Time and Attendance Software - FAQs

Q: Why should I use Patriot TIME?
A: Having a software-based time & attendance (T&A) system in place simplifies the collection and processing of hours for a payroll processor (especially if you currently use a paper timecard-based system).  From a business and legal standpoint, a software-based time & attendance system will make sure your work rules, rounding rules, overtime rules and other important parts of the time & attendance system are applied consistently to all employees.  And Patriot TIME™ gives you the added benefit of being an online system, accessible from anywhere with internet 24/7.  No more software installations, maintenance upgrades, and data backups and restores.

Q: Can I use Patriot TIME standalone without using Patriot's other software offerings?
A: No, Patriot PAY™ is a base component necessary for the proper operation of Patriot TIME.  However, none of the other Patriot offerings are required to use the Patriot TIME software.

Q: What else do I need to run Patriot TIME?
A: All you need is an internet connection and your web browser.  

Q: How do I buy Patriot TIME?
A: If you already use Patriot PAY, you can soon add Patriot TIME online by going to your company page. If you're a new client, select Patriot TIME during the sign-up process.  When used together, you have a common interface to your payroll, tax, and time & attendance data.

Q: How do I get started using Patriot TIME?
A: Once you sign up with Patriot TIME, the next step is to configure your company's work rules. Patriot TIME comes pre-configured with some basic work rules, hours buckets and time-off buckets which you can use as-is, modify to suit your needs, or delete and start from scratch. Because Patriot TIME uses a common interface with the other Patriot Software modules, an employee's information is entered only once, so there's no need to enter the same information into multiple pieces of software. After setup, your employees can use the software to keep track of their hours.

Q: How do I move hours from Patriot TIME into Patriot PAY?  Export and import?
A: Since the two systems are linked, a process seamlessly moves your approved timecard data from Patriot TIME into your Patriot PAY payroll worksheet. 

Q: Can I have multiple users for Patriot TIME?
A: Yes! With Patriot TIME, you can have administrators, departmental supervisors, and other levels of "admins" and "timecard approvers" as well as "employee-only" access, allowing your employees to use the web-based timeclock to punch in/out and review their timecard and time-off data. And because Patriot TIME is completely online, all they need is an internet connection and browser to access the data they need.

Q: What reports come with Patriot TIME?
A: Patriot TIME will have reports for scheduling, time punches, missing punches and approvals, time-off usage.  Stay tuned...

Q: Are the reports in Patriot TIME up-to-date?
A: All Patriot TIME reports use the data on the timecards at run time, so as long as your timecards are up-to-date, your Patriot TIME reports will have the most current data possible.

Q: Can I see who's clocked in right now?
A: Yes, one report that you can run in Patriot TIME shows you who is currently clocked into the system,  which is useful for tracking who is onsite and making sure you have adequate coverage.

Q: Can Patriot TIME handle overtime and doubletime calculations?
A: Patriot TIME comes with the standard "over 40 hours/week" overtime rule already setup, but if you need other overtime rules ("over 8 hours/day," "6th work day," "7th work day," etc.) you can easily edit or add new rules to fit your needs.

Q: Can Patriot TIME handle rounding?
A: Yes, Patriot TIME will handle punch rounding, whether it's the nearest quarter hour, exact punch, or round-forward or round-back rules. The best part is that because it's a universal rule, you are ensured that all of your employees are handled the same.

Q: Can I define work schedules?
A: Yes, you are able to define multiple work schedules within Patriot TIME and then assign those schedules to employees. Schedules are important to ensure that you have adequate coverage. Once applied, schedules can be used to auto-punch timecards and track absences. Once defined, schedules can be auto-built each week, manually built on demand, edited and rebuilt in mass, or edited on a employee-by-employee basis.

Q: Can I define multiple shifts?
A: Yes, you can define multiple shifts in Patriot TIME. With shifts, you can define advanced work rules like shift differentials that only apply to employees assigned to certain shifts. For employees working across midnight, shifts can also be used to define whether the punches/hours will 'land' on the day they clock-in or the day they clock-out.

Q: Where is my Patriot TIME data stored?
A: Your Patriot TIME data is stored at a SAS 70 Series II compliant data center in Northeast Ohio.

Q: Is my data backed up?
A: Yes, when using Patriot TIME your data is backed up.

Q: How do I get a copy of my Patriot TIME data?
A: Should you need a copy of your Patriot TIME data (hours, punches, etc.), your data can be exported and downloaded in .csv (comma separated value) text file format. Using a .csv text file allows you to import the data into most other business systems that you might be using.

Q: How long is my data saved?
A: As long as you remain a paying customer of Patriot Software, your Patriot TIME data is saved until YOU decide to purge it.  Because of differing recordkeeping rules, Patriot Software recommends keeping your Payroll/HR/Time & Attendance data for at least seven years.  In case an audit happens or a legal issue is filed against you, having good data can be a real life-saver!