PunchBlog
Time tracking, payroll, and field-team operations
Guides and how-tos from the team building Punch, FLSA overtime rules, geofencing, biweekly pay, split shifts, and everything else small field teams actually deal with.
- 11 min read
H-2B Workers on a Landscaping Crew: The Three-Fourths Guarantee and the Hours Record You Owe (2026)
Bringing H-2B workers onto a landscaping crew adds an hours record most time clocks never keep: hours offered, hours worked, and start and end times for every day, checked against a three-fourths guarantee every 12 weeks. Here is what the rule requires in 2026 and how to keep the record without a second spreadsheet.
Read post - 12 min read
Philippines Overtime Rules: The 8-Hour Day, the 25% Premium, Night Shift Differential, and Holiday Pay (2026)
Philippine overtime is daily, not weekly. Here is the Labor Code's 8-hour day, the 25% overtime premium, the 10% night shift differential, rest day and holiday rates, the ₱755 Metro Manila minimum wage, and the three-year time record DOLE requires, for small crews in 2026.
Read post - 12 min read
Ireland Overtime Rules: The 48-Hour Week, Sunday Pay, and the Three-Year Record (2026)
Irish law sets no overtime rate, but the Organisation of Working Time Act's 48-hour average, the €14.15 minimum wage, Sunday compensation, rest breaks, public holidays, and the three-year record all turn on hours worked. What small Irish employers owe in 2026 and the punch record that proves it.
Read post - 11 min read
South Africa Overtime Rules: The BCEA 45-Hour Week, 1.5x Overtime, and the Earnings Threshold (2026)
South Africa overtime under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act: the 45-hour week, 9 or 8-hour day, 1.5x overtime capped at 10 hours a week, Sunday and public holiday pay, the R269,600.90 earnings threshold, and the three-year time record every employer must keep, for small crews in 2026.
Read post - 11 min read
Singapore Overtime Rules: Part IV of the Employment Act, the 44-Hour Week, and the 72-Hour Cap (2026)
Singapore overtime depends on who is covered by Part IV of the Employment Act. Here is the $4,500 and $2,600 salary line, the 44-hour week, the 1.5x formula, the 72-hour monthly cap, rest day pay, and the two-year hours record MOM requires, for small crews in 2026.
Read post - 8 min read
Mexico Overtime Rules: Double Time, Triple Time, and the Road to a 40-Hour Week (2026)
Mexican overtime is paid at double, then triple. In 2027 the legal week drops to 46 hours and every employer must keep an electronic record of hours. Here is what the Ley Federal del Trabajo reform means for small teams.
Read post - 10 min read
New Zealand Overtime Rules: No Statutory Premium, Public Holiday Pay, and the Hours Record That Decides Both (2026)
New Zealand law sets no overtime premium, but it does require minimum wage for every hour, time and a half on public holidays, paid rest breaks, and six years of wage and time records. Here is what NZ employers owe in 2026, what the Employment Leave Act changes, and the punch record that proves it.
Read post - 8 min read
Early Punch-Ins and Late Punch-Outs: Do You Have to Pay the Extra Minutes? (2026)
Crew punching in 15 minutes early? Under 29 CFR 785.48(a) you can disregard early and late punches only if no work happens. Here's how to tell, what the risk is, and how to keep punches honest.
Read post - 10 min read
Flat-Rate Mechanics and Overtime: Flag Hours, Clock Hours, and What an Auto Repair Shop Owes (2026)
Flat-rate pay does not cancel overtime or minimum wage for most auto repair shops. Learn the difference between flag hours and clock hours, who the dealership exemption covers, how to calculate the regular rate, and why the clock is the record that protects the shop.
Read post - 8 min read
Australia Overtime Rules: The 38-Hour Week, Modern Awards, and What You Owe (2026)
Australian overtime is set by your Modern Award, not one national rule. Here is how the 38-hour week, award overtime rates, the $26.44 minimum wage, 7-year records, and wage theft laws work for small teams in 2026.
Read post - 9 min read
Time Tracking for Handyman Businesses: Five Jobs a Day, One Clean Timesheet (2026 Guide)
How a handyman business tracks hours across five or six small jobs a day: geofenced punch-in at each address, paid drive time between jobs, labor cost per job, automatic overtime, and payroll export.
Read post - 8 min read
UK Overtime Rules: The 48-Hour Week, Minimum Wage, and What You Owe (2026)
UK law does not require overtime pay, but the 48-hour average, the £12.71 National Living Wage, rest breaks, and holiday pay all turn on hours worked. Here is what small UK employers owe in 2026 and the punch record that proves it.
Read post - 8 min read
Time Tracking for Moving Companies: Crews, Drive Time, and Overtime (2026 Guide)
A local move is billed by the hour and paid by the hour, so every minute has to be right twice. Here is how small moving companies track crew hours: punch-in at the warehouse, paid drive and wait time, the motor carrier overtime trap, and weekly approval before payroll.
Read post - 9 min read
The FMLA 1,250-Hour Rule: How to Count Hours for Family Leave Eligibility (2026)
Federal FMLA eligibility turns on 1,250 hours worked in the 12 months before leave starts, and if your records are thin, the burden falls on you. Here is how to count the hours, what does and does not count, and the state family leave laws that reach employers with as few as one employee.
