Glossary
The language of shift work, in plain terms.
The scheduling and time-tracking terms operators run into most, defined without jargon and linked to the part of Formclock that handles each one.
Scheduling
Clopening
A closing shift followed immediately by the next morning's opening shift, leaving the employee very little rest between the two.
Read the definitionOn-Call Scheduling
Requiring staff to stay available for a shift they may or may not be called in to work, usually at short notice.
Read the definitionPredictive Scheduling
Laws, also called fair workweek laws, that require employers to give advance notice of schedules and to pay a premium for last-minute changes.
Read the definitionShift Rotation
A pattern that moves staff through different shift times on a repeating cycle, rather than fixing each person to one time of day.
Read the definitionSplit Shift
A single workday divided into two or more separate work periods with a long unpaid gap between them, common in restaurants, cafes and hospitality.
Read the definitionTime clock
Buddy Punching
When one employee clocks in or out on behalf of a coworker who is late or absent, so the timesheet shows hours nobody actually worked.
Read the definitionGeofencing
Restricting clock-in to a defined radius around a workplace, so a punch can only be recorded from the site the shift belongs to.
Read the definitionMissed Punch
A shift where an employee failed to clock in or out, leaving the timesheet with an incomplete entry that a manager has to correct.
Read the definitionTime and Attendance
The practice of recording when staff start, break and finish, so hours worked can be verified and paid accurately.
Read the definitionTime Clock Rounding
Adjusting recorded punch times to a fixed interval, such as the nearest quarter hour, before those hours are paid.
Read the definitionTime Theft
Any practice where an employee is paid for time they did not actually work, from buddy punching to long unlogged breaks to rounded-up hours.
Read the definitionTimesheets & payroll
Overtime Threshold
The number of hours worked in a defined period, usually a week, beyond which each additional hour must be paid at a premium rate.
Read the definitionPay Period
The recurring window of time that one payroll run covers, such as a week, a fortnight, or twice a month.
Read the definitionShift Differential
Extra pay applied to shifts worked at less desirable times, such as nights, weekends or public holidays.
Read the definitionLeave & availability
Reports & insights
Absenteeism
The rate at which scheduled shifts go unworked through absence, measured across a team and period rather than per incident.
Read the definitionLabour Cost Percentage
Total labour cost expressed as a share of revenue over the same period, used to judge whether staffing is proportionate to trade.
Read the definitionAI coverage agent
No-Show
A scheduled shift where the employee neither turns up nor gives notice, leaving the gap to be covered at the last minute.
Read the definitionUnderstaffing
Scheduling fewer people than the work actually requires, so service, safety or compliance depend on the team absorbing the shortfall.
Read the definitionShift trading
Open Shift
A scheduled shift with no employee assigned to it, published so that eligible staff can claim or be offered it.
Read the definitionShift Swap
An arrangement where two employees exchange scheduled shifts, or one hands a shift to another, usually with manager approval.
Read the definitionFrom definitions to the product that handles them.
Every term links to the feature that solves the problem it describes, so you can go straight from the concept to how Formclock deals with it.
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