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 to document work hours, project time, and to register payroll hours for hourly paid employees.
Time registration with an hour bank is used when work hours need to be collected as a balance – for example, with flex time, overtime, and time off in lieu.

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

Time Registration Based on Employee Types

The choice between time registration with or without an hour bank depends on the employee's type of employment and how work hours are managed.

Hourly paid employees, on-call temps, and job-based employees without overtime accrual will typically use time registration without an hour bank, since work hours are either documented or paid directly as payroll.

Fixed paid employees with flex time or a collective agreement-based work hours account, where hours are saved as a balance, should use time registration with an hour bank.

Time Registration - without an 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 / Number of hours / Check in and out
1 deviation method, where the employee registers deviations from standard hours
Adjust time with start and end time or number of hours

📑 Guide to Time Registration without an Hour Bank

Time Registration - with an hour bank

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

1 deviation method, where the employee registers deviations from standard hours
Adjust time with start and end time or number of hours
1 active method, where the employee must register work hours daily
Check in and out

📑 Guide to Time Registration with an Hour Bank

Check the Correct Setup of Time Registration Method

A staff group or employee can only be connected to one time registration method at a time – either with an hour bank or without an hour bank.

Check on the Employee's Master Data Card

When an employee is assigned a policy on their master data card, the employee automatically gets the time registration method selected in the policy.

Employees should only have access to one time registration method. If both are activated, it becomes unclear which method to use. 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 an hour bank.
On the policy, select one of the two methods as the primary time registration method for the staff group.

The policy list shows which method is activated for a staff group's policy.

Actual Work Hours in Relation to the EU 48-Hour Rule

In HR Statistics → Report Library there are two reports, depending on which time registration solution the employee uses:

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

The reports show the employee's actual work hours per week as well as the average work hours for a selected period.

To ensure correct reporting, it's important that the employee's work hours are only registered in one of the solutions. If work hours are split between with and without an hour bank, the overview in the reports can be misleading.

Exceptions Where the Employee Has Access to Time Registration Both With and Without an Hour Bank

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

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

1) Registration Without an Hour Bank With Special Overtime

In some cases, there may be a need to register overtime that should be accrued for time off in lieu, even though the employee normally uses time registration without an hour bank.

This could be for ordered 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.
Choose the method “Overtime without work hours calculation” under registration with an hour bank, so that time registration without an hour bank remains the primary solution.

2) Registration With an Hour Bank With a Need for Project Time

If an employee uses time registration with an hour bank but also needs to register time on project job codes, it may be necessary to give access to time registration without an 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 an hour bank.
For example, if the employee uses check in/out (flex time) with an hour bank, check in/out cannot also be selected under without an hour bank. In that case, you need to choose another registration type that is compatible with job codes.

3) Fixed Accrual With an Hour Bank for Absence Balance

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

A typical example is accrual for a 6th vacation week, where the employee needs to take hours off – but not accrue overtime.

1) Do not select a time registration method for "with an hour bank," since the purpose is to use the hour bank as an absence balance and not to accrue hours via overtime. Use the On/Off button to reset any selected time method and then set the button to "ON".
2) The desired accrual interval is connected to the hour bank. Accrual is set up in the policy under the tab: Time Registration - with an hour bank
3) Access is given to: Time Registration - With an hour bank on the employee's master data card. With these settings, the employee can take absence hours that are accrued on a fixed basis, but will not be able to accrue overtime hours.

Notification Flow and Rules Supporting the EU Working Time Directive

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

FAQ

Should we choose time registration with or without an hour bank?

Your choice of time registration solution depends on whether work hours should be collected as a balance.

With hour bank: flex time, overtime, and time off in lieu (plus/minus hours)
Without hour bank: registration of work hours without a balance (e.g., documentation, project time, or payroll processing)

See the table below for our recommendations based on pay model:

Pay model	Work hours model	Recommended BitaBIZ time solution
Salaried position (no upper work hours limit, self-managed)	No fixed upper work hours. No accumulation of extra hours/time off in lieu	Time registration without hour bank
Hourly wage (hourly employee)	Payment per actual hour worked according to rates	Time registration without hour bank
On-call / temp worker (student assistant)	No fixed standard hours. Only paid for registered hours according to rates	Time registration without hour bank
Fixed monthly salary without flex scheme (Salaried, salaried-like terms, fixed work hours)	Fixed standard hours (e.g., 37 hours). Overtime is paid out or approved separately	Time registration without hour bank (optionally + access to overtime)
Fixed monthly salary with flex time (flex account, hour bank, time off in lieu, extra hours are saved)	Fixed standard hours (e.g., 37 hours). Hours/balance are saved in hour bank	Time registration with hour bank
Collective agreement with hour bank (work hours account, local agreement)	Standard hours regulated by collective agreement. Hours are saved in hour bank	Time registration with 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 processing and export to the payroll system.

Read more about time registration without hour bank here.

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

Yes. The rules for overlap depend on the type of registration.

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

Short explanation

All registrations cannot overlap themselves.
Flex time (Work hours) and Time off in lieu cannot overlap absence and overtime
Overtime can overlap absence and time registrations (without hour bank)
Time registration (without hour bank) can overlap absence, time off in lieu, 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 an 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 shown in registration window
Without hour bank - all methods: 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 in lieu

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 in lieu"
If you are connected to time registration without hour bank - it will always say "Time registration" in your registration window.

We have linked adjust time to 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 linked 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 employees linked to the policy.

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

Reason for the issue:

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 will not automatically change from "With hour bank" to "Without hour bank". You will 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 start creating 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.

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

On the employee's master data card under "Access to which applications" and "Time registration," you can see whether time registration with or without hour bank is connected.

Additionally, in the policy list, you can see which type of time registration is linked to the policy.

Choosing a Solution for Time Registration