Introduction to Time Registration Solutions

In BitaBIZ, you can choose between two main solutions for time registration: with or without an hour bank. The right solution depends on how your company wants to use work hours.

Time registration without an hour bank is typically used for EU documentation of work hours, project time, and registering payroll hours.
Time registration with an hour bank is used when work hours need to be collected as a balance (hour bank) – for example, with flex time, overtime, and time off.

This article gives you an overview of which solution fits different types of employment and how to choose the right setup.

Time Registration by Employee Type

The choice between time registration with or without an hour bank depends on the employee's type of employment and how your company wants to handle work hours.

Hourly paid employees, on-call temps, and job-based employees without overtime savings will typically use time registration without an hour bank, since work hours are either documented (according to the EU Working Time Directive) or paid directly as wages.

Fixed paid employees under a collective agreement will typically use time registration with an hour bank, where hours are saved as a balance (and work hours are documented according to the EU Working Time Directive):

Employee Type	Characteristics	Recommended Time Registration	Typical Time Method
Job-based salary	No fixed upper limit on work hours. No overtime savings	Time registration without an hour bank	Adjust time Hours only
Hourly paid	Paid per actual work hour according to rates.	Time registration without an hour bank	Check in/out via app or terminal
On-call / temp / Student	Paid per actual work hour according to rates.	Time registration without an hour bank	Check in/out via app or terminal
Salaried employees / similar terms (fixed work hours)	Fixed standard hours, e.g. 37 hours. Overtime is paid out or approved separately.	Time registration without an hour bank Optionally with access to overtime via hour bank	Adjust time Start/end time Check in/out via app
Fixed paid employee under collective agreement	Fixed standard hours, e.g. 37 hours. Hours/balance saved in hour bank.	Time registration with an hour bank	Check in/out via app Deviation registration
Self-organizer	Not covered by the EU Working Time Directive	Only Absence	none

Time Registration by Need

The choice between time registration with or without an hour bank is not only about employee type. It also depends on what you want to use the registration for.

Use this matrix to find the best time registration solution based on the need you want to cover:

Need	What is the registration used for?	Recommended Time Registration	Typical Time Method
Payroll	The employee needs to register hours that will be paid out as wages.	Time registration without an hour bank	Check in/out via app Check in/out via terminal Start/end time
EU time / documentation of work hours	Work hours must be documented according to the EU Working Time Directive, but hours are not saved in a balance.	Time registration without an hour bank	Adjust time Hours only Start/end time Check in/out via app
Project	Hours need to be registered on projects, customers, cases, or activities.	Time registration without an hour bank	Hours only with project & job codes
Flex time	Plus and minus hours need to be calculated and saved in a balance.	Time registration with an hour bank	Check in/out via app Check in/out via terminal Deviation registration
Overtime / time off	Extra time needs to be registered, approved for payroll, or saved for later time off.	Time registration with an hour bank	Plus hours: overtime/extra time Minus hours: time off
Absence without time registration	The employee only needs to register absence, not work hours.	Absence only	No time method
Planning in calendar	Work hours or shifts need to be shown in the calendar, but not necessarily become payroll hours or hour bank.	Custom registration type	Custom registration type, e.g. “Shift”
Standard hours / working week	The employee's expected work hours need to be set up, e.g. 37 hours, part-time, or net hours.	Not a time registration method in itself	Start/end per day Net hours per day

Time registration - without hour bank

There are 4 time registration methods without an hour bank to choose from:

3 active methods, where the employee must register their work hours daily:
- From and to time
- Only number of hours
- Check in and out (via app or terminal)
1 adjust time, where the employee edits the day's standard hours via:
- Adjust time with start and end time
- Adjust time with number of hours

📑 Guide to Time Registration without Hour Bank

Time registration - with hour bank

There are 2 time registration methods with hour bank to choose from:

1 deviation method, where the employee registers deviations from standard hours:
- Overtime (possibly on job codes with a factor)
- Time off
1 active method, where the employee must register work hours daily:
- Check in and out (via APP or terminal)

📑 Guide to Time Registration with hour bank

Check correct setup of time registration method

An employee group or employee should, as a rule, only be connected to one time registration method – either with hour bank or without hour bank.

Check on the employee's master data card

When an employee is assigned a policy on the master data card, the employee automatically gets the time registration method that is set up on the policy.

Employees should only have access to one time registration method. If both are activated, it becomes unclear which method should be used. In practice, this can feel like “double booking” of work hours.

Check via the policy list

A policy should not have access to time registration both with and without hour bank.
On the policy, choose one of the two methods as the primary time registration method for the employee group.

The policy list shows which method is activated for an employee group's policy.

Message flow and rules

BitaBIZ supports the EU Working Time Directive with a range of messages and rules that can be activated depending on your chosen time registration solutions and methods.

Exceptions where the employee has access to time registration both with and without hour bank

As a rule, an employee should only have access to one time registration solution – either with or without hour bank.

