Time and attendance system for the hospitality industry: shifts, breaks and clocking in by venue

The time and attendance system for the hospitality industry They have to adapt to working hours that do not always follow the same pattern. There are split shifts, extra staff at peak times, last-minute changes, and teams in the dining room, kitchen or reception with different working hours.

One person might work during the lunch service, take a break, and then return for the evening shift. Another might cover for an absent colleague at a different venue to their usual one. If these changes are recorded on paper, in Excel or via text messages, it becomes difficult to keep track of the working day.

A centralised system makes it possible to check what was planned, which staff were signed on and which outstanding issues remain at each site.

Why time and attendance management is more complex in the hospitality sector

In an environment with fixed working hours, start and finish times can account for a large part of the working day. In the hospitality industry, there are more variables that need to be considered as a whole.

• Split shifts.
• Breaks and rest periods at various times.
• Extra staff for lunches, dinners or events.
• Changes between the dining room, kitchen, bar or reception.
• Extensions or adjustments to meet operational requirements.
• Replacements for absentees.
• People who work in different premises.
• Transfers that have been overlooked during busy periods.

The difficulty lies not simply in recording hours, but in understanding which shift, team and site each entry corresponds to.

What information should the registration form include?

The configuration will depend on each business, but a useful register should allow you to view:

• The person who carries out the registration.
• Check-in and check-out times.
• The recorded pauses.
• The premises or workplace.
• The scheduled shift or timetable.
• Incidents requiring review.
• The amendments made subsequently.

This information provides the necessary context when a working day does not go exactly according to the original plan.

How to manage split shifts

A split shift comprises two or more separate periods of work. To interpret it correctly, it is not enough simply to know the time of the first arrival and the last departure of the day.

The register must make it possible to distinguish between:

• The start and end of each section.
• The time span between the two periods.
• The breaks recorded within each section.
• The schedule that had been planned.
• Any discrepancies or issues.

This allows the person in charge to review the day’s events without having to piece them together from individual messages or notes.

Scheduled shift and recorded working day

Time tracking is most useful when it can be viewed alongside the schedule. This allows you to compare what was supposed to happen with the actual records.

For example, the person in charge may detect:

• Someone who was due to work but doesn’t have a ticket.
• A signing made at an unusual time.
• A substitution that does not yet appear in the line-up.
• A pause that needs reviewing.
• A last-minute change of venue.

Not all discrepancies indicate an error, but it is advisable to check them before closing the period or generating a report.

How to organise time and attendance management across multiple sites

When a company runs several restaurants, bars, cafés or hotels, it needs to combine the management of each individual outlet with an overview of the whole operation.

A branch manager can check their team’s details, whilst HR or management can view information from various branches without having to request separate files.

To this end, it is useful to be able to filter by:

• Premises or centre.
• Employee.
• Team or department.
• Person in charge.
• Date or period.
• Incident status.

It should also be made clear what happens when a person receives a booster dose at a different venue to their usual one.

What to look out for when hiring staff in the hospitality sector

What to do when a signing has been overlooked

During a particularly busy shift, a member of staff may forget to record a clock-in, a clock-out or a break. The procedure must allow this to be corrected without concealing the fact that the information was added at a later date.

1. An incomplete record has been detected.
2. The person reports the incident.
3. The affected timetable or period is indicated.
4. The person in charge checks the information.
5. The record is corrected in accordance with the established permissions.
6. The change is reflected in the transaction history.

Dealing with these cases on a regular basis prevents a backlog of issues from building up at the end of the month.

Common mistakes in restaurants and hotels

• Manage shifts in one tool and clocking in and out in another.
• Do not distinguish between the different parts of a split shift.
• Please notify us of any substitutions via messaging only.
• Failure to match the record with the correct premises.
• Review any transfers that were overlooked at the end of the transfer window.
• Do not update the plan following a change.
• Applying different configurations without a common set of criteria for each site.

These errors create more administrative work and make it difficult to explain what happened on a particular day.

Time recording and regulations in Spain

The system settings must comply with regulations, the collective agreement, the contract and the organisation’s procedures. The tool facilitates record-keeping, but does not itself determine how shifts, breaks or rest periods should be calculated.

For the Spanish version, please see the Article 34 of the Workers’ Statute, in addition to the collective agreement applicable to the establishment.

How to manage time and attendance in the hospitality industry with Staffy

Staffy brings together new hires, shifts, absences and part of the day-to-day operations within a single platform.

With Staffy, you can:

• Record arrivals, departures, breaks and incidents.
• Organise shifts and breaks by branch or team.
• Search records by person, date, centre or person in charge.
• Manage absences and cover arrangements.
• View historical data and daily reports.

Managers can review the day-to-day running of their premises, whilst HR and senior management maintain a broader overview of the various sites.

Frequently asked questions about time and attendance systems in the hospitality sector

Is it suitable for restaurants with split shifts?

Yes, provided that the shifts, periods and breaks are set up in accordance with the establishment’s operating procedures.

Can it be used in several premises?

Yes. The company can set up centres and appoint managers to view information relating to the relevant premises, depending on the configuration and permissions.

Can the team sign players using a mobile phone or a tablet?

Yes, when the company authorises these devices as clocking-in methods.

Can you make the link with absences?

Yes. Requests for holidays, leave and other absences can be viewed when organising shifts and cover.

What happens if someone forgets to clock in?

The incident procedure defined by the company must be followed in order to review, correct and maintain a record of the changes made.