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Payroll and time and attendance management systems

Negotiating Tech: An Inventory of U.S. Union Contract Provisions for the Digital Age

Governance of workplace technology applications

4.2.b Payroll and time and attendance management systems

Unions have negotiated a range of provisions to address the use of digital payroll and time and attendance systems, which increasingly determine how hours worked, leave taken, and wages earned are tracked and processed. While some protections predate automation, they have taken on new significance as employers adopt systems that log employee activity in real time, automate approvals and denials, and allow remote edits without direct communication. To respond to these changes, union agreements include requirements for bargaining over implementation, limits on how systems can be used, protections against unfair discipline or data misuse, and guarantees of employee access and oversight rights. The provisions in this section fall into four main categories:

Time management system implementation and negotiation

Some agreements require employers to provide notice and an opportunity to bargain prior to deploying new timekeeping or payroll systems. In some cases, unions and employers also collaborate on system development, testing, or design elements before full-scale rollout. These provisions are intended to ensure that digital systems are not implemented unilaterally and that their use aligns with established workplace policies and agreements.

Examples:

  • “Sign-in and sign-out procedures will be negotiated upon deployment of a new time management system.” (AFGE-OPM81)
  • “Should the [Employer] seek to modify the above [time management] procedures, or implement any form of electronic log in, it shall provide the Union with notice and an opportunity to bargain.” (AFGE-OPM38)
  • “A meeting shall be held with the Union to discuss future updates or problems with the [online time management] system when initiated by either party.” (NFFE-OPM61)
  • “The Employer shall implement an employee accessible payroll system that provides access to start and finish times, pay codes, pay amounts and scheduled time off. This system will also provide the time, date and the nature of any alterations made by any member of management. The information in the system shall be updated on, at least, a daily basis.” (IBT-PCBA7)
  • “The Company and the Union agree to work collaboratively during the term of this Agreement on the development of a system to track employee movement to positions outside their home department through the use of time clocks or other technology with the goal of being able to track and compensate employees for each hour of such assignments. The system may be beta tested on a limited basis. The Union and the Company will negotiate any changes to the Agreement that are necessary for the new system before it is implemented plant-wide.” (IUE-CWA-OLMS6)
  • “The Company will pursue technical applications whereby employees may use their personal electronic devices such as cell phones to view and submit certain Payroll related requests.” (UAW-PCBA22)

Time management system use restrictions and worker protections

To prevent misuse of time tracking technologies, some union agreements place restrictions on how these systems may be used and limit the role of system-generated data in disciplinary decisions. Provisions in this area may prohibit the use of personal devices for tracking hours or location, impose limits on electronic punch clocks, and establish protections against discipline resulting from technical errors or unauthorized record edits. Several agreements also require that employees be notified when changes are made to their time records that could impact pay or leave balances.

Examples:

  • “There shall be no employee timeclocks.” (IAMAW-OLMS37)
  • “There shall be no electronic log of sign in and out.” (AFGE-OPM38)
  • “The [online time management] system shall not be used as a sign-in, sign-out system.” (NFFE-OPM61)
  • “The Parties agree that automated time recording systems will not be used as a time clock.” (NFFE-OPM119)
  • “Employees will not be required to punch time clocks, drop brass or any individual method of time keeping. An employer may use electronic time sheets. However, no [employee] shall be required by the employer to use his/her personal cell phone or other personal electronic device to track his/ her work hours, attendance, and/or working location. An employer may provide [employees] electronic devices to track his/her work hours, attendance, and/or working location, but in no event shall the [employee] be required to use, monitor, or power that device outside of the job site vicinity.” (IW-OLMS12)
  • The Employer shall report accurate start times in the staffing system and will not penalize employees for any time errors generated by the staffing system. (CTU-AFT-PCBA11)
  • “No employee shall be disciplined for exceeding personal time based on data received from the [workplace technology platform] or other information technology.” (IBT-PCBA7)
  • “Employees shall not be disciplined for any time entry errors caused by equipment or software malfunctions.” (UFCW-PCBA63)
  • “The Employer shall not alter the information from the [workplace technology platform], or information recorded through the use of any other technology, so as to diminish an employee’s compensable time, without the employee’s knowledge.” (IBT-PCBA7)
  • “If a change is made to an Employee’s records by an individual other than the employee which results in a change to the Employee’s pay or charges to the Employee’s leave, credit hour or compensatory time off balances, the Employee will be promptly notified of the change and the reason for it.” (NFFE-OPM119)

