This article builds on the First Steps for Employees article. The fundamentals of daily ZEP Clock usage described there will not be repeated here.
This article focuses on system setup, basic configuration, and the most important administrative tasks for administrators and users with additional permissions.
Administrators have access to the Administration menu item in ZEP Clock. Additionally, depending on the modules in use, department heads may also take on certain administrative tasks for their assigned departments.
Defining Basic Settings Before First Use
Before employees start working with ZEP Clock, you as an administrator should carefully configure the most important basic settings. Under Administration you will find the following configuration areas:
My Company: Define the default language, password policies, and add Single Sign-On settings for login if required.
Employees: Define the default values pre-filled for new employees, including standard working hours, vacation entitlement, break rules, and other presets.
Working Hours: Define the central rules for time tracking, such as how far back or ahead manual entries are permitted, whether notes are required, whether manual time entry is allowed at all, and whether entries can be made on public holidays or days without target working hours.
The configuration of break rules is particularly important. You can define one or more break rules and assign them to individual employees. These include:
Minimum rest period
Maximum working hours
Automatic break deduction
Minimum breaks
If you want to clock in against activities, you should also enable this under Working Hours and then create the activities in the new Activities settings area.
Overtime & Absences: With the Absences & Overtime module, you can organize the introduction of the module here, configure the selectable absence reasons, and set up their properties. It is also important to activate one or more public holiday calendars for the current year and assign them to employee profiles. If you work with surcharges, use the Special Times settings area for this.
From the month of introduction, employees must record their times in full. You should also maintain each employee's prior-year overtime and vacation entitlement, and then perform the monthly closing on a regular basis.
System: In the device management section, create multi-user apps or activate terminals. You should also set up tasks to automatically end forgotten clock-outs or automate other plausibility checks.
For more information on this topic, see here: Basic Settings
Creating Employees
New employees are created in the Employees menu item. Start by entering the general master data and assigning the appropriate user permissions.
To grant the employee access, you can send a password reset link via email. If the employee does not have a business email address, you can set an initial password via "Enter Password" and share it along with their username.
After creating the employee, review the employee settings in their profile, some of which are automatically pre-filled for new employees:
Employment Period: Define the start of employment and, if applicable, the end date, along with the corresponding vacation entitlement for that period. For mid-year starters with non-rounded vacation entitlements, it is recommended to work with two employment periods.
Standard Working Hours: Define the working time model with target hours and expected working days, as well as the assignment of the applicable break rule and public holiday calendar.
Overtime & Vacation Balance: If the newly created employee brings forward existing vacation days or overtime, these can be entered here and offset against future balances.
For more information on this topic, see here: Creating Employees
Defining Time Entry Methods for Your Company
For a smooth start, you should decide early on how working hours will be recorded in your company. ZEP Clock offers the following options:
Recording via the browser using the stamp icon (top right)
If manual time entry has not been disabled, the Working Hours menu item is also available
For mobile or shared devices, you can use the ZEP Clock app, which offers a single-user mode for personal use and a multi-user mode for shared devices
A ZEP browser extension is also available for Chrome and Edge
If no digital solution is suitable, you can also enquire about our hardware options such as the ZEP Terminal or partner terminals (Datafox and EasySecure)
For a successful rollout, the key factor is not the range of technical options but rather a clear decision: which employee groups will record time in the browser, which will use the mobile app, and where do terminal solutions make sense?
For more information on this topic, see here: Working Hours
Knowing the Key Administrative Workflows for Day-to-Day Use
For administrators — and, when the Locations & Departments module is in use, also for department heads — it is important to know where corrections and additions can be made in day-to-day operations. Under Employees › Select the relevant user › Administration, working hours and calendar entries of other employees can be recorded, edited, and corrected. An internal note can be added to document the reason for any change, which is visible to the employee in their working hours history. This gives users with additional permissions a dedicated place for the most important day-to-day administrative tasks.
For more information on this topic, see here:
Using automations effectively
Under Administration › System › Tasks, you can automate recurring tasks. Particularly useful from the start are tasks such as reminders for missing time entries, reminders to clock in, or the automatic logout of employees at a fixed time or after a certain attendance duration. Additionally, you can set up notifications for employment periods, absence requests, shortfalls in target hours, or monthly closing locks. This helps to stabilize day-to-day operations early on and prevent incorrect bookings.
For more information on this topic, see here: Tasks
