The clocking in system for hotels, pubs and restaurants
Staff clock in with their face, a QR code or a PIN. Every clock in lands on the right shift, late arrivals are flagged, and approved hours go straight to payroll. No sign in sheet, no shared PINs, no arguments on Friday.
- ISO 27001 certified
- Data held in Dublin
- Working Time Act checks
- No card needed
Look at the tablet by the staff door.
Scan the kitchen code with your own phone.
Type a personal PIN on the kiosk.
Clock in from the app, inside the venue only.
Example screens. Names are made up.
Sign in sheets and shared PINs cost you money every week.
Most venues still track hours on paper or with a PIN everyone knows. It looks free. It isn't.
Friends clock in for friends
With a sheet or a shared PIN, anyone can sign in for anyone. You pay for hours nobody worked, and you never find out.
Forgotten clock outs
Someone forgets to sign out and a six hour shift becomes fourteen on the timesheet, unless someone spots it before payroll.
Payroll argues with the rota
Hours get copied from paper into a spreadsheet by hand. Every mistake turns into a pay dispute on Friday.
Pick the clock in methods that suit your team.
Turn on one or all four. Every clock in records which method was used.
Face, on a kiosk tablet
Staff look at a tablet by the staff door and they are clocked in. It is quick, and it stops one person clocking in for another.
Best for: a busy staff door
QR code, on their own phone
Print a code for each area, like the kitchen or the bar. The first time, staff confirm who they are with a PIN or their face. After that, their phone can be remembered.
Best for: several areas, no extra tablets
A personal PIN
A PIN typed on the kiosk. A simple back up, and a choice for anyone who prefers not to use their face.
Best for: a back up option
Phone, inside the venue only
Turn it on and staff can clock in from the app. It checks the phone is inside your venue and refuses if not, so nobody clocks in from the bus.
Best for: big sites with several entrances
From the staff door to payroll, with nothing retyped.
Time and attendance that does the checking for you, so your manager only looks at what needs a decision.
- 1
Clock in
Face, QR, PIN or phone.
- 2
Matched to the rota
Linked to the shift they were rostered for.
- 3
Problems flagged
Late arrivals, missed clock outs and short rest.
- 4
Manager approves
One check of the day, then it is locked in.
- 5
Paid correctly
Approved hours go to payroll in HR360 or an export for your bureau.
The Working Time Act, handled for you.
Most time and attendance systems record the times and leave the law to you. HR360 checks the rules that catch hospitality out.
Records you must keep
Irish employers must keep working time records for at least 3 years. Every clock in is stored with its time, the method used and who approved it.
Rest between shifts, checked
Staff are entitled to 11 hours of rest in a row in every 24 hours. When a late close is followed by an early open, HR360 flags it for a manager to review.
Legal breaks, set up for you
One click adds the Act's break rules to your settings: 15 minutes after 4.5 hours, and 30 minutes after 6 hours.
If an employer keeps no records, "the onus of proving ... that the said provision was complied with in relation to the employee shall lie on the employer."
Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, section 25(4)
A paper Form OWT 1 is only required where no clocking in facilities are in place. Rest periods: section 11. This page is a summary, not legal advice.
Sign in sheet, clock in machine, or Inntally?
A clock in machine records the time. What happens to that time next depends on the software behind it.
| Paper sign in sheet | Clock in machine | Inntally HR360 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stops friends clocking in for each other | No. Anyone can write a name. | Depends on the machine. A face or fingerprint reader does, a card or PIN does not. | Yes. A face check, or QR with a confirmed phone. |
| Hardware to buy | None. | A machine bought, fitted and serviced. | None. Any tablet with a camera, or staff phones. |
| Matched to the rota | Done by hand, if at all. | Depends on the software behind it. | Automatic, with late arrivals flagged. |
| Hours to payroll | Retyped into a spreadsheet. | Depends on the software behind it. | Approved hours go to payroll or an export. |
| Working Time Act checks | None. | Depends on the software behind it. | Short rest flagged. Break rules in one click. |
| Staff cost against sales | No. | Not on its own. | Live, because the till is on the same platform. |
Face clock in, done properly.
A face is personal data. We treat it that way.
Consent first
Each member of staff is asked for consent before their face is enrolled. Nobody is enrolled without it.
Assessed and certified
A data protection impact assessment is completed for staff face clock in, and Inntally is ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 certified.
Held in Dublin
Your data stays in the EU, in AWS Dublin. You can offer QR or PIN too, so nobody has to use their face to get paid.
Clocking in is one part of HR360.
Rotas, time and attendance, leave and payroll in one place, so the hours only ever get entered once.
HR360
Rotas, leave, tips and payroll for hospitality.
See HR360Rota software
Build the rota around demand, then see the labour result.
Rota and HR in IrelandThe till
Staff cost against sales, live, because the till is on the same platform.
See Inntally POSBuyer's guide
How the main rota and clock in tools compare in Ireland.
Read the guideClocking in questions, answered.
What is a clocking in system?
A clocking in system, also called time and attendance software, records when each member of staff starts and finishes work. Instead of a paper sign in sheet, staff clock in on a screen or on their phone, and the times are saved for you. Inntally also matches each clock in to the person's rota shift and sends the approved hours to payroll.
Do I have to keep a record of staff hours in Ireland?
Yes. Under section 25 of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, employers must keep records showing they comply with the Act and keep them for at least 3 years. Not keeping them is an offence, and if you have no records it is up to you to prove you complied. The 2001 regulations require a paper Form OWT 1 only where no clocking in facilities are in place.
Can staff clock in on their own phone?
Yes, in two ways. They can scan a printed QR code on the wall with their own phone, or, if you turn it on, clock in from the Inntally app on their phone. Phone clock in only works when the phone is inside your venue, so nobody can clock in from home.
Can one person clock in for another?
Not with face clock in. The kiosk checks the person's face, so a shared PIN or a friend covering for a late colleague does not work. If you also offer PIN, you can see which method was used for every clock in.
What happens if someone forgets to clock out?
The shift stays open and is flagged for a manager, who corrects the finish time before approving the day. Hours are not sent to payroll until the day is approved.
Does it check Working Time Act rest and breaks?
Yes. HR360 flags when someone has had less than 11 hours of rest between shifts, and a manager reviews it. It can also add the legal break rules in one click: 15 minutes after 4.5 hours and 30 minutes after 6 hours.
Do I need to buy a clock in machine?
No. The kiosk runs on any tablet with a camera, and QR and phone clock in use the staff member's own phone. There is no machine to buy, fit or service.
Is face clock in allowed under GDPR?
Face clock in uses biometric data, so it needs a lawful basis and a data protection impact assessment. Inntally asks each person for consent before their face is enrolled and has completed a DPIA for staff face clock in. You can offer QR or PIN as well, so nobody has to use their face. Data is held in the EU, in AWS Dublin.
What does it cost?
Every venue starts with a free 60-day trial and no card is needed. Clocking in is part of HR360 rather than a separate product. Paid plan prices are being finalised, so please contact us for a quote.
Retire the sign in sheet this week.
Free for 60 days. No card needed. Your data stays yours.