Time management system training, access, and support

Unions have secured provisions to ensure that employees are trained on how to use digital time and attendance systems and have the necessary support to access and respond to system-generated outputs. These include training resources, help with login or system navigation, and notifications about leave approvals, disapprovals, or entry errors. These provisions are designed to reduce confusion, help prevent employees from being penalized due to system-related issues, and support equitable system use across the workforce.

Examples:

  • “There shall be a separate link and page from the [employer intranet website] for [the online time management system]. The [online time management system] page will contain: Frequently Asked Questions, an on-line training tool and job aids. The Timekeepers and designees shall also be listed on the [online time management system] page by office to assist with technical issues and password resets.” (NFFE-OPM61)
  • “The [Employer] will ensure that employees are trained regarding 15 minute increments before deployment of the [new time management] system.” (AFGE-OPM81)
  • “When requested by the Union, time clocks will be left in place for employees to record their work hours for their own personal use.” (IBT-PCBA7)
  • The Union and Company agreed that employees should be able to change their passwords online for accessing pay stubs, even when not using a work computer. The Company will implement this feature. A brief training session will be available at the plant Labor Relations office or a kiosk. (UAW-PCBA28)
  • “The [online time management] system will provide automated notification to the employee in the event of a disapproval of the employee’s bi-weekly time and attendance. The [online time management] system shall warn an employee if entries such as requests for leave, credit hours, official time, do not conform to system edits.” (NFFE-OPM61)

Oversight, data access, and transparency for time management systems 

To support transparency and accountability, many agreements grant employees and union representatives the right to inspect system records, including time logs, pay records, and edit histories. These provisions also help ensure that workers can verify their hours, identify errors, and challenge discrepancies. Some contracts additionally establish privacy protections and documentation standards to govern the use and retention of timekeeping data.

Examples:

  • “Upon request, an employee or the Union may inspect the record of an employee’s time recorded on the [workplace technology platform] or other device for previous days’ work. An employee will be permitted to examine the operation record for the current pay period for the purpose of ascertaining their hours worked. If an employee has an issue with their hours worked for a particular day, the Employer will provide the employee, upon request, with a printout of their hours worked.… Further, the Employer shall post for an employee’s review, a copy of the PTE edits for each day.… An employee’s hours worked and rate of pay shall be available for review electronically by the affected employee on a Company maintained website.” (IBT-PCBA7)
  • Union representatives will be provided with read-only access to the Attendance Tracking System (ATS) or a comparable system, including timekeeping reports such as estimated weekly overtime, vacation time remaining, paid time off balance, hours worked and absences. This access will be granted unless prohibited by law. [The agreement includes a comprehensive list of system reports and authorized representatives]. (UAW-PCBA28)
  • “Unless otherwise restricted by applicable state regulations, all payments to employees will be direct deposited to the bank or financial institution the employee designates.… Pay statements are available for employees to view/and or print via the internet and computers. Kiosks are available locally for the purpose of viewing pay statements.” (UAW-PCBA22) 
  • “The employee shall be able to see who and what edits were made to his/her [online time and attendance] records once it was validated.” (NFFE-OPM61)
  • “All [time and attendance] systems used will have adequate protection to ensure that the Employee’s privacy is protected in accordance with applicable provisions of the Privacy Act. Access to Employee records will be limited to authorized individuals. Any records used to substantiate leave abuse allegations will be provided to the Employee upon request.” (NFFE-OPM119)

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4.2.c Workforce scheduling systems