Journal of employee arrivals and departures (working hours)

Employees' arrival and departure times can be controlled using various methods. The most common is keeping a time log.

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In addition to information about being late and leaving work early, it provides initial data on the time actually worked by each employee, which is necessary for drawing up time sheets and calculating wages. Keeping records of working hours is mandatory for enterprises and organizations under Article 91 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

What it is

The journal is not a standardized document and does not have a single approved form. The most common templates can be found online or purchased at a stationery store. An enterprise can develop and approve its own journal form.

To determine the time worked by an employee, you will need the following information:

employee data that allows him to be uniquely identified (full name, position, structural unit);
information about the beginning and end of the working day, confirmed by the personal signature of the employee and the controller;
information about absence from the workplace, indicating the reason, with the signature of the employee or responsible person (for example, about being sent on a local business trip);
notes on business trips, time off, agreed upon postponements of the start of the working day and other agreements between the employer and employee.

The journal can be kept in a notebook or formed by filling out daily accounting sheets that are filed or stapled. Individual sheets must have the necessary protection against forgery (date, stamp and signature of the responsible person).

What is it needed for

Recording working time in the form of a log may be required when resolving controversial situations, confirming lateness to work and to verify the legality of a citizen’s absence from work. The work time log is the primary document for calculating wages for hourly wages.

To impose a disciplinary sanction for tardiness or absenteeism, an entry in the logbook is not enough, but if the employee refuses to explain, it can be used when drawing up a report of tardiness or absence from work.

The use of the journal must be provided for by the labor regulations; its form and maintenance procedure must also be enshrined in the internal documents of the organization.

Accounting for the arrival and departure of employees: how to control effectively

Five years ago, we decided to automate control over the arrival and departure of employees. At first we thought about electronic cards - the most popular today. But this system is very easy to bypass: employees can simply share their passes with those who arrive on time. Therefore, we abandoned this idea, even though card systems are easier to work with - they practically do not allow errors during registration. The most interesting was the biometric time and attendance system BioTime.

This is a fingerprint scanner installed at the checkpoint and connected to a computer on which a special program is installed. Since the entrance is common for both store employees and those working in production, only four scanners were needed: three in the stores at security posts and one in the accounting department. They are all absolutely identical, but the equipment in the accounting department has a program installed that manages employee accounts and prepares analytical data. Here information about new employees is entered into the database. By the way, this database can be stored on any servers: for example, we use Microsoft SQL Server. It also provides automatic creation of a backup copy in case of an accident. Therefore, if something happens to the server, we will not lose the data.

Installation of the system cost approximately 80,000 rubles, of which about 20,000 rubles. spent on the purchase of four scanners and 15,000 rubles. — to pay for consultants’ services for the first year of technical support. To work with the system, a full-time system administrator is enough; there is no need to hire an additional employee. No additional maintenance of the equipment itself is required. Like any equipment, it has a certain service life, but in five years we have replaced only one scanner out of four.

Is it necessary

The Labor Code (Article 91) requires the employer to keep records of working hours. Controlling work time has two main goals:

prevention of exceeding established work time limits, including during irregular working hours;
identifying cases of violation of labor discipline.

The Code does not oblige the enterprise to keep a logbook. To calculate wages, a time sheet is required, which is drawn up on the basis of a journal, administrative documents and employee explanations.

Special cases

There are organizations where employees are sent on business trips outside of working hours. The legislation does not provide for a logbook for recording irregular working hours, therefore it is possible to add new columns to the logbook. This could be: information about overtime, reasons for being late, etc.

The accounting journal is an important document for correctly assessing the work of employees and calculating their wages. It should contain only reliable information. If any mistake was made while filling out the data, the incorrect data should be crossed out and the correct information should be written on top.

Magazine form

Each organization can approve its own ledger format for recording arrivals and departures from work. Mandatory journal details:

full name of the organization, including legal form;
start and end dates of maintenance (filled in upon actual);
data of the responsible person;
number of pages filed.

All pages inside the book must be numbered, and the cover must indicate the total number of pages.

You can download the excel form.

Columns that can be included in the journal for each working day:

FULL NAME.;
department, position;
time of arrival at work, signatures of the employee and the controller;
time of leaving work, signatures of the employee and the controller;
comments about the reasons for lateness and absence;
service columns used to fill out the timesheet (number of hours worked, etc.).

The person responsible for maintaining the log is required to ensure that the employee is identified using a regular or electronic pass or identification document.

The responsibility for keeping a log should be assigned to an employee (for example, a security guard or watchman) by order of the organization. For each month, one journal is created for the entire organization or its structural unit.

Time log form

The employer has the right to independently determine the form of journal keeping, since the legislator does not limit him in this choice. The journal can be filled out both on paper and in electronic format.

Moreover, the second option can be implemented even without the use of special automated databases for personnel or accounting. It is enough to create a suitable spreadsheet, since clause 1.11 of Art. 2 of the Federal Law “On Information, Information Technologies and Information Protection” dated July 27, 2006 No. 149-FZ calls an electronic document any documented information presented in electronic form, that is, in a form suitable for perception by a computer and transmission through electronic telecommunication networks .

