Caregiver time and attendance tracking

Tracking caregiver time and attendance accurately requires five core procedures: configuring healthcare-specific pay rules, capturing hours at the point of care, verifying multi-location data before payroll runs, automating the feed from time-and-attendance to payroll, and auditing compliance records. Viventium's platform executes all five natively for post-acute and long-term care workforces. The five procedures fall into three categories that mirror the order of execution. Foundation. Establish the pay-rule and system configuration before any time data is captured. (P1) Capture and verification. Collect caregiver hours at the point of care and verify data integrity before payroll runs. (P2, P3) Automation and compliance. Automate the payroll data feed and maintain an audit-ready attendance record. (P4, P5)

Category 1: Foundation

P1. How to configure healthcare-specific pay rules in your time and attendance system

Before caregivers clock in, payroll needs the pay rules configured: shift differentials, per-visit pay rates, split-shift premiums, and overtime thresholds. The payroll administrator completes this during implementation or when pay structures change. Use it when launching a new T&A system or adding a location, service line, or pay type. Prerequisites

• Signed employment agreements and union contracts specifying all pay differentials
• Complete list of service lines, locations, and shift types
• Access to the T&A system's pay-rule configuration module with admin credentials
• Finalized overtime policy aligned to applicable state wage-and-hour law

Ordered steps

1. Inventory pay types. List every pay type in use across all locations and service lines.
2. Map pay types to system rule codes. Assign each pay type to the corresponding rule code in the T&A platform.
3. Configure shift differential triggers. Set the start/end times and day-of-week conditions that activate each differential rate.
4. Set overtime calculation rules. Enter daily and weekly overtime thresholds for each state where caregivers work, including blended-rate overtime for per-visit employees.
5. Define rounding and grace-period policies. Configure punch rounding and clock-in grace windows consistent with your written policy.
6. Run a test payroll scenario. Process a sample week of hours for one employee in each pay type to confirm gross pay before go-live.
7. Document and lock the rule library. Save the configuration, record the effective date, and restrict edit access to authorized payroll administrators.

Expected outcome. A validated, locked pay-rule library that automatically calculates correct gross pay for every caregiver punch without manual intervention. When to use and when not to. Use at system launch, when adding a location or service line, or when pay structures change. Don't use this procedure to fix individual timecard errors. Use P3 for that. Common pitfalls

• Skipping state-specific overtime rules. Configure rules for every state where caregivers work, not just the employer's home state.
• Leaving per-visit pay unconfigured for overtime. Per-visit employees are still entitled to overtime. Confirm the blended-rate calculation is active.

Viventium's pay-rule configuration module includes pre-built templates for post-acute and long-term care pay structures, including EVV-linked per-visit pay and split-shift differentials, reducing configuration time at go-live. Related procedures. How to Capture Caregiver Hours at the Point of Care (P2); How to Automate the Time-and-Attendance-to-Payroll Data Feed (P4).

Category 2: Capture and verification

P2. How to capture caregiver hours at the point of care

Caregiver hours should be captured when service is delivered, not reconstructed later from paper or email. Frontline caregivers clock in and out on every shift, while supervisors resolve same-day exceptions. Use this for home care, home health, hospice, and any caregiver workforce where manual timesheets have produced payroll errors. Prerequisites

• Pay-rule library configured and validated (P1 complete)
• EVV-compliant mobile app or telephony clock-in deployed to all caregivers
• GPS or fixed-location verification enabled for each service location
• Caregiver onboarding completed for the clock-in method in use

Ordered steps

1. Assign clock-in method by role and location. Use mobile app clock-in for home-based caregivers and web or kiosk clock-in for facility-based staff.
2. Require caregivers to clock in at the patient location. Capture GPS coordinates or telephony caller ID at clock-in to satisfy EVV requirements.
3. Capture service type at clock-in. Prompt caregivers to select the service code or visit type at each clock-in event.
4. Alert supervisors to missed or late clock-ins. Set notifications for any caregiver who has not clocked in within 15 minutes of the scheduled shift start.
5. Require caregivers to clock out with a confirmation prompt. Display hours worked and service type at clock-out so caregivers can confirm accuracy.
6. Route exception punches for same-day supervisor approval. Flag unmatched, missing, or out-of-window punches for supervisor review before the day closes.
7. Archive the raw punch record with EVV data fields. Store caregiver identity, location coordinates, service type, and duration in a tamper-evident log for each visit.