Read post - 10 min read
Hiring Your First Employee: The Payroll and Time Tracking Checklist for Solo Contractors (2026)
Going from solo operator to employer changes your obligations on the first shift. Here is the checklist: EIN, I-9, W-4, new hire reporting, workers comp, pay periods, and the time records the FLSA expects you to keep from day one.
Read post - 8 min read
Time Tracking for Pool Service Techs: Routes, Drive Time, and Weekly Payroll (2026 Guide)
A pool route is a list of backyards, not a shift. Here is how to track pool technician hours: geofenced punch-in at every pool, paid drive time between stops, per-stop pay that still owes overtime, and a weekly approval before payroll.
Read post - 6 min read
Donning and Doffing: Is Time Spent Putting On Gear, Uniforms, and PPE Paid Time? (2026)
Is time spent putting on and taking off uniforms, PPE, and safety gear paid under the FLSA? A plain guide to donning and doffing, the continuous workday rule, and how to record gear time so it is never off the clock.
Read post - 10 min read
Time Tracking for Tree Service Crews (Arborist Payroll Guide 2026)
Tree crews work several properties a day, surge after every storm, and rarely qualify for an overtime exemption. Here is how to track climber and ground crew hours with geofenced punch-in, paid drive time, and storm-week overtime done right.
Read post - 6 min read
Time Tracking for Cafes and Coffee Shops (Owner Payroll Guide 2026)
Cafes run on short, overlapping shifts, not one long one. Here is how to track barista hours with geofenced punch-in, a shared counter kiosk, weighted-average overtime for shift leads, and hours clean enough to feed the tip credit math correctly.
Read post - 10 min read
Time Tracking for Painting Contractors: Crews, Prep Days, and Piece-Rate Overtime (2026 Guide)
Painting crews split days across prep, coats, and touch-ups, often at more than one house. Here is how painting contractors track every hour with geofenced punch-in, get piece-rate and by-the-room overtime right, and hand payroll clean hours every week.
Read post - 9 min read
Time Tracking for Electrical Contractors: Service Techs and Install Crews (2026 Guide)
Electrical contractors run two different crews under one roof: install crews on a single job site for days, and service techs hitting five calls before lunch. Here is how to track hours for both with geofenced punch-in, paid travel time, per-job costing, and automatic overtime.
Read post - 10 min read
Snow Removal Crew Time Tracking: Storm Nights, Standby Pay, and Overtime (2026 Guide)
How to track hours and run payroll for a snow removal crew: when standby time is paid, why driving between lots counts, how 30-hour storm pushes hit overtime, and how to prove every lot was plowed.
Read post - 9 min read
Minimum Wage Increases for 2027: How to Handle a Raise That Lands Mid-Week (2027)
California, Connecticut, Michigan, and Virginia raise their minimum wage on January 1, 2027, and Florida hits $15 on September 30, 2026. Here is how to pay a rate change that lands in the middle of a workweek, and why exact punch times decide what you owe.
Read post - 12 min read
Time Tracking for Pest Control Techs (Route and Payroll Guide 2026)
A pest control route is fifteen stops, not one shift. Here is how to track technician hours correctly: geofenced punch-in at every account, paid drive time between stops, per-visit pay that still owes overtime, offline punching in crawl spaces, and records that survive a state inspection.
Read post - 10 min read
Military Leave and USERRA: What Small Employers Owe Guard and Reserve Crew (2026)
USERRA applies to every employer, with no minimum headcount. Here is what a small business owes a National Guard or Reserve crew member: notice rules, the five-year cap and what is exempt from it, return-to-work deadlines, the escalator principle, health coverage, and when short-term military leave has to be paid.
Read post - 9 min read
27 Pay Periods in a Year: What an Extra Biweekly Paycheck Actually Changes (2027)
Some years have 27 biweekly pay periods instead of 26. Learn why it happens, how to check whether your 2027 calendar has an extra payday, what it does to salaried pay and benefit deductions, and why it changes nothing about overtime.
Read post - 10 min read
Tracking Apprentice On-the-Job Training Hours: The 2026 Guide for Small Trade Shops
An apprentice needs thousands of documented on-the-job hours to reach journeyman, and the shop owner is the one who has to prove them. Here is what federal apprenticeship standards and state license boards require in 2026, and how to keep an OJT hour record that survives verification.
Read post - 12 min read
Do You Have to Pay for Sleep Time? 24-Hour Shifts and the FLSA (2026)
On a shift under 24 hours, sleep time is paid, full stop. On a shift of 24 hours or more, you can exclude up to 8 hours only if four conditions hold, and one interrupted night puts every minute back on the clock. Here are the rules, the five-hour test, and the punch record that proves it.
Read post - 7 min read
Homebase vs Buddy Punch: Pricing and Features
Homebase bills per location and gates time off. Buddy Punch bills per user and gates geofencing. What each costs 10 people, and the better third option.
Read post - 8 min read
Homebase vs ClockShark: Pricing and Features
Homebase bills per location and gates time off. ClockShark bills per user on a three-year contract. What each costs a 10-person crew, and the third option.
