The rules

Every rule, in plain English.

HourFlag reads the exports a department’s timekeeping system already makes and puts a short list in front of each supervisor before approval. Here is every rule behind that list: what it looks for, when it is shown, and what to do next.

How flags are shown

Every rule below is fixed and written out, so the same timesheet always gives the same result. Each one fits in a sentence, shows the times behind it, and can be changed by the department.

  • Large one-offs at once, small ones when they repeat

    A forgotten clock-out or a week over the cap is shown the first time it happens. A small difference is shown only when the same rule comes up for the same student in three of the last four pay periods. Small one-offs below the size limit are still counted in the findings report.

  • Hours first, then dollars

    Every flag shows the hours behind it. Dollars are those hours at a wage the department sets, always labeled as an estimated potential. Supervisors see the hours paid over the schedule. Hours under are counted in the findings report but never put on a list, and when a supervisor’s answer shows hours are owed, that still goes on the correction sheet.

  • Defaults a department can change

    Allowed margin
    A few minutes, set by each department, compared after the timekeeping system’s rounding
    Smallest one-off shown
    30 minutes, for the rules whose card says so; the others are shown every time, or when they repeat
    Long-entry limit
    10 hours
    Weekly cap
    29.0 hours, with weeks running Sunday to Saturday
    Pay-period cap
    A setting, off unless the department turns it on

  • What HourFlag never looks at

    Location, device, IP address, or anything about a student outside the timesheet. It ranks timesheet entries, never people, and no rule uses machine learning.

A flag is a second look, never a conclusion.

Only the supervisor, and sometimes the student, knows whether the hours were worked.

The three possible answers

For every flag, the supervisor picks one of three answers. None of them turns a timesheet down: hours that were worked are paid.

  1. Confirm hoursThe hours are right as recorded; approve.
  2. Fix itThe hours are wrong and you know the right time; enter it and add the step to the correction sheet.
  3. Ask the studentOnly the student knows; open a drafted email and wait for the reply.

How to read each rule

Each card says what the rule looks for, what it reads, when the supervisor sees it, which way the money can go, and the next step. The rule text is the software’s own, generated from its code. The example under it is a flag from the sample data, a simulated pay period checked by the same rules, with dollars at $13 an hour.

Rules 1 to 9

Shown every time

Checked on every entry, every pay period. Most are shown the first time they happen; each rule says when.

Rule 1 · Shown every time

Forgotten clock-out

An entry of exactly 24.0 hours, a clock-out at 11:59 PM or 12:00 AM followed by a new entry opening at 12:01 AM, or a row in the automatic clock-out report. Each one usually means the student forgot to clock out. A shift that simply runs past midnight is not flagged unless it matches one of these signatures.

What it reads
The time entries report; the automatic clock-out report
Schedule file
Not needed.
When the supervisor sees it
Shown every time.
Direction
Over: the university may pay for hours that were not worked.
Next step
Ask the student when they left, or use the schedule or the work area’s closing time. Correct the Out time on the timesheet before you approve.
In the example

Student 371Fri, Mar 6Dining Hall D - Service

In at 10:06 AM, out at 10:06 AM the next day: a 24.0-hour entry. That matches the automatic 24-hour clock-out, which usually means the student forgot to clock out. It is also in the automatic clock-out report. Scheduled end: 1:00 PM.
Recorded
24.0 h
Expected
2.9 h
from the schedule
Over
21.1 h
≈ $274.30 estimated potential over-payment

Rule 2 · Shown every time

Missed punch or zero-length entry

In and out in the same minute, an entry with no clock-out, or a time the student typed by hand on a missed punch request instead of clocking. The right hours are not known, so it is a question, not a conclusion. A day that records fewer hours than its schedule is not flagged.

