When syncing time data to payroll, users with employees working overnight shifts (spanning midnight) may encounter negative hours on the clock-out date. This typically occurs when auto-lunch deductions are enabled.

Example Scenario

An employee works an overnight shift:

• Clock-in: July 8 at 10:00 PM
• Clock-out: July 9 at 6:00 AM
• Auto-lunch: 30 minutes

How Hours Are Posted

• Worked hours (10:00 PM – 6:00 AM) are applied to July 8
• Auto-lunch is deducted from July 9, when the employee clocks out

Because no work hours are registered on July 9, the 30-minute lunch deduction appears as negative hours.

Root Cause

The system posts worked hours based on the clock-in date, but posts auto-lunch deductions based on the clock-out date. This mismatch causes the payroll system to display negative hours on the clock-out day.

Resolution Steps

To correct this:

1. Identify shifts where work spans midnight and auto-lunch is applied.
2. On the clock-out date (e.g., July 9), modify the auto-lunch to move the negative lunch hours from falling on the clock-out date to the clock-in date, which correctly reflects the actual work performed.
3. Recalculate total hours in ExakTime.
4. Sync ExakTime to Payroll and check errors.

Preventative Best Practice

If overnight shifts are common, consider one of the following:

• Manually assign lunch breaks to the appropriate date, or
• Disable auto-lunch and manage break time through explicit clock-ins/outs for breaks, or
• Use Shifts to bundle employee hours to the date they started their shift.