Read post - 10 min read
Attendance Point Systems and No-Call No-Show Policies: The 2026 Rules for Small Teams
A no-fault attendance point system is legal, until it counts an absence the law protects. Here is how to build a points ladder and a no-call no-show policy in 2026 that survives FMLA, ADA, and state sick leave, and the punch record that proves every point you assessed.
Read post - 11 min read
Daylight Saving Time Payroll: The 7-Hour Night, the 9-Hour Night, and Crews Across Time Zones (2026)
Clocks fall back on November 1, 2026, and the graveyard shift works nine hours on an eight-hour schedule. Here is what the Department of Labor says you owe, how the extra hour hits overtime, why Arizona and Hawaii are different, and how to pay a crew that works across a time zone line.
Read post - 10 min read
New York Spread of Hours and Call-In Pay: The 2026 Rules Your Timesheet Has to Prove
New York owes an extra hour of pay when a workday spans more than 10 hours, and a minimum payout when a crew shows up and gets sent home. Here is how spread of hours, call-in pay, and New York's own overtime thresholds work in 2026, and the punch record that settles them.
Read post - 12 min read
Do You Have to Pay for Drug Tests, Physicals, and Onboarding Time? (FLSA Guide 2026)
Drug tests, DOT physicals, orientation paperwork, and working interviews all raise the same question: is that paid time? Here is the FLSA line between an applicant and an employee, who pays the testing bill in states like California and Minnesota, and how to keep the record straight.
Read post - 10 min read
How to Change Pay Periods: Switching From Weekly to Biweekly Payroll (2026)
Moving your crew from weekly to biweekly pay is legal in most states, but only if you check the frequency floor, give written notice, leave the workweek alone, and bridge the gap check without delaying earned wages. Here is the full checklist.
Read post - 11 min read
How Many Hours Is Full Time? The 30-Hour Rule, FTE Math, and the 50-Employee Line (2026)
Forty hours is a habit, not a law. The FLSA never defines full time, and the rule that carries real money sets it at 30 hours a week or 130 hours a month. Here is the ACA 30-hour rule, how full-time equivalents count toward the 50-employee threshold, what the 2026 penalties cost, and the hour records it all runs on.
Read post - 9 min read
Seasonal and Temporary Employees: The Payroll Rules That Do Not Relax When the Crew Doubles
Hiring a seasonal crew does not lower your wage and hour obligations. Overtime, recordkeeping, and new hire reporting all apply from day one. Here is what changes, what does not, and how to onboard a temporary crew onto a time clock in an afternoon.
Read post - 9 min read
Automatic Lunch Deductions: The Quiet Wage Claim Hiding in Your Timesheets
Auto-deducting 30 minutes for lunch is legal only if the break actually happened and the employee was completely relieved of duty. Here is what the FLSA requires, what the DOL's 2026 meal period opinion letter settled, why the deduction fails on job sites, and the punch record that replaces it.
Read post - 9 min read
How to Switch Time Tracking Apps Without Losing Your Hours (2026)
Canceling your old time clock does not cancel your recordkeeping duty. Here is what the FLSA and your state require you to keep, what to export before the account closes, and how to import years of old timecards into Punch in one pass.
Read post - 13 min read
Per Diem, Truck Allowances, and Tool Stipends: When a Reimbursement Becomes Wages (2026)
A per diem or truck allowance that is really disguised pay lands in the regular rate and raises every overtime hour, and can turn into taxable W-2 wages. Here are the two tests, the 2026 GSA and IRS safe-harbor numbers, and the hours record that keeps you clear.
Read post - 9 min read
One Worker, Two of Your Companies: Joint Employment and Overtime in 2026
If the same person works for two businesses you own, their hours usually combine into one workweek for overtime, and both entities are on the hook. Here is the horizontal joint employment standard, the DOL's 2025 opinion letter, the pending 2026 rule, and the punch record that keeps you straight.
Read post - 10 min read
The Motor Carrier Exemption: When Your Truck Crew Is Owed Overtime and When It Is Not (2026)
Section 13(b)(1) of the FLSA exempts some drivers from overtime. The 10,000-pound small vehicle exception puts most pickup-driving field crews right back in. Here is how the test works, week by week, and the hour records you need either way.
Read post - 9 min read
No Tax on Overtime: The Box 12 Code TT Reporting Rule Every Small Employer Owes in 2026
Starting with tax year 2026, employers must report qualified overtime compensation on Form W-2 in box 12 with code TT. Here is what actually counts, why state daily overtime does not, and the hour records you need to get the number right.
Read post - 10 min read
Is It Legal to Track Employees' Location? GPS, Consent, and Notice Rules for 2026
GPS on a time clock is legal in most of the country, with conditions. Here are the state notice laws, the vehicle tracking rules, the biometric statutes that carry five-figure penalties, and the narrow way to verify a job-site punch without tracking anyone.
Read post - 11 min read
Rain Days and Weather Closures: What You Owe a Field Crew When Work Gets Called Off (2026)
A storm cancels the day. Do you pay the crew? Here is how the FLSA treats hourly and salaried staff on a weather closure, when show-up pay is owed and when the act-of-God exception kills it, and the punch record that settles it.
