Time and attendance (T&A) is the system and practice of recording when employees work - clock-in and clock-out times, shift attendance, and absence - so that wage-hours pay, overtime and leave can be calculated accurately and attendance patterns can be managed.
What it means
For wage earners paid by the hour, T&A data is the direct input to pay - no captured hours, no calculated wage. For salaried employees it matters less for pay itself but still tracks overtime eligibility and absence patterns. "Compensable time" refers to the hours captured by a T&A system that are payable, as distinct from time present but not compensable (such as an unpaid lunch break).
Where it fits in
T&A is the upstream data source for the wage-hours component and overtime calculations in payroll - any gap or error in captured hours flows straight through to an incorrect pay calculation for that period.
Key rules
- T&A = time and attendance, tracking hours worked and absence.
- The direct pay input for wage-hours employees.
- "Compensable time" is the payable portion of tracked time, not all time present.
- Errors in captured hours flow directly into payroll calculation errors.
