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Lunch Break Policy - PROBLEM

Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 11:14 am
by cata009
Hello,

I am having this problem and i would gently ask for your support.
I have a problem registering the lunch break because the employees have a flexible program.
For example they arrive in different turns :
8:30-10 AM, in flexible turns, so for example if you arrive at 8:45 you leave at 17:45, if you arrive at 9:20 you leave at 18:20.
The lunch breaks start from 12:30 until 14:30, for the ones who arrive until 9AM the lunch break is at 12:30 -13:30 , for the 09-9:30 lunch break 13:30-14:30 and 9:30-10.00 lunch break 14:30 - 15:30

I would like to know how can i set up the luch break policy for this example:

I arrive at 9AM and my lunch break is normaly from 12:30 -14:30, but instead of punching my break from 12:30 i punch at 13:00 and i arrive at 14:00, 30 minutes late. How can i setup the system so it knows that i have a flexible schedule ( 8:30-9:00 ) and my normal lunch time is from 12:30 until 13:30. The system doesn't allow to setup a fix interval of lunch so i cannot define this, what solutions do i have ?

Thank you verry much for your answer, help is needed.

Re: Lunch Break Policy - PROBLEM

Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 1:01 pm
by shaunw
Set the Meal Policy to "Auto-Detect Meals By: Punch Time" rather than Time Window, then it doesn't matter when the employees take lunch, its just based on how long they punch out for (ie: 30mins or 1hr) instead.

Re: Lunch Break Policy - PROBLEM

Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 11:43 pm
by cata009
Thank you for your answer, i would like your help for another question if you kindly can help.

Let's say i set up the interval of punch time starting from 30 mins to 1hour so the system deducts if he's out more than 30 mins he's in the lunch break. But if the employee doesn't punch for this interval, let's say he decides to stay into the building for 35 mins and goes out only for a 15 min walk, so he has a 15 mins punch interval, how do i know that he took his lunch break ?

thank you again for your support.

Re: Lunch Break Policy - PROBLEM

Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 4:59 am
by cata009
On the same example, if i insert a normal break policy from 13:30 - to 14:00 the system knows that all lunch breaks start from 12:30 and end at 13:30 because from 13:30 starts the normal break ?

In this case i resolve my problem ??

i mean if the employee who has his break at 12:30 until 13:30 stays 30 mins into the building and goes out and punches at 13:00 with punch in at 14:00, normaly the system records a normal lunch break for an hour and doesn't report him, and i loose those 30 min he stayed in the building.

Thank you for the support.

Re: Lunch Break Policy - PROBLEM

Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 8:12 am
by shaunw
I'm not sure I understand what you mean, but the employees must punch out for the time they are on lunch, if they only punch out for the time they left the building its impossible to know how long they actually took for lunch.

Re: Lunch Break Policy - PROBLEM

Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 2:26 pm
by cata009
Can i set a normal break policy after the interval of a lunch break ?

For example : Lunch break starts after 3,5 hours and lasts 1 hour, can i set break policy to start from 4,5 hours ? this way the systems knows for sure when the lunch break ends ? Because this way i can verify the case i was talking about earlyer.

Employee takes his lunch break from 12:30 ( no punch until 13:00, he punches out 13:00 and renturns, punches in at 14:00 ) for the system it's ok he had 1hour lunch break, for me he had 1,5 hours lunch break.

Let's say i set up a break rule after 4,5 hours - starting from 13:30, this way everything that passes 13:30 records like a break and i can get a warning... right ? and the system doesn't record anymore the 1h lunch break ( 13:00 -14:00 )

Thank you again.

Re: Lunch Break Policy - PROBLEM

Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 3:00 pm
by shaunw
You don't want the meal policy time window and the break policy time window to overlap, which is what you actually specified (Lunch 3,5hrs and Break 4,5hrs, thats a one hour overlap). If they overlap they conflict and TimeTrex can't determine if the employee is taking a lunch or break.

Re: Lunch Break Policy - PROBLEM

Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 12:10 am
by cata009
If i punch in the lunch break manualy from the site, and then i go out into the lunch break ( with the system having set up the lunch break policy of 1h ) the system registers first my punch in and then it records my away time as a lunch break ? ( having set up the lunch break policy )

So to be a bit clear, if i have the lunch break policy active and i punch in manualy the lunch break...which one the sistem will consider as a lunch break ?

Thank you.

Re: Lunch Break Policy - PROBLEM

Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 8:10 am
by shaunw
Sorry, I don't understand your question, can you provide more details or an example please.

Re: Lunch Break Policy - PROBLEM

Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 8:26 am
by cata009
ok, i will example :

12:29 - Punch out ( lunch ) manualy from the application.
12:33 - Punch out fisicaly ( out from the building )
13:29 - Punch in fisicaly ( in the building )
13:33 - Punch in ( lunch ) manualy from the application.

Question : with the meal policy active, what is my actual lunch break ?

12:29 - 13:33 ( punch out/ in ) manualy from the application ( from my office computer )
12:33 - 13:29 the ones made fisicaly out from the building ?

In case i decide to deactivate the meal policy, can i setup the system so it still knows i have 1h lunch break ? and if exceed this break i get a warning ?

Thank you verry much from your support.

Re: Lunch Break Policy - PROBLEM

Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 8:37 am
by shaunw
You are showing two out punches in a row, that is not possible in TimeTrex. For every In punch there must be a corresponding Out punch, you cannot have two punches of the same status in a row. (two In's or two Out's).

12:29 - Punch out ( lunch ) manualy from the application.
12:33 - Punch out fisicaly ( out from the building )

Re: Lunch Break Policy - PROBLEM

Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 8:58 am
by cata009
I understand, each "in" must have its corrispondent "out", but i want to verify if i can make each employee make their meal punches before they go into lunch break, from the computer.

I leave now from my desk, i enter the system i punch out for lunch, then i go downstairs i leave the building and i have another punch out. I return from my lunch break after an hour i get into the bulding i have my punch in. I arrive at my desk i log into the system and i punch in again from my computer.

Can i do this with the meal policy set up ? If not, how can i determine 1hour break time to be warned if i am late more than 1h from the break ? ( just set up a normal 1h break policy in that period ?? if the meal policy is disabled ?? )

Thank you again shaunw for your support.

Re: Lunch Break Policy - PROBLEM

Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 9:35 am
by shaunw
You cannot punch OUT twice in a row, even if there are two IN punches in a row after. It must always be In -> Out, In -> Out. Based on your example if the employee punched out at their desk, then punched again downstairs before they left the building, that 2nd punch would need to be a IN punch. Therefore your example definitely will not work.