Overview

This article walks through how to set up your account to use Scheduling and Time Clock & Attendance together.

If you would like to use Scheduling alone, see Setting Up Scheduling for Your Business.

Considerations

• This article describes how to set up your account from a computer. While you can also use your iOS or Android device to start scheduling, we recommend using a computer. The extra screen size and advanced tools greatly speeds up the process.
• New accounts start on a free plan. The user with account holder access privileges can upgrade the account’s plan to use paid Scheduling and/or paid Time Clock & Attendance to unlock premium features.

Before you begin

• If you haven’t used When I Work before, sign up for a free account.
• If you already have an account, use a supported web browser to sign in to When I Work on the web.

Set up Scheduling and Attendance

Configure your account to fit your business needs.

Name the schedule

Hover over , then select  Schedules to edit your default schedule or to add more schedules.

Consider setting up separate schedules. You might want to set up multiple schedules if your business operates out of different physical locations/regions or you want to build separate schedules for different teams/departments.

Add positions

Hover over , then select  Positions to create or edit positions.

Create a position for each type of employee that works in your business. Positions tie employees and shifts to a particular duty or skill. Keeping employees and shifts separated by position helps you ensure that your business has the skill coverage that you need.

Add employees

Hover over , then select  Employees to view and manage your employee list.

There are several ways to add employees:

• Add employees one at a time: Use this method if you know your employees’ contact information (email address and/or phone number).
• Import multiple employees at the same time: Use this method if you know your employees’ contact information (email address and phone number) and you want to save time entering employee information.
• Tell your employees to register with your When I Work account: Use this option if you don’t know your employees’ contact information. When employees register without being explicitly invited, you must approve their accounts.

Create shift templates

Hover over , then select  Shift Templates to create or edit shift templates.

Create a shift template for each standard shift at your business. Instead of manually entering in custom shift details one-by-one on the scheduler, shift templates let you easily create shifts that are scheduled often, speeding up the schedule building process.

Configure Scheduling settings

Hover over , then select  Scheduling Settings to configure.

Determine how employees interact with the schedule by configuring the Scheduling Settings. The Scheduling Settings includes options that allow employees to take accountability for their own schedule.

Configure Attendance settings

Hover over , then select  Attendance Settings. Customize attendance settings to meet the needs of your business.

Time Clocks

Decide which time clock methods will meet the needs of your business. When I Work offers three different methods for clocking in and out. You can allow employees to clock in using any or all of the following options:

• Clock in with Time Clock Terminal: A time clock terminal is a dedicated computer, tablet, or smartphone located at your place of business.
  NOTE: The time clock terminal option is always enabled. Management can set up and lock a time clock terminal at any time.
• Clock in with Mobile App: Employees’ iOS devices and Android devices (with the When I Work app).
• Clock in with Personal Computer: Employees’ personal computers that are connected to your business network.

Prepare your schedules and job sites

Set up your schedules and job sites with addresses to make sure employees are clocking in from the right location. For more information, check out Restricting Where Employees Can Clock In.

Schedule shifts

Click  Scheduler on the navigation bar.

Add shifts using the shift templates you set up or create a custom shift. Keep the shifts unpublished while building the schedule. This allows you to make changes to schedule as a whole before notifying your employees about their upcoming shifts.

Prepare your shifts for clocking in

To allow your employees to clock in, their shifts must be tagged with the correct schedule and job site.

Review shifts

Use the Scheduler to confirm that future shifts are tagged to the correct schedule and job site.

If you have multiple schedules, review each schedule one at a time:

1. On the left side of the page, select a schedule:
   
2. Review all future shifts to make sure they are assigned to the correct schedule.
3. If you use job sites, make sure shifts are assigned to the correct job sites. Use the Job Site filter to show shifts by job site.
   

Review shift templates

If you’ve created any shift templates, review them to make sure they are assigned to the correct schedule:

1. Hover over , then select  Shift Templates.
2. Review the list of shift templates to verify that the Schedule column is correct.
3. If a shift template is set to the wrong schedule, click the shift template to set the correct schedule.

Publish the schedule

When your weekly schedule is complete, publish the schedule to notify your staff about their shifts.

Instruct employees to clock in

Now that your clock in methods are defined, tell your employees how they should clock in to their shifts. We recommend sending a WorkChat message to announce time clock procedures to your employees.

Reference our articles on clocking in and out:

• Time clock terminal instructions
• Personal computer instructions
• Mobile instructions: iOS | Android

Next Steps

• From the Scheduler:
  • Create a schedule template based on this week to sue over and over.
  • Add OpenShifts to create shifts that can be picked up by eligible employees.
• Configure your company logo and preferences in the General Settings.
• Review and edit timesheets from your computer, iOS device, or Android device.
• Close and export pay period hours.
• Check out Web App Navigation Reference for Managers to help find features and settings within the account.
• Watch video: Setting Up Your Account | Scheduling 101 | Setting Up Time Clocks | Mobile Time Clocks | Running Payroll