What is Punch Clock?

In Planday, you have two options for recording employee attendance and punctuality using the Punch Clock feature.

You can restrict punch-ins to specific IP addresses by setting up WiFi access. Employees can only clock in from approved locations via the PunchClock.Planday.com website. This method is suitable for tablets or on-site check-in stations.
Alternatively, you can allow employees to clock in and out using the Planday app on their mobile devices. This method can be combined with approved WiFi access and specific locations where your business operates.

Configure mobile app access

Here's how to proceed if you want to give your employees access to the Punch Clock via the Planday app:

Go to Settings > Punch Clock section > Access (2.).
Turn on mobile access by sliding the toggle switch (3.).
Under Enable use of Punch Clock on the mobile app from:
- Select the option that suits your needs. (4.)
- To use Geofencing, choose Specified location(s).

Give employees unrestricted access to clocking in and out from anywhere

If clocking in from a physical location is not important for your business, you can set the Punch Clock to let your employees clock in without being present at a location or connected to your WIFI.

To enable this option, under Mobile access, select Anywhere.

Set up geofencing for access through the mobile app

Geofencing is used so employees can only punch in and out if they are physically present in an area. Employees must stay in a predefined workplace; otherwise, they will not be allowed to punch in or out of their shifts.

To set up, go to Locations and click Add.

Go to the map. Enter your address in the search bar or drag and drop the location pin to the suitable place of your location.
Set up your geofencing radius by dragging the arrow icon. Planday recommends a radius of at least 100 meters, as a smaller radius may be affected by the smartphone's GPS accuracy or GPS interference in the area.
Add the departments whose employees are allowed to punch in and out of this location.
Give the location a name. Confirm by clicking Save.

Please note: Once your location is set up, employees can only clock in and out if they are within the specified radius and have GPS enabled on their smartphone. For the Punch Clock to function through the app, Planday requires GPS or Location access. This access is solely used for punching in and out and not for any other purposes.

Limit the use of Punch Clock to a specific Wi-Fi network

It is also possible to allow the Punch Clock to be used via the app when employees use the WiFi at their workplace without relying on geolocation. To enable this option, follow these steps:

Configure WiFi Access for the Punch Clock.
Under Mobile access, select When connected to WiFi. To be even more specific, you can select From WiFi & specified location(s).

Note: If your employees are using iOS devices running iOS14 or later, the Planday app will require location services to be enabled to punch in and out.

What should I do if my employees can’t clock in or out?

You can check that you have the right punch clock configurations. Go to Punch Clock - FAQs and troubleshooting for admins.
You can check that your employees have the right settings enabled on their phones. Go to Punch Clock - troubleshooting for employees.

See related articles:

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