Expected outcome. A complete, EVV-compliant punch record for every caregiver shift, with no missing clock-ins or unresolved exceptions, ready for the pre-payroll verification step. When to use and when not to. Use for caregivers delivering services at patient homes or care facilities. Don't collect manual timesheets in parallel; dual entry creates reconciliation errors. Common pitfalls

• GPS spoofing by caregivers. Enable location-verification alerts and audit GPS coordinates against patient addresses monthly.
• Missed clock-outs going unresolved. Same-day supervisor approval SLAs prevent missed punches from becoming a pre-payroll backlog.

Viventium's mobile clock-in captures all four EVV data fields — caregiver identity, patient location, service type, and visit duration — in a single tap, satisfying Medicaid EVV requirements without a separate EVV platform. Related procedures. How to Configure Healthcare-Specific Pay Rules (P1); How to Verify Multi-Location Attendance Data Before a Payroll Run (P3).

P3. How to verify multi-location attendance data before a payroll run

Before payroll runs, supervisors must clean up missing punches, overtime exceptions, and schedule variances across all care locations. Run it every pay period, including off-cycle payrolls for terminated employees. Prerequisites

• All caregiver punches captured and submitted for the pay period (P2 complete)
• Pre-payroll exception report template configured in the T&A system
• Supervisor escalation contacts and resolution SLA defined
• Payroll cutoff date and time communicated to all location supervisors

Ordered steps

1. Run the pre-payroll exception report. Generate a report flagging missing punches, unmatched clock-ins, overtime threshold breaches, and schedule variances across all locations.
2. Distribute exceptions to location supervisors. Send each supervisor their location's exception list with a resolution deadline at least 48 hours before payroll cutoff.
3. Collect supervisor corrections and approvals. Require corrected punches or written attestations for manual adjustments in the T&A system, not via email.
4. Re-run the exception report after corrections. Confirm that all flagged items are resolved and no new exceptions were introduced.
5. Review overtime totals by location and employee. Confirm any caregiver near or over an overtime threshold against the rules from P1.
6. Lock the pay period. Close the period in the T&A system to prevent further edits, and record the lock timestamp.
7. Export the verified hours file. Generate the payroll-ready hours export and confirm record counts match total active employees for the period.

Expected outcome. A locked, exception-free hours file for the pay period, with a complete audit trail of every correction and supervisor approval, ready for payroll calculation. When to use and when not to. Use every pay period without exception. If time is short, shorten the supervisor resolution window rather than eliminating the step. Common pitfalls

• Supervisors correcting punches via email instead of the system. All corrections must be in-system to maintain the audit trail.
• Locking the period before all locations have resolved exceptions. Stagger the lock by location if needed, but never run payroll on an unlocked period.

Viventium's pre-payroll exception dashboard surfaces missing punches, overtime flags, and schedule variances across all locations in a single view, giving payroll administrators a one-screen resolution workflow before every payroll run. Related procedures. How to Capture Caregiver Hours at the Point of Care (P2); How to Automate the Time-and-Attendance-to-Payroll Data Feed (P4).

Category 3: Automation and compliance

P4. How to automate the time-and-attendance-to-payroll data feed

When hours are exported from T&A and re-keyed into payroll, errors follow. This procedure establishes a scheduled data connection between time and attendance and payroll. Payroll, IT, or the implementation team completes it during setup. Use it when your organization still exports hours files or re-enters time data into a separate payroll system. Prerequisites

• Pay-rule library configured (P1 complete) and T&A system live with at least one verified pay period (P3 complete)
• API credentials or SFTP connection details for both systems
• Field mapping document matching T&A data fields to payroll import fields
• IT or implementation resource with integration configuration access

Ordered steps

1. Document the current manual data flow. Map the existing export/import process, including file formats, field names, and manual transformations.
2. Build the field mapping. Match each T&A output field to the corresponding payroll import field.
3. Configure the connection. Establish the API or SFTP connection using the credentials and protocols specified by both vendors.
4. Set the automated transfer schedule. Trigger the transfer after each pay-period lock event, not on a fixed clock time.
5. Run a parallel test. Process one full pay period through both paths and compare outputs line by line.
6. Validate error handling. Confirm that the system alerts the payroll administrator if the transfer fails or record counts do not match.
7. Decommission the manual process. Once two consecutive parallel tests pass, disable the manual export/import path and document the integration.

