Complete guide to configuring working hours, shifts, breaks, and flexible working arrangements for your organization

Setting Company Working Hours

Configuring accurate working hours is fundamental to effective workforce management in EasyDo 365. Working hours define when your employees are expected to work, how attendance is calculated, when overtime begins, and how payroll is processed. Whether you operate a standard 9-to-5 office, run multiple shifts, or offer flexible working arrangements, the system accommodates various work schedules to match your operational needs.

The working hours configuration goes beyond simply setting start and end times. It encompasses break periods, shift patterns, rotational schedules, working days of the week, Saturday work policies, minimum working days requirements, and flexible working hour allowances. These settings affect every aspect of employee management—from attendance tracking and leave calculations to salary processing and performance metrics.

Properly configured working hours ensure fair attendance tracking, accurate payroll calculations, and clear expectations for employees. The system allows branch-specific configurations, meaning you can set different working hours for different office locations while maintaining centralized control. Changes to working hours can be made as your business evolves, ensuring the system always reflects your current operational reality.

Video Tutorial

Prerequisites

To configure working hours, you need:

Administrative or HR manager permissions
Company and at least one branch already created
Understanding of your organization's work schedule
Knowledge of labor law requirements in your jurisdiction
Authority to set organizational policies

Considerations:

When do most employees start work?
What time do business operations begin?
Are there early shift requirements?
Consider customer service hours if applicable

The opening time serves as the reference point for:

Early arrival calculation
Late arrival determination (with grace period)
First half-day calculations
Attendance compliance

Set Closing Time

Tap on the Closing Time field and select the end of the workday (e.g., 6:00 PM).

Considerations:

Standard end of business operations
When do most employees finish work?
Consider customer support hours
Legal maximum working hours per day

The closing time is used for:

Overtime calculation (work after this time)
Second half-day calculations
Late stay tracking
Total work hours computation

Configure Break Time

Use the Break Time slider to set the duration of meal breaks.

Drag the slider to select break duration in minutes or hours (typically 30 minutes to 1 hour).

Common Break Configurations:

30 minutes: Short lunch break for 8-hour day
1 hour: Standard lunch break
45 minutes: Moderate break period
Multiple breaks: Some systems allow separate break periods

Important:

Break time is typically unpaid and excluded from work hours
Example: 9 AM - 6 PM with 1-hour break = 8 working hours
Ensure compliance with labor laws requiring breaks
Clear communication with employees about break policy

Configure Shift Timings (If Applicable)

If your organization operates multiple shifts:

Tap on the Shift option
For each shift, set:
- Shift name (Morning Shift, Night Shift, etc.)
- Start time using the time picker
- End time using the time picker
- Break duration
Save each shift configuration

Rotational Shifts:

Check the "Rotational" option if employees rotate between shifts
Define rotation pattern (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly)
Assign employees to rotation schedules

Common Shift Examples:

Manufacturing/24x7 Operations:

Morning Shift: 6 AM - 2 PM
Evening Shift: 2 PM - 10 PM
Night Shift: 10 PM - 6 AM

Retail:

Opening Shift: 8 AM - 4 PM
Closing Shift: 2 PM - 10 PM

Healthcare:

Day Shift: 7 AM - 3 PM
Evening Shift: 3 PM - 11 PM
Night Shift: 11 PM - 7 AM

Set Flexible Working Hours

Adjust the Flexible Working Hours slider to define the amount of flexibility allowed.

Flexibility Options:

0 hours: Strict timing, no flexibility
1 hour: Can arrive/leave within 1-hour window
2 hours: Moderate flexibility
3+ hours: High flexibility for work-life balance

Example with 2-Hour Flexibility:

Standard hours: 9 AM - 6 PM
Acceptable arrival: 7 AM - 11 AM
Acceptable departure: 4 PM - 8 PM
Must complete required hours

Benefits of Flexibility:

Better work-life balance
Accommodates traffic/commute variations
Increases employee satisfaction
Reduces rigid enforcement issues
Supports modern work culture

Considerations:

Core hours when everyone should be present
Team collaboration needs
Customer-facing requirements
Industry standards

Configure Working Days

Select checkboxes to define which days of the week are working days.

Standard Configurations:

Monday to Friday (5-day week):

Check: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri
Uncheck: Sat, Sun

Monday to Saturday (6-day week):

Check: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat
Uncheck: Sun

Custom Schedules:

Retail: May include weekends
Hospitality: Varies based on business needs
Flexible: Different days for different roles

Manage Working Saturdays

The Saturday work configuration provides special handling for weekend work:

Toggle ON (Manage Working Saturdays):

If enabled, you can specify which Saturdays of the month are working days
Useful for organizations with partial Saturday schedules

Select Working Saturdays:

☑ First Saturday: First Saturday of month is working
☑ Second Saturday: Second Saturday is working
☑ Third Saturday: Third Saturday is working
☑ Fourth Saturday: Fourth Saturday is working
☑ Fifth Saturday: When month has five Saturdays

Common Patterns:

All Saturdays except Second
Only First and Third Saturdays
All Saturdays (select all checkboxes)
No Saturdays (toggle OFF)

Toggle OFF:

Saturdays follow the general working days setting
No special Saturday management

Set Minimum Working Days

Use the slider to set the minimum number of working days per week required.

