---
title: "Configure Attendance by Schedule Rules"
slug: "manage-grace-periods-auto-clocking-and-margins"
description: "Set up Attendance by Schedule rules to automatically classify unplanned hours and out-of-shift punches, or leave them for manager review."
tags: ["early start", "employees", "Grace Periods", "personnel", "Schedule Margins", "staff"]
updated: 2026-10-20T12:28:49Z
published: 2026-10-20T12:28:49Z
canonical: "help.workeasysoftware.com/manage-grace-periods-auto-clocking-and-margins"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.workeasysoftware.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Configure Attendance by Schedule Rules

Use **Attendance by Schedule** rules to control how the system handles unplanned hours and out-of-shift punches for scheduled employees.

These settings help reduce unnecessary attendance exceptions while keeping schedules, punch records, and reporting aligned with company policies.

1. Go to **Global Settings** > **Time Tracking** > **Attendance by Schedule**.
2. Select **Create Rule**. ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/88d7ebef-752e-45d9-95e1-ee13bd7279c5/Images/Documentation/image-2XQJWN1R.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-01T15%3A15%3A08Z&se=2026-11-01T16%3A15%3A08Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=gG2lOD57SardDPm9l2Nu%2BOmBS00SL7y14j%2Bi5ZPu5sc%3D)
3. Enter a rule **Name**.

Example rule names:
  - Standard schedule enforcement
  - Warehouse attendance rules
  - Manufacturing schedule rules
  - Remote employee schedule rules
  - Weekend shift attendance policy
4. Select when the rule should begin in the **Starting on** field or keep the default **Immediate** unchanged.
5. Select the audience for the rule:
  - **Everyone**
  - **Specific group**
  - **Specific employee**
6. Configure the sections described below based on your attendance policy.
7. Select **Save**. ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/88d7ebef-752e-45d9-95e1-ee13bd7279c5/Images/Documentation/image-B12TP65L.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-01T15%3A15%3A08Z&se=2026-11-01T16%3A15%3A08Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=gG2lOD57SardDPm9l2Nu%2BOmBS00SL7y14j%2Bi5ZPu5sc%3D)

### Unplanned Hours & Out of Shift

These settings determine how the system classifies punches that occur outside of a scheduled shift or without a schedule assigned.

| Setting | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Automatically approve Unplanned Hours as | Automatically classifies hours worked without a schedule using the selected time code. |
| Automatically approve Out Of Shift as | Automatically classifies punches worked outside scheduled shift boundaries using the selected time code. |

If these options are not enabled, Unplanned Hours (USCH) and Out Of Shift (OOS) entries remain available for manual manager review.

To configure how Out of Shift and Unplanned Hours are handled in more detail, see [Configure Out-Of-Shift (OOS) Work or Unplanned Work (USCH) Time](/main/docs/configure-out-of-shift-work-or-unplanned-work-time).

## Related

- [How WorkEasy Software Supports Biometric Privacy Compliance with Biometric Privacy Laws](/how-workeasy-supports-biometric-privacy-compliance.md)
- [Configure Break Rules](/configure-break-rules.md)