Time and attendance policies

Complete when a test employee has the correct pattern and shift, can use the correct leave type, receives the intended clock policy and produces a visible administration result.

OwnerHR or time-policy administrator

PrerequisiteOrganisation, groups and test employee are ready

Test scopeA small group, not the whole organisation

Role and access: use an HR or time-policy administrator with access to the small test scope. A reviewer who cannot manage rules should receive the test result rather than broader configuration permission.

Product routes: /operations/time-policies opens Work patterns, Holidays, Shift policies, and Leave; /operations/timekeeping?tab=config opens Settings with Attendance policy, Clock assignments, Geo zones, and Holiday work. The direct policy-list route is /operations/timekeeping?tab=config&detail=policy; /settings/clock-policies opens the same panel as a compatibility route. Working time and overtime limits live at /settings/labor-rules.

Recommended order

Work pattern → Holidays → Shift policy → Shift rules → Leave → Working-time and overtime limits → Clock policy → Assignment → Test

Complete schedules, holidays, shifts, and leave before assigning an attendance policy.

The four Settings cards connect attendance rules to the right subjects and supporting data.

1. Create a work pattern

Screen: Operations → Time policies → Work patterns.

Create a pattern, select working days, add a description and make it default only when it is the common pattern. Save and reopen detail.

Expected result: correct working-day count and default state. Read impact before editing/deleting a pattern in use.

2. Prepare holidays

Screen: Operations → Time policies → Holidays.

Select year, copy the standard calendar or add manually, then verify date range, paid state, holiday-work multiplier, time-off-in-lieu rule and scope/exclusions.

Expected result: an active holiday becomes selectable in Holiday work.

3. Create shift policies and rules

Screen: Operations → Time policies → Shift policies.

On Shift policies, create a normal, overnight or split shift, enter times, scope and any justified multiplier/allowance. On Shift rules, configure overlaps, minimum rest, maximum shifts and early/late clock grace as Warn or Block.

Expected result: the test employee can be assigned an eligible shift under Operations → Timekeeping → Schedule → Shifts.

4. Configure leave

Screen: Operations → Time policies → Leave → Leave types.

Review paid/taxable, approval, attachment, calendar/working-day count, notice, maximum consecutive days and carry-over. Prepare a test balance when required.

Expected result: the employee sees the correct type and estimate in Employee portal.

5. Configure working-time and overtime limits

Screen: System → Settings → Labor law rules.

Apply the required working-time/overtime rules as Warn or Block. Legal value, source and effective date are system-managed.

There is no OT policies screen

The current product has no OT policies tab or Add OT policy action under Time policies. Overtime requests live in Overtime; legal limits live in Labor law rules.

6. Create a clock policy

Screen: Operations → Timekeeping → Settings → Attendance policy.

Each card shows its version, channels with conditions, and the number of enforcing rules; the system Default policy keeps its name.

Select each channel on the left and enable only conditions that its clock source is ready to satisfy.

1. Select Create policy. Every condition starts off; a new policy does not silently enforce a requirement.
2. Enter a name and description that identify the intended group. The system Default policy name is locked when editing, while its rules remain editable with the required permission.
3. Review Web, Mobile, Kiosk, Device, and Manual one by one. The marker next to a channel indicates configured conditions, not employee assignment.
4. Apply the exact enforcement semantics for each channel:
   • Require verification photo and Require GPS location reject an event when the evidence is missing;
   • Check clocking area can be Do not check, Record and warn, or Reject outside area;
   • Warn when GPS is inaccurate still records the event and flags it for review;
   • Restrict by IP range should be enabled only after an active range applies to that channel;
   • Require device identifier currently checks that device_id is present; it does not approve or revoke a device.
5. Check WiFi network is marked Not supported. Do not treat it as an active control or enable it for a new policy; clear a legacy value only after impact review.
6. Read the channel and requirement summary before saving. Create/save is available only for valid data and a real change; closing a dirty dialog asks for discard confirmation.
7. Save and reopen the policy to compare its card summary. Editing an existing policy creates its next version and preserves prior history.

Expected result: the list shows the intended channels and enforcing-rule counts, with no accidental requirement. Enable geofence, IP, or evidence checks only after the supporting data is ready and a representative account has tested it.

7. Create supporting data and assign

Geofence

Screen: Operations → Timekeeping → Settings → Geo zones. Set name, map centre, radius and scope; inspect preview.

IP allowlist

Screen: System → Settings → IP allowlist. Set CIDR, label and one or more of Web, Mobile, Kiosk, Device and Manual; selecting none means all sources. Use my IP is only a starting address and network administration must verify it. This list participates in clock checks; it does not restrict Rifena sign-in.

Policy assignment

Screen: Operations → Timekeeping → Settings → Clock assignments. Select policy, subject (organisation, group, shift, arrangement or employee), effective date and save. Review more-specific assignments that can take priority.

8. Test with a representative account

1. Assign a shift to the test employee.
2. Sign in as that employee and open Personal → Employee portal → Attendance.
3. Verify photo/location/network requirements.
4. Record one test event.
5. As HR, reconcile it under Today and Timesheet.
6. Submit sample leave and overtime; verify type, balance and approval route.
7. Clean up test data or document retained evidence.

Expected result

The employee is asked only for evidence required by the effective policy; the event appears for the correct person/date; leave/overtime reaches the correct reviewer.

If blocked, check shift/pattern, policy assignment, browser permission, geofence and IP in that order. Do not loosen the entire organisation policy for one test case.

Next hand-off: Give the test result to payroll and prepare the payroll foundation using the tested time data.

See Time policies, Timekeeping or Time and attendance issues.