Maintaining a journal in electronic form must comply with the requirements of the organization’s internal instructions for record keeping.

Order

An internal document of the organization (order) establishes the responsibility of employees for entering correct information into the working time log, as well as the responsibilities of the controller for checking the information and confirming it.

The form of the journal can be approved either together with the responsibilities for filling it out, or as a separate document.

Shelf life

Regulatory documents indicate that accounting logs, time sheets and schedules at the enterprise must be kept in archives for 5 years. If the working conditions at the enterprise can be called harmful or dangerous, then such documentation is stored for 75 years.

A working time log is a document that allows you to adhere to labor standards, namely, to observe the possible working hours of employees.

At the same time, control is exercised over the activities of employees and the efficiency of their use of working time. All this clearly has a positive effect on the success of the enterprise.

Who issues

Responsibility for maintaining the log rests with the HR department. An employee of this department must be responsible for preparing a properly completed log before the start of the calendar month, processing data on time present at work, and verifying information about the validity of absence.

An employee who is constantly present at the entrance to the organization (watchman, security guard, secretary, etc.) can ensure the maintenance of the accounting book.

The job description of the person maintaining the accounting log must indicate the obligation to fill out and responsibility for incorrect data. It is necessary to instruct the watchman or security guard on what to do if an employee refuses to fill out the log or tries to enter false data.

Confirmation of information about absence from work, including sick leave and vacations, should be assigned to the personnel department.

Constant monitoring and random checking of data entered in the journal must be carried out by the responsible employee of the HR department personally or, if there is an electronic control system, using data on passage using an electronic pass.

The requirement to log in daily is communicated to all employees against signature when the order to implement working time tracking is approved.

If accounting is mandatory based on the organization’s labor regulations, it is communicated to personnel upon hiring by familiarizing themselves with the VTR rules.

Magazine Review

A time log is a notebook in which the periods of arrival and departure of employees from work are recorded. These periods necessarily include the provision of lunch breaks. This duration at each enterprise is determined individually, with the help of a collective and labor agreement, as well as by trade union representatives. During the period of performance of his work duties, the employee receives a salary.

The Labor Code, as well as some other legislative acts, stipulate that employees at an enterprise can work no more than 40 hours a week. Based on this norm, internal production regulations are developed, as well as a schedule for going to work.

All notes on time worked or the employee’s absence from the workplace are entered into the accounting journal.

Article 91 of the Labor Code obliges employers to record the time worked by their employees. From the journal, working hours are transferred to a special timesheet and used during payroll.

Article 91 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. Working time concept

What does he look like

The journal is a notebook that consists of a golden-colored cover made of thick cardboard, as well as a PVC film, which is easy to remove when sending the document to the archive. The magazine contains standard size holes that are used for hemming.

The title page of the journal contains the title of the document, a place to enter the name of the company, as well as a block with the following information:

start and end dates for entering information;
how many records does it contain;
volume numbering;
how long should it be stored?

On the back of the document there is a field that allows it to be certified and sealed. It is important that the stamp be placed in the appropriate place (marked M.P) and touch the sticker and tape.

It is necessary to seal the journal only if this is required by the internal regulations of the enterprise. The law does not make this operation mandatory.

The accounting book contains the following sections:

Tables in which information about employees should be entered.
Information about the persons who are responsible for filling out the journal.
At the end of the magazine there is additional information (help).

The accounting journal is unique in that it contains information that is very important for accountants and personnel officers.

What is it needed for

Working time is a certain period when an employee of an organization performs his direct job responsibilities, taking into account all job descriptions and local rules.

Working hours directly affect the calculation of wages, as well as various types of allowances and bonuses. Because of this, record keeping must be as accurate and correct as possible.

For these purposes, there is a working time log. Its use is allowed in all organizations, regardless of type and form of ownership.

The main objectives of the accounting journal are:

discipline of the enterprise personnel;
control over the efficiency of working time;
calculation of fair wages;
downtime tracking;
reporting on how many days the employee was sick or absent from work;
calculation of hours worked overtime, etc.

The book contains data on how much time the employee actually worked for a certain period of time. With the help of the log, the enterprise is able to control the optimal duration of work for each employee.

You can also make notes in the journal about:

absenteeism;
delays;
lateness.

After summing up all hours worked, wages, overtime or bonuses are calculated.

Sample employee time log:

Sample order

Such recording of working time is possible only after the head of the enterprise issues an order to this effect. In addition to indicating the existence of such a document in the organization, the text of the order will also indicate the official responsible for filling out the working time log.

This could be one of the following:

in small enterprises this matter is often handled by the director himself;
head of the department where control is carried out;
one of the HR specialists.

Most employers choose the last option as the most optimal. Also, log books differ depending on the frequency of their completion. Accounting can be weekly, daily and cumulative.

By order, a journal and time sheet can not only be created, but also changed. Usually the document is drawn up in two parts: in the first, the manager orders to start keeping a journal, in the second, he appoints a responsible person.

The need to make amendments may be caused by various factors - for work in hazardous conditions and irregular schedules, the document may have a special structure. To confirm it, you will need to issue an order and confirm it with the appropriate order.

