Follow one shift through the three views
Imagine a planned shift from 09:00 to 17:00 with a 30-minute unpaid break. Its scheduled span is 8 hours and its planned paid time is 7.5 hours. You actually finish at 17:30 and take the same unpaid break. The actual span becomes 8.5 hours and the simple paid-time calculation becomes 8 hours.
A calendar that still ends at 17:00 will continue to estimate 7.5 paid hours. Updating the shift is necessary before comparing its estimate with a record based on the later finish.
Keep a record of what changed
Changes can include a late finish, an early departure, a cancelled shift, a swap or a different break. Record the actual times while the details are still clear. When possible, preserve a short note explaining the difference from the original plan.
Do not add a replacement shift without removing or editing the cancelled one. That creates duplicate planned time. After a swap, also check whether a weekend or night setting now applies to a different set of hours.
Compare matching date ranges
A monthly summary can contain a mix of completed shifts and future plans. A payroll record may cover only part of the month. Before comparing totals, match the start date, end date and treatment of overnight shifts at the boundary.
- Is this the same reporting period?
- Have all completed shifts been updated?
- Are unpaid breaks handled the same way?
- Does either total include planned work that has not happened?
- Are leave and adjustments counted separately?
Use ClockPay as your personal planning record
ClockPay reports summarize your entered schedule and configured pay rules. They help you understand the plan and keep track of changes, but they do not certify attendance or replace employer payroll records.
When you export an estimate, explain the date range and whether it includes future shifts. Keep a copy of the export you used in a comparison, because later edits can change the next report. See reports and exports for the difference between a spreadsheet report and a calendar file.