Forgetting to clock out and the safety net

Forgetting to clock out

It happens: the end of the workday comes faster than expected, the phone rings, and clocking out is forgotten. Shiftdesk has a multi-stage safety net for this.

Stage 1: Push reminder

If your scheduled shift is more than 15 minutes over and you are still clocked in, the mobile app sends you a push notification:

> "You are still clocked in. Did you forget to clock out?"

Tap the notification and the CLOCK OUT screen opens directly.

Stage 2: 23-hour warning

If you are clocked in for 23 hours without interruption, Shiftdesk sends:

  • A critical push notification to your device
  • An email to you and your manager
  • An entry in the time log with the warning "Open session > 23 h"

Stage 3: Auto-close after 24 hours

As soon as the session lasts 24 hours, the auto-close job kicks in:

  1. Shiftdesk automatically creates a clockout event with the timestamp of the scheduled shift end (or fallback: 8 hours after clock-in).
  2. The time entry is saved with the source manual and the status pending.
  3. A warning "autoclosed" is attached.
  4. The manager receives a task in the review list.
Auto-close is an emergency mechanism, not a convenience feature. The entry must be reviewed and corrected by a manager before it is approved.

Stage 4: Manual correction by the manager

As a manager, you find auto-closed sessions in the Time log using the filter Warnings → autoclosed.

Procedure:

  1. Talk to the employee and clarify the real end time.
  2. Open the entry and click Edit.
  3. Correct the end time.
  4. Enter a note with the reason.
  5. Save and approve.
The change is documented in the audit log with the old and new value.

What if I wasn't at work at all?

If the session was created by accident (e.g. a test or a click), the manager can reject the entry. The status changes to rejected, and the entry does not flow into payroll.

Tip for employees

Enable push notifications in the app. Most forgotten clock-outs are already prevented by the 15-minute reminder.

See also Manual time entries and Clocking in/out with the mobile app.

Previous article

Working-time account corrections (payout, transfer, adjustment)

Related articles

Creating and correcting manual time entries

Not every workday goes smoothly: sometimes someone forgets to clock in, sometimes the app doesn't work, sometimes a shift is taken over at short notice. For these cases there are manual time entries.

Working-time account corrections (payout, transfer, adjustment)

A working-time account does not develop in a linear way. Employees want to have plus hours paid out, minus hours from previous years are meant to be waived, or a balance is converted into vacation days. For all of this there are corrections.

Clocking in/out with the mobile app

With the Shiftdesk mobile app, you clock your working time directly from your smartphone. The app is the main way to record your actual working times in the **clock_based** or **hybrid** mode.

Reviewing and approving time entries

As a manager, you are responsible for making sure the recorded working times are correct before they move into Payroll. This article shows you the review and approval workflow.

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Forgetting to clock out and the safety net · Knowledge base | Shiftdesk