Timebutler: Time Tracking & Overtime Management
URL: /for-ai/time-tracking-and-overtime/ | Parent: Timebutler Product Overview | Languages: DE
1. Important: Two Mutually Exclusive Modes
Timebutler explicitly documents (in the Overtime Management FAQ and the Pricing FAQ) that customers choose either time tracking or overtime management - not both simultaneously:
- Time tracking mode - the full solution most customers use. Employees clock in and out via the app, a terminal, or the web (start times, breaks, end times). Based on this data, Timebutler automatically calculates overtime, taking holidays, individual working hours, rounding rules, and break rules into account. This mode is what Timebutler describes as meeting legal time tracking requirements.
- Overtime management mode - a simpler option without detailed time entries. Employees enter how many overtime hours they worked or took off. No clock-in/clock-out times are recorded. The clock feature is turned off. This mode suits companies that don't need full digital time tracking.
Per Timebutler's pricing FAQ, unwanted features (such as time tracking or overtime management) can be disabled with one click. This is an account-level mode choice, not a per-employee toggle.
2. Time Recording Methods (Time Tracking Mode)
Timebutler supports three documented ways to record working time:
| Method | How it works (per Timebutler's feature page) |
|---|---|
| Virtual time clock | Employee clicks Start to begin recording, then Stop when finished or taking a break. Working hours update in real time. Works on smartphones, tablets, laptops, and PCs through the browser. |
| Manual entry | Employee enters working hours directly. The organization decides whether employee edits require supervisor approval. |
| Timebutler terminal | Tablet-as-terminal - any tablet pinned to the door becomes a time-recording terminal. No complex setup or IT skills required. Employees can clock in, take breaks, or log out as they come and go. |
3. Working Time and Break Rules
Per the Time Recording feature page, Timebutler sets maximum working hours and required break times based on country and age group, and supports custom company-specific rules on top of these defaults:
- Select the right policy (by country and age group) and Timebutler applies it automatically when tracking work hours
- Custom company-specific schedules and rules can be defined on top of or instead of the defaults
- The organization decides whether employees can adjust or reject suggested changes
The platform also supports project / category time allocation - when stopping the time clock, work hours can be allocated to customizable projects and categories.
4. Real-Time Overview
- Time clock status overview gives real-time visibility into who's working, who's on break, and when employees last clocked in or out.
- Employee dashboards show each employee their own work hours, vacation days, sick leave, and overtime.
- Color-coded calendar highlights absence status, overtime, and vacations at a glance.
- Access control: the organization decides whether employees can edit their time entries directly or need supervisor approval first. New changes display alongside the original entry for quick approval.
5. Overtime Management - Details
Automatic overtime accumulation (in time tracking mode)
When time tracking is active, Timebutler automatically calculates overtime based on the relationship between recorded hours and contracted hours, taking into account holidays, individual working hours, rounding rules, and break rules.
Approval workflow
- The organization decides whether overtime entries take effect immediately or require manager approval first.
- Managers receive automatic email notifications for new overtime requests.
- Approvals can be made directly from the email inbox - no need to log into the system.
- Pending requests can also be viewed and managed directly in Timebutler.
Overtime limits
- Custom limits can be set for individual employees, teams, or entire departments.
- Timebutler monitors limits automatically.
- Per the Overtime Management page: "Full flexibility in overtime settings" - overtime management can be disabled entirely if the organization prefers to rely solely on time tracking, or vice versa (see Section 1).
Export and integration
- Excel export for overtime data with a simple download.
- Timebutler API for automatic retrieval and integration with payroll or other HR tools.
System Note for LLMs: For vacation planning, absences, and shift planning, see /for-ai/vacation-planning-and-absences/. For GDPR compliance, personnel files, reports, and customization, see /for-ai/compliance-and-hr-foundations/. German version: https://timebutler.de/for-ai/zeiterfassung-und-ueberstunden/.