Enter Time Card by Employee screen

Use the Enter Time Card by Employee screen to enter time card details for an employee for time worked and paid time off.

If the payroll transaction for the time card hasn't been posted yet, you can also use this screen to modify an employee time card.
Note: You can also record employee time card data on the following screens:
  • Generate Automatic Time Cards screen - You will typically generate time cards for employees whose pay doesn't usually vary from one pay cycle to another. This is convenient to use for salaried employees or for employees who typically work on a single task for the same number of hours in each pay cycle.
  • Enter Time Card by Project screen - This is convenient option when a Project Manager enters employee time card date.
  • Import Data screen - You can import time card data from Microsoft Excel or ProContractor Daily Field Reports.

Once you record time card data, you can use the Enter Time Card by Employee screen to modify individual employee time cards, as needed.

To open the Enter Time Card by Employee screen, select Employees > Payroll > Enter Time Card by Employee in the All Tasks pane.

If you need to make manual adjustments to a single payroll transaction before it is posted, you can use the Adjust Payroll Checks and Advices screen to adjust additional pay, before- or after-tax deductions, fringe benefits, and taxes.

If you need to modify time card lines in a posted payroll transaction, use the Void Payroll Checks and Advices screen to void the payroll transaction and then generate or enter another time card. Alternately, you can create a new time card entry with negative hours and amounts, effectively reversing the original transaction. Note that this won't affect the original transaction.

If you enter negative time card lines, consider the following:
  • If a tax or deduction limit has been reached since the original payroll transaction was posted, the negative time card entry will not reverse these limits.
  • If the payroll tax jurisdiction uses bracketed taxes, the negative withholding amounts may not match the original withholding amounts.
  • If the rate has changed since the effective date of the original payroll transaction, the negative time card lines will use the current rate.
  • The Certified Payroll Reports for the pay cycle of the original transaction and the current pay cycle will be not be accurate.
  • The negative time card lines cannot result in a negative payroll check.

To avoid all of these situations, best practice is to use the Void Payroll Checks and Advices screen to void the posted payroll transaction and then re-enter it.

You can create a zero-dollar check to correct a previously issued payroll check with a deduction or tax error that impacts union or tax reports, but does not impact the employee's net pay. Before creating a zero-dollar check, consider the following:

  • Only handwritten checks can have $0 gross earnings.
  • Enter negative time card lines to offset the positive lines, so that the net effect is 0 hours and $0 earnings.
  • If the zero-dollar check is for a salaried employee, you must enter the hourly rate for the handwritten check.
  • For a zero-dollar check, ProContractor ignores any limits and thresholds set on deductions and fringes to allow calculations and overrides.
  • Paid time off does not accrue on a zero-dollar check.
  • Because gross earnings are $0, income tax is not calculated. However, if needed, use the Adjust Payroll Checks and Advices screen to modify the tax amounts for the check.
  • Before posting a zero-dollar check, review and verify all amounts on the Adjust Payroll Checks and Advices screen.
  • A zero-dollar check will not appear in any Banking screen: Bank Reconciliation screen, Bank Reconciliation Report screen, Payment Listing screen, or Check Register screen.
  • If adjustments result in a net check amount that is not $0, set up a deduction for the employee as follows:
    • Calculation Method = P (Percent of Gross)
    • Rate or Amount = 100
    • Limit
      • On = Amount
      • Method = Balance
      • Amount or Balance = 0

Once the deduction is set up, enter an override amount that results in a net check amount of $0. After posting the check, review the employee record on the Employee screen to ensure that the limit amount is 0. This setup allows for reversal of the adjustment entry on the employee's next check. Always verify the employee's next check specifically for this deduction.

Before you can print and post a payroll transaction, taxes and deductions must be calculated for the employee time card. This occurs automatically if you selected the On Enter Time Card By Employee Screen checkbox on the Payroll Settings screen. If not, you must use the Calculate Taxes and Deductions screen to force ProContractor to calculate taxes and deductions.

ProContractor calculates taxes and deductions based on the overtime rules, but does not change the hours entered on the time card.

For example, if you enter 10 regular hours for an employee who should receive overtime after 8 hours, ProContractor will calculate taxes and deductions for 8 regular hours and 2 overtime hours, but the time card line will still show 10 regular hours.

ProContractor determines which overtime rules to apply based on the following order and applies the first set of rules it finds:
Note: After creating or modifying an employee time card, you may want to print a payroll check or advice using the Print Payroll Checks & Advices screen.