Read post - 10 min read
Bereavement Leave Laws: What Small Employers Owe in 2026
No federal law requires bereavement leave, but California, Illinois, Oregon and Washington mandate it outright, and Colorado, Minnesota and Maryland let employees spend existing paid leave on it. Here is what you owe, the salary-basis trap, and why funeral days must never inflate the overtime base.
Read post - 10 min read
Four 10-Hour Days: How to Run a Compressed Workweek Without Owing Overtime in 2026
A 4/10 schedule is free under federal law and expensive in California, Alaska, Nevada, and Colorado unless you do the paperwork first. Here are the rules for compressed workweeks, the 9/80 trap, and the punch record that proves the schedule was followed.
Read post - 11 min read
Seven Days Straight: Day of Rest Laws and Seventh-Day Overtime in 2026
Federal law lets a crew work every day of the year. California, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and Kentucky do not. Here is how day of rest laws work, what the seventh day costs, and the punch record that proves the rest day happened.
Read post - 11 min read
Jury Duty and Voting Leave: What Small Employers Owe in 2026
Federal law does not make you pay an hourly employee for jury duty or voting time, but eight states do for jury service and 21 states plus DC do for voting. Here is what you owe, the salary-basis rule that catches owners, and why civic hours must never land in the overtime base.
Read post - 8 min read
Spanish-Speaking Crews: Bilingual Time Tracking and Wage Notices in 2026
Hispanic workers are about a third of the construction workforce, and the duty to communicate in a language your crew understands already sits with the employer. Here are the wage-notice and safety rules, the places English-only timekeeping quietly breaks, and how to run a bilingual crew without a translator in the middle.
Read post - 10 min read
PUMP Act Break Rules: What Small Employers Must Provide (2026)
The PUMP Act requires reasonable break time and a private space that is not a bathroom for nursing employees, for one year after birth. Here is what small employers owe, when the break is paid, how the under-50 exemption really works, and how to keep the record.
Read post - 12 min read
An Employee Disputes Their Hours: How to Handle a Timesheet Dispute (2026)
An employee says the paycheck is short. Here is what to do in the first hour, why the burden of proof lands on your records and not their memory, how to run the reconstruction, when to pay back wages, and how to write a dispute procedure before you need one.
Read post - 11 min read
Workers' Comp Premium Audit: How Your Time Records Decide What You Pay (2026)
Your workers' comp premium is built on payroll, and the manual rules that lower it all require records you can verify. Here is how the overtime exclusion works, why split class codes need actual hours, what happens to uninsured subcontractors, and how to walk into the audit with the numbers already proved.
Read post - 10 min read
Can You Deduct for Tools, Uniforms, Damage, and Cash Shortages? Payroll Deduction Rules (2026)
A crew member breaks a saw, loses a uniform, or comes up short in the till. Here is what federal law lets you take out of a paycheck, why overtime weeks are stricter, which states say no outright, and the hours record the whole test depends on.
Read post - 9 min read
Crews That Cross State Lines: Which State's Overtime Law Applies in 2026
When a crew works Tuesday in one state and Thursday in another, overtime follows the work, not your office address. Here are the daily overtime states, how the 40-hour workweek behaves across a border, and the punch record that settles it.
Read post - 9 min read
Fair Workweek Laws in 2026: Predictability Pay, Clopening Premiums, and the Timesheet That Proves Them
One state and roughly a dozen cities now require 14 days of schedule notice and pay a premium when a shift moves. Here are the real thresholds in Oregon, Seattle, New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia, and the punch record that decides what you owe.
Read post - 4 min read
CRMb Is Officially Live: The Business Side of Your Punch Workspace
CRMb 1.0 is out of beta and live on the App Store for Mac, iPad, and iPhone. It shares one workspace with Punch — same team, same job sites — and turns every punched hour into real job cost and real margin.
Read post - 9 min read
Do You Have to Pay Employees for Using Their Own Phone to Punch In? BYOD Reimbursement Rules (2026)
If you require your crew to punch in on their personal phones, some states require you to reimburse part of their phone bill. Here is the federal kickback rule, the California and Illinois statutes, and the setup that removes the question entirely.
Read post - 10 min read
Do You Have to Give Employees a Pay Stub? Wage Statement Requirements by State (2026)
Federal law never requires a pay stub. Most states do. Here is what an itemized wage statement has to show, why the hours line is where small employers get caught, and how to make sure the number on the stub matches the week your crew actually worked.
Read post - 9 min read
Heat Rules for Outdoor Crews: Paid Cool-Down Breaks and What Your Timesheet Has to Prove (2026)
Cool-down breaks in the heat are paid time, and in seven states they are mandatory on a clock. Here are the real state thresholds, the FLSA rule that makes short breaks compensable, and what your crew's timesheet has to show when the heat index climbs.
Read post - 10 min read
Employee Timekeeping Policy: What to Include (2026 Template for Small Teams)
A written timekeeping policy is your first defense in a wage claim, but only if you enforce it. Learn the nine clauses every policy needs, the reporting procedure the DOL wants to see, and a template you can adapt today.
