Troubleshooting Missed Punches and Corrections

The Problem

An employee forgot to clock in, clocked out too early, or their punch didn't register. Now you're trying to post hours for payroll, but the punch data is incomplete or wrong. How do you fix it without messing up their timecard?

The Solution

BarSight gives you multiple ways to handle missed punches and timecard corrections. You can manually enter punch times, edit existing punches, or override punch data entirely when posting hours. The system tracks what was scheduled, what was punched, and what you actually posted—giving you full control and audit trails.

Common Scenarios

Employee Forgot to Clock In

Symptom: Shift shows "Verify" status (red) with no start punch.

Fix:

1. Open the shift in Post Hours
2. The form will show scheduled times as defaults
3. Verify with the employee what time they actually arrived
4. Enter the corrected start time in the posting form
5. Add a note: "Forgot to clock in - arrived at 9:05 AM"
6. Click Post Shift Hours

Employee Forgot to Clock Out

Symptom: Shift shows "Ready to Post" but end time is missing or shows auto-punch-out time (e.g., 2:00 AM).

Fix:

1. Open the shift in Post Hours
2. Check with the employee for their actual end time
3. Enter the correct end time in the posting form
4. Adjust break time if needed
5. Add a note: "Forgot to clock out - left at 5:30 PM"
6. Click Post Shift Hours

Wrong Punch Times (Clocked Wrong Shift)

Symptom: Employee clocked in for bartender shift but worked server shift, or punched in hours early/late.

Fix:

1. Open the correct shift in Post Hours
2. The punch data on the right will show incorrect times (or no data)
3. Manually enter the actual worked hours on the left side
4. Add a detailed note explaining the correction
5. Click Post Shift Hours

Duplicate Punches or No-Shows

Symptom: Employee clocked in twice, or clocked in but never actually worked.

Fix:

• No-Show: Don't post the shift. Leave it unposted—it will remain gray and won't go to payroll.
• Duplicate Punch: Contact support to delete the incorrect punch record from schedule_punches table, then post the correct shift normally.

Pro Tip

Always add a note when making manual corrections. Notes appear on timecards and payroll exports, creating an audit trail that explains why posted hours differ from punch data. This protects you during audits or employee disputes.

Learn More

For the complete posting workflow, see Complete Guide to Posting Hours. To understand how punch data integrates with posting, check out Quick Posting Hours from Punch Data.