When employees clock out later than their scheduled end time for the day, how long will it take before it is considered an early clock in for the next shift rather than a late clock out for the previous shift?

The answer depends on the following principle. There is a 10 hour gap after the current shift or before the start of the next shift, or the midpoint, or whichever is closer. Here is an example:

Let’s say the shift starts at 9:00 am and ends at 5:00 pm. If the employee clocks out at 12:30 am the next day here’s the scenario:

• 5:00 pm to 12:30 am = 7.5 hours
• 12:30 am to 9:00 am (next day start of shift) = 8.5 hours.

Both are less than 10 hours and possible candidates, but the 12:30 am clock out is closer to 5pm (7.5 hours) than 9 am (8.5 hours). So this should be a late clock out.

And to make things simpler, employees will see if the button says “clock out” or “clock in” which means they will know if it’s a late clock out or an early clock in for the next shift.

If it’s an early clock in for the next shift, the employee should see the “clock in” button and a message “You are clocking early by X hours” as well.

This concludes the article, “Am I Clocking Out Too Late or Clocking In Too Early?”

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