Typical Settings:

5 days: Standard for 5-day workweek
6 days: For 6-day workweek
4 days: Part-time or flexible arrangements
5.5 days: Half-day Saturday model

Purpose:

Attendance compliance calculation
Leave eligibility determination
Salary calculations for partial months
Performance metrics

Impact:

Employees must work minimum days for full pay
Less than minimum may result in deductions
Affects monthly attendance percentage
Used in leave balance calculations

Review and Submit

Before saving:

Verify all times are correct
Check working days selection
Confirm shift configurations (if applicable)
Review flexibility settings
Ensure minimum days requirement is appropriate

When satisfied, tap the Submit button in the top right corner.

Your working hours configuration is now saved and will apply to:

Attendance calculations
Overtime determination
Payroll processing
Leave management
Performance tracking

Branch-Specific Working Hours

For organizations with multiple locations:

Different Hours by Branch

You can set different working hours for each branch:

Why Different Hours?:

Regional business hour differences
Time zone variations
Local market requirements
Specific operational needs

How to Configure:

Select branch from branch selector
Navigate to Edit Timing for that branch
Configure hours specific to that location
Save branch-specific settings

Example Multi-Branch Setup:

Headquarters (Mumbai): 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Regional Office (Bangalore): 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Retail Branch (Delhi): 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Best Practices

Setting Working Hours

Legal Compliance: Ensure hours comply with labor laws
Realistic Timing: Set hours that match actual operations
Clear Communication: Inform all employees of working hours
Document Policy: Maintain written working hours policy
Consistency: Apply same rules to similar roles

Flexibility Considerations

Core Hours: Define when everyone must be present
Team Coordination: Ensure sufficient overlap for collaboration
Customer Service: Maintain coverage during business hours
Trial Period: Test flexibility settings before permanent implementation
Regular Review: Reassess flexibility effectiveness quarterly

Shift Management

Adequate Breaks: Ensure breaks between shifts
Fair Rotation: Distribute unpopular shifts equitably
Health Considerations: Avoid excessive night shifts
Advance Schedule: Publish shift schedules in advance
Swap Policy: Allow shift swaps with manager approval

Change Management

Advance Notice: Notify employees before changing hours
Transition Period: Allow adjustment time for major changes
Feedback: Gather employee input on proposed changes
Documentation: Record reasons for changes
Gradual Implementation: Phase in major changes when possible

Common Working Hour Scenarios

Traditional Office (9-to-5)

Opening: 9:00 AM
Closing: 5:00 PM
Break: 1 hour
Flexibility: 0-1 hour
Working Days: Monday-Friday
Minimum Days: 5

Flexible Workplace

Core Hours: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Total Required: 8 hours
Flexibility: 3 hours
Working Days: Monday-Friday
Minimum Days: 5

Retail Operations

Opening: 10:00 AM
Closing: 9:00 PM
Two Shifts: Morning & Evening
Break: 30 minutes
Working Days: All week
Minimum Days: 5 (rotational)

Manufacturing (24x7)

Three 8-hour shifts
Rotational schedule
30-minute breaks
All days operational
Minimum Days: 5-6

Impact of Working Hours on Other Modules

Attendance Tracking

Late arrival calculation
Early departure tracking
Half-day determination
Full-day credit criteria
Overtime calculation

Leave Management

Leave day counting
Half-day leave calculation
Leave balance accrual
Working day determination

Payroll Processing

Basic salary calculation
Overtime payment
Deduction for short hours
Present day calculation
Monthly wage computation

Performance Metrics

Attendance percentage
Punctuality scores
Work hour compliance
Productivity per hour

Key Features

Working hours configuration offers:

Flexible Scheduling: Accommodate various work patterns
Shift Support: Multiple shift configurations
Branch-Specific: Different hours for different locations
Break Management: Configurable break periods
Flexible Hours: Modern work-life balance support
Saturday Handling: Specialized weekend management
Easy Updates: Modify settings as business changes
Integration: Connected with all HR modules

Troubleshooting

Changes Not Reflecting

If working hour changes don't apply:

Verify you clicked Submit
Check if viewing correct branch
Log out and log back in
Clear app cache
Wait a few minutes for sync
Contact support if persists

Attendance Calculations Incorrect

If attendance seems wrong after changes:

Verify opening/closing times are correct
Check break time is properly set
Ensure flexibility hours are appropriate
Review minimum working days setting
Recalculate attendance if needed

Shift Confusion

If shift assignments cause issues:

Verify shift times don't overlap
Check rotational settings
Ensure employees are assigned to correct shifts
Review shift names for clarity
Update employee shift assignments

Tips & Tricks

Test First: Try new settings with small group before company-wide rollout
Employee Handbook: Document working hours in employee handbook
Time Zone Awareness: Account for time zones in multi-location companies
Seasonal Adjustment: Modify hours seasonally if business demands vary
Grace Period: Use flexibility setting as grace period for late arrivals
Regular Review: Quarterly review of working hours effectiveness
Backup Documentation: Keep written records of all working hour changes
Communication: Announce changes via company announcements module
Gradual Changes: Make incremental changes rather than drastic shifts
Employee Input: Survey employees about preferred working hours

Company Setup - Initial working hours configuration
Branch Management - Setting branch-specific hours
Company Holidays - Configure holidays and off days
Announcements - Communicate working hour changes
Add Employee - Assign employees to working hours
Company Dashboard - Main administrative interface

Need Help?

Working hours configuration is crucial for smooth operations. If you need assistance:

HR Consultation: Discuss optimal working hours for your industry
Legal Advice: Ensure compliance with labor laws
Setup Support: Help configuring complex shift patterns
Best Practices: Learn from similar organizations
Change Management: Support for transitioning to new working hours
Technical Issues: Troubleshooting working hours settings

Well-configured working hours create clear expectations, fair attendance tracking, and accurate payroll—foundation for effective workforce management in EasyDo 365!

Setting Company Working Hours

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