Do I Need Working Patterns or Shifts? NP
When do I use a Working Pattern?
In Timekeeper, you use a Fixed Working Pattern when an employee’s working hours are regular and predictable, for example:
They work the same days each week (e.g. Monday–Friday)
They work the same start/finish times on those days (e.g. 9:00–17:30)
Any variations (e.g. lunch breaks, shorter Fridays) are consistent every week
Typical cases where a Fixed Working Pattern is appropriate:
Full-time staff with standard office hours
Part-time staff with set days/times (e.g. Tue–Thu, 8:00–14:00)
You would not use a Fixed Working Pattern when:
The person’s days or hours change frequently
They work rotating/variable shifts
Their schedule is confirmed week by week or month by month
If an employee has a fixed Working Pattern set, they'll still show on the rota planner, but their fixed Working Pattern can only be amended in their employee profile.
When do I use Shifts?
You set someone up as a Shift Worker in Timekeeper when their hours aren’t fixed week to week and they work on a rota or changing pattern. Use Shift Worker if:
Their days worked change (e.g. sometimes Monday, sometimes weekend, rotating pattern)
Their start/finish times change between days or weeks (e.g. early, late, night shifts)
They work on a rota (e.g. 4 days on / 4 days off, weekly or monthly roster)
You need to schedule or assign them to different shifts regularly
Their hours are confirmed on a shift-by-shift basis, rather than a standing timetable
You would not set someone up as a Shift Worker if:
They work the same days and times every week (that’s a Fixed Working Pattern)
Any small variations are occasional and handled as exceptions rather than the norm
FAQs
Does the working pattern mean it won't count hours outside of this?
No, by default. Employees can still clock in outside of their working hours, and their hours would be counted. If you'd like to only count hours within their scheduled start and end times, you can enable Rounding Rules under your Settings > Clock Entry Setting and untick "Count Time Worked Before Expected Start Time" and "Count Time Working After Expected End Time".
What if employees don’t have set shifts, but their start and finish times vary each day?
If an employee doesn’t work fixed shifts but their start and end times change from day to day (for example, 6am–4pm one day and 3pm–11pm the next), they can still have a Working Pattern rather than assigned shifts.
In this case, you can set the Working Pattern to cover a full day, e.g. 00:00–23:59, so that all hours clocked within that window count as regular working hours.
This allows flexibility for variable daily start and end times without needing to create separate shifts.
How do I set up a reusable working pattern?
We go through how to set up a reusable working pattern in this guide here.
Can it handle shift employees who work 4 weeks on and 4 weeks off?
Yes, we have the option to setup a reusable shift template.
Who can I contact with further questions?
Don't hesitate to reach out to us via live chat (Account > Support) or via email at [email protected]