However, there are a few exceptions where it makes sense to give access to both solutions.

1) Registration without hour bank with special overtime

In some cases, there may be a need to register overtime that should be earned as time off, even though the employee normally uses time registration without hour bank.

This could be, for example, in the case of mandated overtime or special rules where the employee needs to collect hours in an hour bank for a limited period.

In this case, the employee can be given access to both solutions.
Select the method “Overtime without work hours calculation” under registration with hour bank, so that time registration without hour bank remains the primary solution.

2) Registration with hour bank with need for project time

If an employee uses time registration with hour bank, but also needs to register time on project job codes, it may be necessary to give access to time registration without hour bank.

This makes it possible to register project time via job codes.

The same time registration method cannot be selected both with and without hour bank.
If the employee, for example, uses check in/out (flex time) with hour bank, check in/out cannot also be selected under without hour bank. In that case, you must choose another registration type that is compatible with job codes.

3) Fixed earning with hour bank for absence balance

The hour bank can also be used with fixed earning (monthly or yearly), where the balance is used solely as an absence balance for employees who normally register without hour bank.

A typical example is earning for the 6th vacation week, where the employee should be able to take hours off – but not earn overtime.

1) Do not select a time registration method for "with hour bank", as the purpose is to use the hour bank as an absence balance and not to earn hours via overtime. Use the On/Off button to reset any selected time method and then set the button to "ON".
2) The desired earning interval is connected to the hour bank. Earning is connected on the policy under the tab: Time registration - with hour bank
3) Access is given to: Time registration - With hour bank on the employee's master data card. With these settings, the employee gets access to take absence hours that are earned on a fixed basis, but does not get access to earn overtime hours.

FAQ

What does EU time mean in BitaBIZ?

Short answer:

In BitaBIZ, “EU time” can mean two related things. Overall, EU time is about the EU Working Time Directive and the rules that apply to registration and control of work hours. In practice, BitaBIZ also often uses “EU time” as a term for the group of employees who did not previously register work hours, but who now need to have daily work hours registered.

What does EU time cover?

EU time is linked to the EU Working Time Directive. Therefore, all time methods in BitaBIZ are connected to the solution for the EU Working Time Directive.

This means, among other things, that BitaBIZ can be used to track work hours across time methods and support control of rules such as the 48-hour rule.

Does EU time only apply to one specific time method?

No. EU time as a regulatory area does not only apply to one time method. All time methods in BitaBIZ are connected to the solution for the EU Working Time Directive.

When BitaBIZ in practice refers to “EU time” in connection with the new daily time registration, it often refers to employees who use the time method Adjust time.

Why is Adjust time often called EU time?

Adjust time is often used for employees who did not previously register work hours, but who now need to have daily work hours registered as a result of the requirements in the EU Working Time Directive.

For this group of employees, BitaBIZ automatically creates the work hours each day. The employee’s main focus is therefore typically still to register absence, while the daily work hours are handled automatically.

What happens automatically with Adjust time?

When an employee uses Adjust time, BitaBIZ automatically creates the employee’s work hours daily.

This means that the employee does not have to create the work hours from scratch every day. The work hours are registered automatically, and the employee mainly works with deviations such as absence.

How does BitaBIZ support the 48-hour rule?

BitaBIZ can send a warning to the approver if an employee is approaching the 48-hour rule.

In the report library, there are also reports that calculate:

the sum of hours per week
the average for a reference period

There are separate reports depending on whether the company uses hour bank or does not use hour bank.

Which reports are available for EU time and the 48-hour rule?

In the report library, there are reports that show the sum of hours per week and the average for a reference period.

There is one report for setups with hour bank and one report for setups without hour bank.

Where can I see if an employee is approaching the EU’s 48-hour rule?

In BitaBIZ, you can use reports in HR Statistics → Report Library to get an overview of the employee’s work hours in relation to the EU’s 48-hour rule.

There are two reports, depending on which time registration solution the employee uses:

Time registration – without hour bank
📑 Report: without hour bank
Time registration – with hour bank
📑 Report: with hour bank

The reports show the employee’s actual work hours per week and the average work hours for the selected period.

Important:
For the reporting to be correct, the employee’s work hours should only be registered in one of the solutions.

If the employee’s work hours are split between with hour bank and without hour bank, the reports may give a misleading overview of the work hours.

I'm unsure which time registration method we should choose

If you're unsure how employees should register work hours, you first need to clarify what the registration will be used for.

In BitaBIZ, work hours can be managed in several ways:

Time registration - with hour bank

Flex time/hour bank: if plus and minus hours should be calculated as a balance.
Deviation registration: if the employee only needs to register deviations from standard hours via overtime or time off

Time registration - without hour bank

Payroll hours: if registered hours are to be used for payroll and export to the payroll system.
Project hours: if hours need to be registered on projects or job codes.
Documentation of work hours: if you need to document actual work hours, e.g., in relation to EU working time regulations.

If work hours should be collected as a balance, you typically need to choose time registration with hour bank.

