Time Clock Rounding

Time clock rounding is a way to make tracking work hours easier for payroll. Instead of using the exact time an employee clocks in or out, the time is adjusted to the closest 15 minutes. For example, if someone clocks in at 7:53 AM, it would be rounded to 8:00 AM.

This rounding helps calculate pay in 15-minute blocks and can also prevent extra, unauthorized hours from being counted if someone clocks in a little early or stays late.

The 15-minute rounding rule with an 8-minute breakpoint adjusts clock-in and clock-out times to the nearest quarter-hour. Here's how it works:

• Rounding Up: If an employee clocks in or out 8 minutes after the hour, the time is rounded up to the next 15-minute mark. For example, a clock-in at 8:08 AM would be rounded up to 8:15 AM.

• Rounding Down: If an employee clocks in or out 22 minutes after the hour, the time is rounded down to the nearest 15-minute mark. For example, a clock-in at 8:22 AM would be rounded down to 8:15 AM.

Here’s how the 15-minute rounding rule with an 8-minute breakpoint works, summarized in a table:

In this table, any time entry that falls between 8 and 22 minutes after the hour is rounded to 15 minutes after the hour, which is converted to .25 in hundredths of an hour.