Read post - 11 min read
DOL Wage and Hour Audit: What an Investigation Looks Like and How to Be Ready (2026)
A DOL wage and hour investigator can arrive unannounced and ask for your time and payroll records. Here is what the Wage and Hour Division actually does, which records the FLSA requires, what weak timesheets cost, and how to make your records audit-proof.
Read post - 10 min read
Pay Frequency Laws by State: How Often You Have to Pay Employees (2026)
Federal law sets no pay frequency. State law does. Learn which states require weekly, biweekly, or semi-monthly payday, how many days you have after a pay period closes, and how to close a week fast enough to make the deadline.
Read post - 10 min read
Do You Have to Pay Unauthorized Overtime? (FLSA Guide 2026)
An employee worked overtime you never approved. Under the FLSA you still owe the pay, and you can still enforce the policy. A plain-English guide to the duty of management rule, the knowledge standard, what discipline is allowed, and how to see overtime coming before it lands.
Read post - 9 min read
Semi-Monthly Payroll and Overtime: Why Twice-a-Month Pay Splits the Workweek (2026)
Semi-monthly payroll pays twice a month, but FLSA overtime is still owed by the workweek. Learn why the 1st-15th and 16th-end pay periods split workweeks, how to calculate overtime correctly, and how to keep the workweek intact.
Read post - 8 min read
How Many Hours Can a Minor Work? Limits by Age
Federal hour caps for 14, 15, 16 and 17 year olds, school day versus non-school day, the 7 p.m. curfew, and why your state rule usually wins.
Read post - 11 min read
The Fluctuating Workweek Method: Half-Time Overtime for Salaried Staff (2026)
The fluctuating workweek method pays a salaried nonexempt employee a fixed salary plus half-time overtime. Learn the 29 CFR 778.114 rules, a worked example, the deductions that break the method, the states that ban it, and how to track the hours it depends on.
Read post - 9 min read
Do Salaried Employees Have to Track Their Hours?
A salary does not decide it, classification does. When salaried hours must be recorded, when it is optional, and the one rule that protects the exemption.
Read post - 10 min read
Off-the-Clock Work: What It Costs You and How to Stop It (FLSA Guide)
Off-the-clock work is one of the most expensive wage mistakes a small employer can make. A plain-English guide to what counts, why a no-off-the-clock rule is not enough, what the damages look like, and how an accurate punch record keeps you out of it.
Read post - 12 min read
Piece-Rate Pay and Overtime: Paying Crews by the Job Without Shorting the Clock (2026)
Paying by the piece does not remove overtime. Under the FLSA, piece-rate earnings set the regular rate, and hours past 40 still owe a half-time premium. Learn the 29 CFR 778.111 formula, the one legal shortcut, California's rest-period rule, and why exact hours matter.
Read post - 10 min read
Overtime When an Employee Works Two Pay Rates in One Week (The Weighted-Average Rule)
When one employee earns two different hourly rates in the same workweek, overtime is not paid on either rate. It is paid on the weighted average of both. Learn the FLSA weighted-average rule (29 CFR 778.115), the one legal alternative, and worked examples for field crews.
Read post - 10 min read
Day Rate Pay and Overtime: Why Flat Daily Pay Still Owes Overtime (2026)
Paying a crew a flat day rate does not cancel overtime. Under the FLSA, a day rate sets the regular rate, and hours past 40 still earn a half-time premium. Learn the 29 CFR 778.112 formula, a worked example, the Helix v. Hewitt ruling, and how to track the hours.
Read post - 9 min read
Do You Have to Pay for Training and Meeting Time?
Usually yes. Training, safety meetings and toolbox talks are paid unless all four FLSA conditions are met. Here is the test and where employers get it wrong.
Read post - 9 min read
Do You Have to Pay Out Unused PTO?
Federal law requires no PTO payout, but about twenty states treat accrued vacation as wages owed at separation. Here is which rule applies to you.
Read post - 9 min read
Certified Payroll and Prevailing Wage: The Davis-Bacon Guide for Small Construction Crews (2026)
Certified payroll is the weekly report you file on prevailing-wage jobs. Learn the Davis-Bacon $2,000 threshold, the WH-347 form, the 7-day filing rule, fringe benefits, and how exact per-job hours keep your reports clean.
Read post - 10 min read
Reporting Time Pay: What You Owe When a Crew Shows Up and Gets Sent Home (2026)
Reporting time pay, also called show-up pay, is what some states make you pay when a worker reports for a shift and gets sent home early. Learn the FLSA baseline, the state rules, the rain-day problem for field crews, and how to keep exact records.
Read post - 9 min read
1099 vs. W-2 for Field Crews: How to Classify Workers and Avoid Misclassification Penalties (2026)
Should your crew be 1099 contractors or W-2 employees? A plain guide to the federal, IRS, and California ABC tests for classifying field workers, what misclassification actually costs, and how clean time records protect you.
Read post - 11 min read
Overnight and Graveyard Shift Payroll: How Hours That Cross Midnight Get Counted (2026)
How to pay overnight and graveyard shifts that cross midnight. Which workweek the hours belong to, why night work does not trigger federal overtime, how shift differential changes the overtime math, and the California workday rule.