What it reads
The time entries report; the missed punch report
Schedule file
Not needed.
When the supervisor sees it
Shown every time.
Direction
Needs an answer while the right time is not known; over when the day is longer than its schedule.
Next step
Correct the time on the timesheet before you approve.
In the example

Student 513Tue, Mar 10Dining Hall F - Service

Clock-out time 1:18 PM was typed by hand on a missed punch request, not clocked. Nobody has checked it against the shift yet.
Recorded
3.4 h
Expected
3.0 h
from the schedule
Over
0.4 h
≈ $5.20 estimated potential over-payment

Rule 3 · Shown every time

Missed punch approved automatically

A missed punch request that the timekeeping system approved on its own at the end of the pay period, because nobody reviewed it in time. The time was typed by hand and nobody looked at it.

What it reads
The auto-approved missed punch report
Schedule file
Not needed.
When the supervisor sees it
Shown every time.
Direction
Needs an answer: nobody checked the typed time. Over when the day is longer than its schedule; a shorter day is not flagged.
Next step
Check the typed time with the student. If it is wrong, correct the entry on the timesheet before the next approval.
In the example

Student 747Thu, Mar 5Dining Hall H - Kitchen

Clock-out time 3:54 PM was typed by hand on a missed punch request, not clocked, and the timekeeping system approved it on its own at the end of the pay period, so nobody looked at it.
Recorded
5.0 h
Expected
4.5 h
from the schedule
Over
0.5 h
≈ $6.50 estimated potential over-payment

Rule 4 · Shown every time

Time changed after the fact

A clocked time edited after the fact in a way that changed the hours, with who made the edit and from what to what. Supervisors and payroll processors may edit times to correct errors; this asks whether this edit did. Edits that only moved an entry to another assignment are not flagged, and neither are edits that leave fewer hours than expected. It is the one rule that looks at the approver rather than the student.

What it reads
The corrections report
Schedule file
Not needed.
When the supervisor sees it
Shown every time.
Direction
Over: more hours than scheduled, or, with no schedule, an edit that added hours.
Next step
Check the edit with the person who made it. If it does not match what was worked, correct it on the timesheet; the timekeeping system keeps both versions in the entry’s history.
In the example

Student 12Mon, Mar 2Market A

Changed after the fact by Approver_02 on Mar 3: Out from 6:30 PM to 9:42 PM, which added 3.2 hours. Check the change matches what was worked.
Recorded
4.7 h
Expected
4.0 h
from the schedule
Over
0.7 h
≈ $9.10 estimated potential over-payment

Rule 5 · Shown every time

Over the weekly cap

A week over the weekly cap the department sets for student employees, across all of a student’s entries in the file (29.0 hours by default). Exactly the cap is not over. Hours that were worked are still paid, scheduled or not, so the hours over the cap are a policy figure: they are never counted as potential over-payment or turned into dollars. A pay-period cap and a two-pay-period cap are settings, off by default.

What it reads
The time entries report
Schedule file
Not needed.
When the supervisor sees it
Shown every time, even when the schedule planned those hours.
Direction
Over the cap (policy). Hours worked are paid whether scheduled or not; nothing here counts as over-payment.
Next step
Check the hours are right. If they were worked, they are paid; change the schedule so the student stays under the cap from next week.
In the example

Student 271Sun, Mar 1Dining Hall C - Service

41.0 hours in the week of Mar 1 – Mar 7, 2026, over the 29.0-hour weekly limit for student employees by 12.0 hours. Hours worked are paid; the hours over the cap are a policy figure, not potential over-payment. This includes an entry flagged above; correcting it may bring the total under the limit.

A policy figure: no dollars.

Rule 6 · Shown every time

Outside opening hours

A clock-in before the work area opens or a clock-out after it closes, by more than the allowed margin: a few minutes the department sets, compared after the system’s rounding. Uses the opening hours the department enters; no schedule needed.

What it reads
The time entries report and the work area’s opening hours (a setting)
Schedule file
Not needed.
When the supervisor sees it
Shown when it is 30 minutes or more (a setting), or when it repeats.
Direction
Over: time recorded while the work area was closed.
Next step
Ask the student what they were working on outside opening hours. Correct the time if it is wrong.
In the example

Student 215Sun, Mar 1Dining Hall C - Kitchen

Clocked out at 10:42 PM, 42 min after Dining Hall C - Kitchen closes at 10:00 PM, past the allowed margin.
Recorded
5.7 h
Expected
4.5 h
from the schedule
Over
1.2 h
≈ $15.60 estimated potential over-payment

Rule 7 · Shown every time

Unusually long entry

One entry longer than the limit (10 hours unless the department sets another). Usually a forgotten clock-out.

