Practical guide · 4 min
Automatic schedule or actual clocking: which method for which worker?
There is no single right method for the whole company. There is a right method for each profile. This guide helps you decide, person by person, without making life harder for the team.
Two different approaches
Actual clocking means recording events as they happen: start of the day, start of a break, return from the break, end of the day. Working time is the sum of what was actually recorded.
An automatic schedule starts from a schedule known in advance (for example 08:30 – 12:30 and 13:00 – 17:00 from Monday to Friday). This schedule counts as the record: the person has nothing to clock. You only step in when the day departs from the schedule: a later arrival, overtime, a half day's leave, and so on. This is called a schedule exception.
Both methods can produce a reliable record. The difference lies in the daily effort required and the type of day to be documented.
The questions to ask for each profile
Ask yourself these questions for each job, not for the company as a whole:
- Is the schedule the same most weeks? If so, an automatic schedule is a good candidate.
- Do the hours depend on the field, on clients or on the day's activity? If so, actual clocking better reflects reality.
- Are discrepancies rare or frequent? With more than two or three schedule exceptions a week, the automatic schedule turns into a series of corrections: actual clocking will be simpler.
- Do you need to know the actual start and end times? For site safety, project tracking or discussions about overtime, actual clocking provides a more precise record.
- Does the person have easy access to a phone, a computer or a shared device? Without easy access, actual clocking will be forgotten.
Typical examples
| Profile | Situation | Recommended method |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative employee | 38 h, same hours all year round | Automatic schedule |
| Shop sales assistant | Rota that changes every week | Actual clocking (or automatic schedule if the rota is entered in advance and reliable) |
| Field technician | Days dictated by clients | Actual clocking |
| Cook on split shifts | 10:00 – 14:30 then 18:00 – 23:00, variable | Actual clocking |
| Care assistant on fixed shifts | Morning / afternoon on a known rotation | Automatic schedule, with schedule exceptions for cover |
| Student, extra, flexi-job | One-off assignments | Actual clocking |
Illustrative example. An SME of 8 people has 3 office staff on fixed hours and 5 technicians. With clocking for everyone, the office staff perform 4 actions a day that add no value, or about 60 actions a week for three people. With an automatic schedule for them and clocking for the technicians, these actions disappear; the manager is left to approve one or two schedule exceptions a week.
Mixed mode: the most common solution
In most small businesses, the right answer is mixed: an automatic schedule for stable jobs, actual clocking for variable ones. This choice is not final. A worker who changes job or whose hours start to vary can switch method.
A few rules to keep mixed mode simple:
- Document the choice: one line per worker (“automatic schedule – 38 h office schedule” or “actual clocking”). This is useful if questions arise, and for your work rules if your social secretariat recommends it.
- Explain the schedule exception rule to people on an automatic schedule: “If your day differs from your schedule, report it the same day or the next day.”
- Set a time limit for reporting a discrepancy, for example 48 hours.
What 2027 could change
The general obligation to record working time currently announced in Belgium does not require a time clock. According to the preliminary draft bill as presented publicly, an employer with fixed or variable schedules could limit itself to recording exceptions to the schedule, provided the time actually worked can be derived from them. The text has not yet been adopted: the details may change. See our page Time recording in 2027.
Common mistakes
- Requiring everyone to clock “for fairness”: the effort is real for fixed schedules, with no benefit. Fairness lies in the rule (every discrepancy is documented), not in the gesture.
- Putting someone whose days vary on an automatic schedule: you spend your time correcting, and the history becomes unreadable.
- Forgetting split shifts: an automatic schedule must contain all time slots and all breaks, not just the arrival and departure times.
- Never reassessing: review the choice at least once a year, or whenever someone changes job.
Checklist
- I have listed each worker with their job.
- For each one, I have answered the 5 questions above.
- I have noted the complete fixed schedules (time slots and breaks) of people on an automatic schedule.
- I have defined who approves schedule exceptions and within what time limit they must be reported.
- I have informed the team of the method and the reason for this choice.
- I have checked with my social secretariat whether my work rules need to be adapted.
With Cloketa
The tracking mode is chosen worker by worker, when a schedule is assigned: actual clocking, fixed schedule, or both within the same company. On a fixed schedule, the schedule counts as the record: nothing to clock and no events created. A discrepancy is reported as a schedule exception, approved by a manager in the Corrections screen. Daily confirmation of the schedule is available as an option. A worker's mode can change from a given date.
Free trial
Test both methods with your team
Put one worker on an automatic schedule, another on clocking, and compare after a week.
Important information Cloketa is a working time recording tool. It does not provide legal or HR advice and does not replace any official declaration or application. Each employer remains responsible for their own obligations: if in doubt, consult your social secretariat or an adviser.