Set Up and Manage Breaks, Waivers, and Attestations

Breaks are scheduled or automatic periods of time during a work shift when an employee is either required or permitted to stop working. They can be paid or unpaid and may be used for meals or rest. Break rules define when and how breaks are taken, how they are tracked, and how exceptions like waivers or penalties are handled.

Break types:

• Time of day: Based on fixed time (e.g., 1 PM to 2 PM lunch break)

• Worked hours: After working X hours (e.g., 30-min after 5 hrs)

• Floating break: Flexible; up to X times/day

• Automatic break: Inserted at intervals (e.g., 1 hr every 4 hrs)

Key settings:

• Start/End Time and Duration

• Minimum and Extended Breaks

• Auto-Complete or Auto-Deduct

• Pay Breaks and Job Costing if applicable

Waivers:

• Allow employees, managers, or system to waive breaks

• Use when breaks are not taken or are taken late/partially

Attestation:

• Requires confirmation if a break was missed or shortened

• Can be shown to employees or limited to managers

Penalties:

• Add penalty time when a break is not taken or not waived

• Supports assigning penalty time codes (e.g., BPEN)

Best practices:

• Test using real shift data

• Use naming conventions

• Customize waiver/attestation messages

• Keep audit logs for compliance review

Steps for Configuring Break Rules

Company Rule Setup

1. Navigate to Global Settings > Time Tracking > Breaks.

2. Choose the scope of the configuration: Company, Group, or Employee.

3. Enter a Rule Name and select the Effective Start Date (Immediate or future-dated).

4. If breaks should not be tracked, check Do Not Track Breaks.

5. Choose the Break Rule type: Time of Day, Worked Hours, Floating Break, or Automatic Break.

6. Optional: Enable Auto-select break and/or Hide breaks that do not apply.

7. Choose how penalties apply:

   1. Apply All Penalties

   2. Apply [a specific number of] Penalties per day

8. Click Save.
   

Time of Day Rule

1. Enter a Break Name.

2. Define the start and end window for the break (e.g., 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM).

3. Set the break duration (e.g., 1 hour).

4. (Optional) Allow extended break time.

5. In the Deductions section:

   • Automatically Complete: The system fills the break to the full duration.

   • Automatically Deduct: The system deducts the break regardless of clocking.

6. In the Payment section:

   • Enable Pay break if the break should be paid.

7. In the Waivers & Penalties section:

   • Define the number of hours after which the break becomes mandatory.

Worked Hours Rule

1. Enter a Break Name.

2. Define when the break is allowed (e.g., after 3 hours of work).

3. Set when the break must be taken by (e.g., before 5 hours worked).

4. Enter the Break Duration.

5. (Optional) Enforce a Minimum Break Duration or allow an extended break.

6. Configure Deductions as needed.

7. Choose whether the break is Paid.

8. Set waiver and penalty timing under Waivers & Penalties.

Floating Break Rule

1. Enter a Break Name.

2. Specify how many times the break can be taken (e.g., 2 times per day).

3. Enter the Break Duration.

4. (Optional) Enforce a Minimum Break Duration or allow extended breaks.

5. Configure Deductions as desired.

6. Choose if the break should be Paid.

7. Use Waivers & Penalties to set timing thresholds for mandatory breaks.

Automatic Break Rule

1. Enter a Break Name.

2. Set the Break Duration and when to deduct it (e.g., after 4 hours).

3. (Optional) Enable Force Break Deduction (always applies deduction).

4. Enable Repeat if breaks should recur on an interval.

5. Select the Time Code to deduct from (e.g., Worked Hours).

6. Choose whether the break is Paid.