If work hours should not be collected as a balance, but used for documentation, payroll, or projects, you typically need to choose time registration without hour bank.

How can our employees' hours be sent to payroll?

Hourly paid employees typically use time registration without hour bank, as registered hours can be used for payroll and export to the payroll system.

Read more about time registration without hour bank here.

Are there differences in the registration rules for time registration with and without hour bank?

Yes. The rules for whether a time registration may overlap with absence depend on the type of registration:

Text in the registration window	Registration type	Hour bank	May overlap itself	May overlap absence
Work hours	Flex time	Yes	No	No
Overtime	Deviation registration	Yes	No	Yes
Time off	Deviation registration	Yes	No	No
Time registration	Time registration	No	No	Yes
Project / job code name	Time registration	No	No	Yes

Short explanation

No registrations may overlap themselves.
Flex time (Work hours) and Time off may not overlap absence and overtime
Overtime may overlap absence and time registrations (without hour bank)
Time registration (without hour bank) may overlap absence, time off, overtime and Work hours and all other registrations.

When creating a time registration, can you see if you are connected to time registration with or without hour bank?

Yes.

When you open the registration window to create a registration, you can see which solution you are connected to:

Time registration	Text in the registration window shows
Without hour bank start/end time hours only check in/out adjust time	Time registration
With hour bank check in/out (flex time)	Work hours
With hour bank deviation registration	Overtime/time off

Examples:

If you are connected to time registration with hour bank - flex time, it will say "Work hours"
If you are connected to time registration with hour bank - deviation registration, it will say "Overtime/time off"
If you are connected to time registration without hour bank - it will always say "Time registration" in your registration window.

We have enabled adjust time for a policy. We can't see that work hours are being created automatically for employees?

If you have created a brand new policy, employees who are connected to the policy will automatically get the selected time registration method.

If you have changed an existing policy, the time registration method will also automatically change for the employees connected to the policy.

Read more about setting up "Adjust time" in the article Time registration without hour bank

Reason for the problem:

If the time registration method is changed from "With hour bank" to "Without hour bank" on an existing policy - in this case, the employee's selected time registration does not automatically change from "With hour bank" to "Without hour bank". You therefore need to open the employee's profile (master data card) and change the time registration from with hour bank to without hour bank.

Once the employee has access to Time registration without hour bank (Adjust time), the system will begin to create work hours automatically every day at 9 a.m. Except if the day is blocked by an absence registration or public holiday, or if the day does not have standard hours set up.

Our fixed paid employees need a time solution that complies with the EU Working Time Directive and is as easy as possible. Is there an automatic solution?

Yes, our Time registration - without hour bank can be connected to the "Adjust time" method. With "Adjust time," the daily standard hours are created automatically. Your employees have access with "Adjust time" to edit their daily work hours as needed. The solution is integrated with absence, so no hours are booked on days with absence.

What does work hours mean in BitaBIZ?

In BitaBIZ, “work hours” can mean two different things:

Standard hours/official work hours: The work hours the employee is expected to work, e.g., a fixed working week, start and end times, or net hours per day.
Time registration: The way the employee registers actual work hours, e.g., flex time, payroll hours, project hours, EU documentation, or deviations.

If you need to set up the employee's fixed working week or part-time standard, see standard hours/official work hours.

If the employee needs to register work hours, you first need to choose whether the registration should be with hour bank or without hour bank.

Can we cover multiple employee groups with different time registration needs?

Yes. You can cover several employee groups within the same company by creating different policies/employee groups and assigning each employee to the correct policy.

Example setup:

Employee group	Typical need	Recommended method
Hourly employees	Need to register actual work hours at start and end	Without hour bank: Check in and out (APP or terminal) Start & end time
Salaried employees without upper work hours limit	Need to document or adjust work hours without hour bank	Without hour bank: Adjust time
Collective agreement employees	Need to accumulate plus/minus time or time off	With hour bank: Check in/out (Flex time) Deviation registration (overtime/time off)

The important thing is to first clarify what each employee group needs time registration for. Then you can choose the relevant setup per policy, where the desired time registration method is activated.

Can we have project registration, hourly employees, and employees with flex in the same company?

Yes. You can have several types of time registration on the same BitaBIZ account. The important thing is to clarify which employees need which methods.

Example:

Hourly employees typically register work hours for payroll, e.g., by checking in/out from a terminal.
Collective agreement employees with flex typically use time registration with hour bank, where they check in/out from the APP.
Employees working on projects typically register hours on their projects and job codes using the "hours only" method from the APP or Teams.

Project registration and flex time are not necessarily the same need. Therefore, you should first clarify whether project registration and flex apply to the same employees or to different groups.

Where can we see if we have time registration with or without hour bank?

On the employee's master data card under "Application access" -> "Time registration" you can see whether time registration with or without hour bank is enabled, as well as which method the employee should use to register their time.

Additionally, on the policy list you can see which time registration method is linked to the policy, and whether it is with or without hour bank.