Read post - 10 min read
Canada Overtime Rules by Province (2026)
Overtime in Canada is provincial, not national. Ontario 44 hours, BC daily plus double time, Alberta greater-of. Every province and territory in one table.
Read post - 10 min read
Comp Time Instead of Overtime: Why It's Illegal for Private Employers (2026)
Can you give employees comp time instead of overtime pay? For private employers, no. Learn why comp time in lieu of overtime is illegal under the FLSA, the narrow public-sector exception, what you can legally do instead, and how to track overtime correctly.
Read post - 11 min read
Paid Sick Leave Laws: What Small Employers Have to Provide (2026)
There is no federal paid sick leave law for private employers, but around twenty states plus Washington, D.C. require it. Learn who owes paid sick leave, how the one-hour-per-30-hours accrual standard works, the 2025 additions like Alaska and Nebraska, and how to track balances that hold up.
Read post - 11 min read
Overtime for Tipped Employees: The Tip Credit Calculation Trap (2026)
Overtime for tipped employees is not 1.5 times the $2.13 cash wage. It is 1.5 times the full minimum wage, minus the tip credit. Here is the correct calculation, the states with no tip credit, and how exact hours keep it right.
Read post - 9 min read
Final Paycheck Laws: How Fast You Have to Pay a Departing Employee (2026)
Final paycheck deadlines when an employee quits or is fired, what has to be included, and the penalties for paying late. Plus how to close out a last timesheet in hours instead of weeks.
Read post - 6 min read
What's New in Punch 4.0: Your Schedule in My Shifts, and 60 Countries
Punch 4.0 puts your assigned schedule inside My Shifts — shifts planned in CRMb show up in Punch automatically — and adds overtime rules and local pricing for 60 countries, including all six GCC states. Every feature, every plan.
Read post - 9 min read
Forgot to Punch In or Out? You Still Get Paid
Forgot to punch in or out? The FLSA pays you for hours actually worked. How to fix the record, who may correct it, and what a missed punch policy needs.
Read post - 9 min read
Do You Have to Pay Employees for On-Call Time? (FLSA On-Call and Waiting Time Guide 2026)
When is on-call time paid under the FLSA? Learn the engaged-to-wait vs. waiting-to-be-engaged test, when waiting time counts as hours worked, and how to track on-call pay for field crews.
Read post - 10 min read
Time Tracking for Salons and Barbershops (Owner Payroll Guide 2026)
Salons and barbershops mix hourly staff, commission stylists, and booth renters under one roof. Here is how to track chair time with a front-desk kiosk, web punch-in, manager approvals, automatic overtime, and clean payroll exports.
Read post - 11 min read
Do You Have to Pay Holiday Pay? Small Business Rules
Federal law requires no holiday pay and no time and a half for holidays worked. What the FLSA says, the state exceptions, and how holiday hours hit overtime.
Read post - 10 min read
Buddy Punch Alternative for Small Field Crews: Why Teams Switch to Punch (2026)
Looking for a Buddy Punch alternative? Here is why small construction, landscaping, cleaning, and service crews choose Punch: flat per-org pricing instead of a base fee plus a charge for every user, geofenced job-site verification with no camera in your crew's face, offline punching, and automatic overtime on every plan.
Read post - 10 min read
Homebase Alternative for Small Field Crews: Why Teams Switch to Punch (2026)
Looking for a Homebase alternative? Here is why small construction, landscaping, cleaning, and service crews switch to Punch: flat per-org pricing, unlimited geofenced job sites on every plan instead of one geofence per paid location, offline punching, and automatic overtime.
Read post - 12 min read
Connecteam Alternative for Small Field Crews: Why Teams Switch to Punch (2026)
Looking for a Connecteam alternative? Here is why small construction, landscaping, cleaning, and service crews switch to Punch: flat per-org pricing, geofencing on every plan instead of a higher tier, no separately-priced hubs, offline punching, and automatic overtime.
Read post - 11 min read
The Regular Rate of Pay: How Overtime Is Actually Calculated (2026)
Overtime is not 1.5 times the hourly wage. It is 1.5 times the regular rate, which folds in nondiscretionary bonuses, commission, and shift differentials. Learn how to calculate the regular rate under the FLSA, what to include, what to exclude, and worked examples.
Read post - 10 min read
How Long Do You Have to Keep Employee Time Records? (FLSA Recordkeeping Guide 2026)
Under the FLSA you must keep payroll records for 3 years and the time records behind them for 2 years. Here are the 14 fields the law requires, why the burden of proof falls on you, and how to keep records that hold up without a filing cabinet.
Read post - 10 min read
QuickBooks Time Alternative: Leave the Per-User Bill, Keep QuickBooks (2026)
Looking for a QuickBooks Time alternative after the 2026 price increase? Here is why small field crews switch to Punch: flat per-org pricing, every feature on every plan, geofenced punch-in, and a native QuickBooks Online integration so you keep your books and drop the per-user meter.