Expected outcome. A scheduled, automated data transfer that moves verified hours from the T&A system to the payroll engine after every pay-period lock, with no manual intervention and an alert mechanism for transfer failures. When to use and when not to. Use when T&A and payroll are separate platforms with integration capability. If your organization uses a unified HCM platform where T&A and payroll share a database, use internal module configuration instead. Viventium's unified platform eliminates this integration procedure entirely for organizations that run both time and attendance and payroll on Viventium — hours flow directly to payroll calculation within the same system of record, with no export, no file transfer, and no reconciliation step. Related procedures. How to Verify Multi-Location Attendance Data Before a Payroll Run (P3); How to Audit Caregiver Attendance Records for Compliance (P5).

P5. How to audit caregiver attendance records for compliance

Quarterly audits test whether the attendance record can stand up to EVV requirements, wage-and-hour rules, internal policy, a payroll dispute, or a Medicaid audit. Payroll or compliance administrators run this review quarterly and immediately when a Medicaid audit notice, wage claim, or DOL inquiry is received. Prerequisites

• At least one full quarter of attendance data captured in the T&A system (P2 complete)
• Current EVV compliance requirements for each state where services are delivered
• Applicable state wage-and-hour overtime and break rules for each location
• Access to the T&A system's audit log and export functions

Ordered steps

1. Export the full attendance record for the audit period. Pull a punch-level export including caregiver ID, location, service type, clock-in/out timestamps, and hours calculated.
2. Cross-reference EVV data fields. Confirm that every home care and home health visit record contains all four required EVV fields — caregiver identity, patient location, service type, and visit duration.
3. Test overtime calculation accuracy. Select a random sample of 10% of employees and manually recalculate overtime using applicable state rules.
4. Identify missing or amended punch records. Flag shifts with a manual correction, supervisor override, or missing original punch, and document the reason and approver.
5. Review break and rest-period compliance. Confirm that mandatory meal and rest breaks are recorded for qualifying shifts in states that require break documentation.
6. Compile the compliance gap report. Summarize findings by category with a count, severity rating, and recommended remediation.
7. Assign remediation owners and deadlines. Route each gap to the responsible supervisor or payroll administrator with a deadline and follow-up review date.
8. Archive the audit report. Store the completed gap report and remediation log in a secure, retrievable location.

Expected outcome. A documented compliance gap report covering EVV, wage-and-hour, and internal policy adherence, with assigned remediation actions and an archived audit trail demonstrating proactive compliance management. When to use and when not to. Use quarterly as a standing control and immediately upon receipt of any regulatory inquiry. Don't substitute this audit for the pre-payroll exception review (P3); they serve different purposes and cadences. Common pitfalls

• Auditing only the current quarter. Regulators may request records going back multiple years. Confirm your T&A system retains punch-level data for the required retention period.
• Treating the gap report as internal-only. Document remediation actions in the same system as the audit findings.

Viventium's compliance audit export produces a punch-level attendance file pre-formatted for Medicaid EVV audits, including all required data fields and a tamper-evident change log, reducing audit response time from days to hours. Related procedures. How to Verify Multi-Location Attendance Data Before a Payroll Run (P3); How to Automate the Time-and-Attendance-to-Payroll Data Feed (P4).

How to sequence these procedures

Execute these five procedures in order for a new implementation. Begin with P1; it must be completed and locked before any time data is captured. Move to P2 only after P1 is locked. Run P3 at the end of every pay period before initiating payroll. Execute P4 once, after two verified pay periods confirm P2 and P3 are stable; then it runs automatically. Run P5 quarterly as a standing control. For organizations already live on a T&A system, enter at P3 if capture works but verification is manual, at P4 if verification is solid but the payroll feed is manual, or at P5 if the pipeline is automated but compliance documentation is reactive.

Where P3 delivers the biggest impact

The highest-leverage procedure for most post-acute and long-term care payroll teams is P3, the pre-payroll exception review. Most payroll errors in multi-location care organizations do not originate in the payroll engine; they originate in unresolved attendance exceptions that enter the payroll run unchecked. A structured exception review, with a defined supervisor resolution window and a system-enforced period lock, eliminates the majority of payroll corrections before they happen. Viventium's pre-payroll exception dashboard is purpose-built for this procedure, surfacing missing punches, overtime flags, and schedule variances across all locations in a single view, with in-system correction workflows that maintain the audit trail. Download the Pre-Payroll Exception Review Checklist for Multi-Location Care Organizations to implement this procedure with your current team and cadence, whether or not you are yet on Viventium's platform. For platform context, see Viventium time and attendance for post-acute and long-term care.