How to fill out a magazine, sample

Employee data is entered into the journal by the responsible employee at the beginning of the month.

Example of a daily log sheet:

Columns (1) and (2) are filled out by the employee responsible for maintaining the journal (HR representative or secretary). Columns (3) – (7) are filled in by the employee. A personal signature must be used to confirm both the time of arrival and the time of leaving work.

In the “Notes” section, the employee enters information about local business trips, agreed upon early departure, or reason for being late. The controller daily confirms the compliance of information on arrival and departure times for each employee.

No later than at the end of the month, the personnel department calculates working hours in column (9) to generate a monthly accounting sheet; in column (10) you can enter information about vacation, the employee’s explanation for being late, etc.

When deciding on the storage period for the journal, you should focus on the statute of limitations for labor disputes and the storage period for archives of primary documentation. In 2010, the Ministry of Culture approved the storage periods for archival documents. According to this document, time sheets and log books must be kept for 5 years.

Who leads and how to fill it out?

The organization decides such a question independently, basing its decision on its specialty and the direction of its own actions. The employer can take on this work himself, or he can indicate this as the employee’s responsibility, which will be specified in the employment contract, job description or special order. If a subordinate evades keeping a working time log, he will incur administrative liability, which is assigned by the relevant authorities.

The log is filled out as briefly as possible: the required columns include the serial number of the entry, the employee’s full name, the date the entry was created, the time the employee appeared at the workplace and when he left. In addition, in a separate column you can record the specific place where the employee went, as well as the total amount of time he spent at the workplace for a specific period of time. The last, mandatory column is the signature of the person keeping the journal.

Logging can be done in three ways. Firstly, this is traditional daily accounting, which is used if the working day is standardized and regulated by the same number of hours every day. If this path is preferred, then you need to fill out the log every day, focusing on all employees listed in the document.

Secondly, there is weekly accounting, which is relevant if the employee does not work the same number of hours every day, but in a week he works the norm fixed in the contract. As the name suggests, a new journal entry appears at the end of each workweek.

Finally, thirdly, if an employee of an organization has a flexible schedule, the journal is kept in the form of summarized records. For companies that work around the clock to produce something and/or specialize in performing specific types of work, this accounting method is the most optimal solution.

The period of time during which a new entry appears ranges from a month to a year: this duration is due to the fact that the availability of overtime working time, which often occurs during a shift schedule, is limited by law to 120 hours per year. Thus, keeping summarized records helps many employers avoid violating the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

What methods of registration and accounting are there at enterprises? How are such logs filled out correctly? What function do they serve? We will tell you everything in detail and clearly here:

a log of registration of official memos, employment contracts, orders for core activities, induction training and incoming/outgoing documentation;
a log of the issuance of a work book, strict reporting forms, inspection and testing of power tools and fire extinguishers.

Features for hazardous working conditions

The working time log for harmful (difficult, dangerous) working conditions must reflect the restrictions on working hours established by Article 92 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. The reduction of working hours is determined in the collective agreement and in the internal rules of the enterprise.

These documents must reflect:

list of professions (staff positions) with hazardous conditions;
type of work with such conditions;
duration of working time in hours established for employees.

Hazardous work must be reflected in the agreement with each employee whose work duties are performed under such conditions.

Due to the pronounced seasonality of work or the peculiarities of the technological process, summarized accounting of time worked over a period of 3 months to a year can be used.

The law defines a special storage period for primary documentation for recording work time in hazardous industries - it is 75 years for both the report card and the journal. For such enterprises, it is advisable to conclude an agreement with a specialized archival institution.

It is recommended to keep a working time log at an enterprise of any form of ownership. It allows you to track the time actually worked by employees and can be used to confirm attendance at work. The document should be stored together with the unified report card for at least 5 years.

Monitoring employee working time: basic methods

The Labor Code does not strictly regulate how an employer should count hours worked. A person responsible is appointed to control time, overtime work, and compliance with the work schedule, whose responsibilities are specified in the employment contract or additional order.

In Russia, 3 methods of recording time worked in total for a specific period are considered generally accepted:

daily;
weekly;
annual.

The interval is taken as a basis, after which the result is summed up. The above methods are not the only ones; the employer is free to choose the period at his own discretion.

The only thing that the law clearly indicates is the maximum control period for summarized time recording - 1 year, and for workers engaged in hazardous work - 3 months.

Most often, the employer chooses a method depending on the employee’s work schedule. Let us explain: daily accounting becomes difficult if subordinates work in shifts around the clock. When working on a rotational basis, a situation may arise when in one period - for example, a month - there is overtime, and in another the number of working hours is reduced.

In this case, the employer uses summarized accounting of working hours and already in an extended reporting period - for example, for a quarter - there should be no surplus.

Due to possible overtime at different periods of time, when applying for a job, an employee must clearly understand whether the schedule fits into a normal work week (40 hours) or whether summarized time tracking will be applied to it.

This is a key point in the terms of the employment contract, and if it changes, the employer is obliged to notify the subordinate.

What is a piece-rate wage system and how to calculate wages using this method of payment - read here.