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Shift-based attendance is a scheduling system that allows employees to work in shifts by assigning specific times to complete their tasks and responsibilities. Instead of using a "fixed" timesheet of 9 to 5 work, a shift-based attendance system allows a flexible schedule of work by breaking up the workday into multiple shifts (morning, evening, night, etc.). Assuming the organisation requires clocking in/and out/off, each employee is required to clock in and clock out on a shift basis.
This method of attendance is commonplace in sectors/services that operate 24 hours a day, such as healthcare, customer services/call centres, manufacturing, and IT support.
Shift-based attendance is not only usable to ensure shift coverage, but it is also useful for running the business and ensuring there is enough staff (workforce distribution). Shift-based attendance is typically managed via attendance tracking software that can automate recording of clock-ons and offs, shift logs, and compliance.
Shift-based attendance is essential for companies that operate outside the conventional business hours. There are several reasons for its significance in today's working environment:
A global customer support center has clients around the world, and its hours of operation must accommodate their time zones. To ensure 24/7 coverage for customers, the center divides the days into three 8-hour shifts: morning (6 AM – 2 PM), afternoon (2 PM – 10 PM), and night (10 PM – 6 AM). Attendance is recorded in an online client tracking platform.
Hospitals work 24/7. Medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, and technicians all work shift hours as well. Rather than working in continuous time, the hospital HR department requires staff to rotate shifts so no one employee works excessive night calls and to ensure fairness. Biometric devices are often used to determine the employee's time clock-in and clock-out.
A factory operates a total of 16 hours in two shifts of eight hours from 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. and 3 pm - 11 p.m. The shift schedule for each worker is weekly. Attendance and absence are typically determined through RF-ID-enabled entry systems.
Shift-based attendance is usually part of the workforce planning process. HR or operations managers have a predetermined plan for distributing individuals across shifts in operational hours.
Below is a snapshot of how this may work:
Shift-based attendance may utilize software that automates scheduling, identifies irregularities, and generates reports for payroll & HR audits.
Ongoing business operation in industries that may require 24/7 support.
Employees can choose or rotate through shifts that will align with their lifestyle or obligations.
Less likelihood of fatigue from being broken into manageable pieces (divisible workloads).
Rotating shifts ensure an even distribution of workload for employees working in high-risk, high-stress, or non-physical, or exhausting jobs.
Attendance systems that are integrated will theoretically track worked hours, overtime with the most accuracy.
Manual scheduling can also create overlaps or gaps.
Long-term exposure to night shift work may affect health and wellness spirals if not managed properly.
Mistakes in tracking attendance timelines may lead to violations of labor laws, resulting in fines.
If the attendance systems are not secure, employees can complete attendance on behalf of someone else.
With Time Champs' automated functionalities and advanced features, shift-based attendance management becomes second nature to businesses.
Here is how Time Champ helps:
These capabilities help organizations lessen the chance of human error in recording employee times, reduce scheduling conflicts, and provide accurate payroll records with compliance.
