and then approved by a manager.

Method One: Manual Timesheet Entry

In this method, an individual fills out the weekly timesheet by manually entering the total number of hours worked on each day of the week. The timesheet can be saved as a draft as the person updates it throughout the week and then submitted for approval when the timesheet is complete.

This method works well for companies where the main value of timesheets is to record how much time a person worked in a given week, not necessarily what time of day those hours were worked. If your organization needs to know exactly what time of day a person started working, what time any breaks were taken, and what time that person stopped working—see the next section about Time-Clock Timesheet Entry.

Method Two: Time-Clock Timesheet Entry

In this method, an individual will simply click the clock in/out button at the top of any Built page to start the time clock. When they take a break or leave for the day, they click that same button again to stop the clock.

The start time and end time of each clock in/out event are recorded, and the total for that session is added to the person's daily total of hours worked. The total number of hours worked is not editable by the individual when this method is used. If a person makes a mistake and needs their time entries edited, they must ask an administrator to edit the time entry for them.

Clicking a day's total hours worked on a timesheet will open a window that shows the details of that day's work, including each clock in/out event. 

This method works well for companies where it's important to know what time an employee starts work, takes any breaks, and finishes work. This method also has the advantage of giving the employer more confidence in the hours recorded because an employee cannot simply type in the number of hours but has to actually clock in/out in order to achieve the desired total hours. 

Note: The person's IP address is also recorded each time they clock in/out so you can determine if the individual clocked in from an appropriate work location.

To configure your company's time tracking method:

Note: Only Company Admins and HR Admins can manage company settings. To learn more, please refer to: Understanding User Roles & Permissions.

  1. Click your company name at the top of the main navigation, then click Company Settings.

  2. Click the Timesheets tab.

  3. Click the Edit button on the settings box.

  4. Choose the desired entry method.

  5. Click Save.

Please contact our customer success team for additional assistance.


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