Read post - 11 min read
What Counts as Hours Worked Under the FLSA? (Small Business Guide)
Which minutes do you actually have to pay for? A plain-English guide to compensable time under the FLSA: waiting time, on-call, rest breaks, meal periods, prep and cleanup, training, and travel, plus how to keep a record that holds up.
Read post - 7 min read
Do You Have to Pay Employees for Travel Time? (FLSA Guide for Field Crews)
Learn when you must pay employees for travel time under the FLSA. Commute vs. job-site-to-job-site travel, overtime impact, and how to track paid travel hours.
Read post - 7 min read
Introducing CRMb: the office side of Punch, now in beta
CRMb is Punch's office companion — clients, scheduling, inventory, and invoicing that runs on the hours your crew already punches. Now in beta on Mac and iPad, plus a new 25% discount and multi-org support in Punch.
Read post - 9 min read
What Is a Workweek Under the FLSA?
A workweek is a fixed, recurring 168 hours and need not match your pay period. Why each week stands alone, and the trap that underpays overtime.
Read post - 9 min read
How to Convert Minutes to Decimal Hours for Payroll (2026 Guide)
Payroll runs on decimal hours, not hours and minutes. Learn the divide-by-60 method, the conversion chart, the mistake that quietly underpays your crew, and why the safest option is to never convert time by hand.
Read post - 10 min read
ClockShark Alternative for Small Field Crews: Why Teams Switch to Punch (2026)
Looking for a ClockShark alternative? Here is why small construction, landscaping, and service crews switch to Punch: flat per-org pricing, every feature on every plan, geofenced punch-in, offline support, and automatic overtime.
Read post - 10 min read
Exempt vs. Non-Exempt Employees: A Small Business Guide (2026)
Exempt or non-exempt decides who gets overtime. Learn the federal salary threshold ($684/week in 2026), the three-part test, why a salary alone does not make someone exempt, and how to track non-exempt hours correctly.
Read post - 10 min read
Time Tracking for HVAC and Plumbing Techs (Field Service Guide 2026)
Field service techs drive between customer homes all day. Here is how to track HVAC and plumbing hours with geofenced punch-in per call, paid travel time between stops, per-ticket job costing, offline support, and automatic overtime.
Read post - 9 min read
How to Calculate Labor Cost Per Job (Job Costing for Field Crews)
Job costing starts with accurate hours. Here is how to calculate true labor cost per job for a field crew, add labor burden, and use per-site time tracking to see which jobs actually make money.
Read post - 10 min read
Meal and Rest Break Laws: What Small Employers Get Wrong (2026)
Federal law does not require meal or rest breaks, but many states do, and California owes an hour of premium pay for a missed break. Here is how break rules work and how to keep the records that prove compliance.
Read post - 10 min read
California Overtime Rules: Daily Overtime, Double Time, and the 7th-Day Rule (2026)
California overtime is daily, not just weekly. Learn the 8-hour and 12-hour rules, double time, the 7th consecutive day rule, and how to calculate it correctly in 2026.
Read post - 10 min read
Shared iPad Time Clock: How a Kiosk Punch Station Works (2026)
A shared iPad kiosk lets a whole crew punch in from one tablet. Here's how a kiosk time clock works, why a personal PIN beats facial recognition, and how to set one up in 2026.
Read post - 8 min read
Time Clock Rounding Rules: The 7-Minute Rule and Why Exact Time Wins (2026)
Time clock rounding and the 7-minute rule are legal under the FLSA, but the law is moving toward paying exact time. Here's how rounding works, where it goes wrong, and why recording the real punch is safer.
Read post - 6 min read
What's New in Punch 3.8: a Payroll Role, Manager Hierarchy, and 50 Countries
Punch 3.8 adds a dedicated Payroll role, second-tier managers, overtime and local currency for 50 countries, and more dependable offline punches. Every feature, every plan.
Read post - 11 min read
How to Track Hours for a Cleaning Business (2026 Guide)
The best way to track hours for a cleaning crew: geofenced punch-in at every property, pay by the visit or the hour, offline support, weekly approvals, and automatic overtime.
Read post - 9 min read
How Much Does a Time Clock App Cost? Per-Employee vs. Flat Pricing (2026)
Most time clock apps bill per employee, so your bill grows every time you hire. Here's how per-employee pricing adds up in 2026 and why flat per-org pricing wins.
Read post - 10 min read
How to Stop Buddy Punching on a Small Team (2026 Guide)
Buddy punching quietly inflates payroll on small teams. Here's how to stop it with geofenced punch-in, manager approval, and a shared-iPad PIN, without putting a camera in your crew's face.
Read post - 11 min read
How to Set Up an Employee Time-Off Request Process (Small Team Guide)
A clear time-off request process keeps PTO out of group texts and spreadsheets. Learn the five steps, what the law requires, accrual vs. lump-sum, and how to track balances.
Read post - 4 min read
What's new in Punch 3.7: Square, overtime for 40 countries, and a guided path to payroll
Punch 3.7 adds a native Square integration that posts approved hours straight to Square timecards, completes the eurozone for overtime in 40 countries, and points you to the export the moment you connect.
