Time Tracking Settings: Automatic Submissions, Breaks, Overnight Tasks & Global Cost Codes

🕒 Time Tracking Settings: Automatic Submissions, Breaks, Overnight Tasks & Global Cost Codes

✅ What This Covers

This article explains how to configure Ontraccr to:

1. Automatically prompt workers to submit time cards at clock-out
2. Let workers manually log breaks (or automate them later)
3. Handle overnight shifts
4. Allow selection from a global list of cost codes

🧭 Where to Find These Settings

In the Web App:

1. Go to Settings > Time Tracking > Clock Settings
2. Look for:
   • ✅ Enable Automatic Submission
   • ✅ Enable Take Break / End Break
   • ✅ Use End Time for Overnight Task Dates
   • ✅ Enable Global Cost Codes for Projects

📤 Feature 1: Enable Automatic Submission

What it does:

Prompts workers to submit their time card immediately when they clock out.

How it works:

• Activates a signature + submission prompt at clock-out
• Time is submitted that same day (instead of waiting until the week’s end)
• Approvers can still approve time daily or weekly

Why use it:

• Reduces admin chasing for submissions
• Improves real-time visibility for payroll

☕ Feature 2: Enable Take Break / End Break

What it does:

Adds a manual “Break” button to the clock interface.

How it works:

• Workers can tap Take Break and End Break
• The break shows up as a separate entry on their time card
• Breaks can be logged on Web + Mobile

Why it’s useful:

• Lets workers track unpaid time manually
• Works well when Auto Breaks are disabled (configured separately)

🌙 Feature 3: Use End Time for Overnight Task Dates

What it does:

Controls which calendar day overnight time entries are logged to.

How it works:

• If enabled, the system uses the end time’s date
• If disabled, the system uses the start time’s date

When to use it:

For companies with overnight crews or late-shift workers — ensures their hours land on the correct payroll day.

🗂 Feature 4: Enable Global Cost Codes for Projects

What it does:

Lets workers choose cost codes from the global list, even if those cost codes aren’t assigned to the project.

How it works:

• In Settings > Time Tracking > Clock Settings, enable this option
• Cost codes uploaded to the Global Cost Codes list become selectable on any project
• Workers can use those global codes in addition to project-specific ones

Why it’s helpful:

• Saves setup time for small or fast-moving jobs
• Prevents data-entry bottlenecks when a cost code isn’t manually assigned to a project

💡 Pro Tips & Edge Cases

• ✅ You can combine manual breaks and automatic breaks by role
• 🧑‍💻 Overnight task date logic only applies when shifts cross midnight
• ⚠️ If global cost codes are not enabled, missing project-specific codes will block time entry