Read post - 6 min read
What's new in Punch 3.6: QuickBooks Online, kiosk mode, team photos, and 30 countries
Punch 3.6 adds a native QuickBooks Online integration that pushes approved hours straight to your books, kiosk mode for a shared iPad, employee photos across the app, and overtime rules for 30 countries.
Read post - 4 min read
What's new in Punch 3.5: a guided welcome, team-based management, and managers who punch
Punch 3.5 adds a role-aware first-run walkthrough, team-based management so each manager sees only their crew, managers who can punch their own hours, and a Settings deep-dive that shows how the pay math works.
Read post - 5 min read
What's new in Punch 3.4: commission, bonuses, travel pay, and reminders that respect privacy
Punch 3.4 ships commission and bonuses with honest overtime math, paid travel time, private on-device punch reminders, pay-period last call, and 5 new countries (25 total).
Read post - 5 min read
What's new in Punch 3.3: pay by the visit, solo workspaces with pay, and 20 countries
Punch 3.3 is live: per-location pay for photographers and multi-site crews, solo workspaces with earnings and self-serve payroll, and time tracking in 20 countries.
Read post - 9 min read
Free Punch Clock Apps: What Is Actually Free
Free punch clock apps exist, but most cap employees, show ads, or lock the features you need. What is actually free in 2026, and what the catch costs.
Read post - 9 min read
Construction Punch Clock App for Job Sites
A construction punch clock app lets crews punch in from the job site with GPS, tracks hours across every site, and gets the overtime right.
Read post - 6 min read
Time Clock App for Small Business: The 2026 Buyer's Guide
A time clock app lets employees punch in and out from a phone or browser, with hours that flow to payroll. Here's how to choose a time clock app for a small business in 2026.
Read post - 7 min read
GPS Time Clock App: The Field-Team Guide for 2026
A GPS time clock app confirms employees punch in at the job site, not from the couch. Here's how GPS time clocks work and how to choose one for a field team in 2026.
Read post - 8 min read
Web-Based Punch Clock: The Small-Business Guide for 2026
A web-based punch clock lets your team punch in and out from any browser, no app to install. Here's how online punch clocks work and how to pick one in 2026.
Read post - 6 min read
What's new in Punch 3.2: PTO accruals, two new plans, and 15 countries
Punch 3.2 adds automatic PTO accruals with tenure milestones, two new plans for the smallest teams, and eight new countries for 15 total, each with local currency and overtime rules.
Read post - 8 min read
How to Track Hours for a Roofing Crew (2026 Guide)
The best way to track hours for a roofing crew: geofenced punch-in at every roof, offline support for remote jobs, per-roof hour attribution, and automatic overtime for storm-season weeks.
Read post - 6 min read
What's new in Punch 3.1: 7 countries, currency clarity, and Add a shift
Punch covers 7 countries. Punch 3.1 ships currency clarity (CA$, NZ$, HK$, MX$), auto-applied overtime rules by country, and Add a shift on iOS for missed punches.
Read post - 13 min read
Geofence Time Tracking: How Job Site GPS Works for Field Teams
Learn how geofence time tracking works for job sites, why it only applies to punch-in, and how to set up GPS radius fencing for field crews.
Read post - 12 min read
How to Set Up an Employee Timesheet Approval Workflow (Step-by-Step)
Learn how to build a timesheet approval workflow that catches errors before payroll runs. Covers manager review, rejection reasons, mark-as-paid, and audit trails.
Read post - 9 min read
Landscaping Crew Payroll and Overtime: A Complete Guide for Small Operators
Learn how to handle landscaping crew payroll, overtime rules, and time tracking across multiple job sites. Covers FLSA basics, California rules, and weekly approval workflows.
Read post - 8 min read
How to Export Employee Timesheets to QuickBooks (Step-by-Step)
Export approved employee timesheets to QuickBooks Online in minutes. Learn the exact column format, how net hours are calculated, and which QBO import tools accept the file.
Read post - 12 min read
How to Track Restaurant Split Shifts (AM and PM Service)
Track AM and PM restaurant split shifts accurately. Learn how to record both segments, calculate overtime correctly, and approve time across a split-service day.
Read post - 10 min read
How to Track Employee Hours Without Cell Service
Track employee hours in dead zones and areas without cell service. Learn how offline time tracking works, what gets queued, and what still requires a signal.
Read post - 12 min read
The Best Time Tracking App for Small Businesses in 2026
The best time tracking apps and punch clocks for small businesses in 2026, compared. What to look for, what to avoid, and why pricing structure matters more than features.
Read post - 10 min read
How to Pay Employees Biweekly and Still Calculate Overtime Correctly
Paying employees biweekly doesn't change how FLSA overtime works. Learn how to calculate overtime correctly on a biweekly pay schedule with worked examples.
Read post - 10 min read
FLSA Overtime Rules for Small Business Owners (2026 Guide)
Understand FLSA overtime rules for small business owners in 2026. Learn the 40-hour threshold, state law differences, and how to calculate OT correctly.
Read post - 7 min read
How to Track Employee Hours on a Construction Crew (2026 Guide)
Learn the best way to track employee hours on a construction crew. Geofenced punch-in, offline support, and weekly timesheet approval, built for field teams.
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