What it reads
The time entries report
Schedule file
Not needed.
When the supervisor sees it
Shown every time.
Direction
Over: probably a forgotten clock-out.
Next step
Ask the student when the shift ended. Correct the Out time if they forgot to clock out.
In the example

Student 30Sun, Mar 1Dining Hall A - Kitchen

One entry of 11.2 hours (7:00 AM to 6:12 PM), longer than the 10-hour limit. Usually a forgotten clock-out.
Recorded
11.2 h
Expected
5.0 h
from the schedule
Over
6.2 h
≈ $80.60 estimated potential over-payment

Rule 8 · Shown every time

Same hours under two assignments

Two entries for the same student on the same day under different assignments, with the same or overlapping times. The timekeeping system refuses overlapping entries within one assignment, so only the two-assignment case is checked.

What it reads
The time entries report
Schedule file
Not needed.
When the supervisor sees it
Shown every time.
Direction
Over: the same hours may be paid twice.
Next step
Ask which assignment the student worked. Delete the duplicate entry on the timesheet if they did not work both.
In the example

Student 735Sun, Mar 1Dining Hall H - Service

Two entries on Sun, Mar 1 under different assignments, Dining Hall H - Service and Pizza Kitchen, with the same times (10:54 AM to 2:36 PM). The same hours may be paid twice.
Recorded
7.4 h
Expected
3.5 h
from the schedule
Over
3.9 h
≈ $50.70 estimated potential over-payment

Rule 9 · Shown every time

Meal deduction removed

The automatic meal deduction (30 or 60 minutes) was removed from a shift of 6 hours or more, so the full shift is paid. Often right: the student worked through the break.

What it reads
The time entries report (its meal-removed marker)
Schedule file
Not needed.
When the supervisor sees it
Shown when it repeats, or every time if the department asks.
Direction
Over: the length of the meal deduction.
Next step
Ask whether the student took the meal break. If they did, restore the meal deduction on the timesheet.
In the example

Student 250Sun, Mar 1Food Court

The 30-minute meal deduction was removed from a 7.1-hour shift, so the whole shift is paid. The same for this student in 3 of the last 4 pay periods (meal deductions removed).
Recorded
7.1 h
Expected
6.6 h
from the meal deduction
Over
0.5 h
≈ $6.50 estimated potential over-payment

Rules 10 to 14

Shown when they repeat

Seen across pay periods: the same student and the same kind of flag in three of the last four. They need the review file from earlier runs.

Rule 10 · Shown when they repeat

Repeated forgotten clock-outs or missed punches

  • Needs earlier pay periods

A forgotten clock-out or missed punch for the same student in three of the last four pay periods. Each one is shown anyway; the repetition is added to it so the conversation can be about the habit, not one shift.

What it reads
The same reports, plus the review file from earlier pay periods
Schedule file
Not needed.
When the supervisor sees it
Added to the flag when it repeats.
Direction
As the flag it repeats.
Next step
Fix this pay period’s entry, then talk with the student about clocking out; a reminder at the kiosk often helps.
In the example

Student 27Sun, Mar 8Catering

In at 4:30 PM. The clock-out was recorded at 11:59 PM and a new entry opened at 12:01 AM with no clock-out. That usually means the student forgot to clock out. Scheduled end: 9:00 PM. The same for this student in 3 of the last 4 pay periods (forgotten clock-outs or missed punches).
Over
2.5 h
≈ $32.50 estimated potential over-payment

Confirm hours, on a repeated pattern: Confirmed. The hours stand; the schedule needs changing.

Rule 11 · Shown when they repeat

Repeated meal deductions removed

  • Needs earlier pay periods

A meal deduction removed for the same student in three of the last four pay periods.

What it reads
The time entries report, plus the review file from earlier pay periods
Schedule file
Not needed.
When the supervisor sees it
Shown when it repeats.
Direction
Over: the length of the meal deductions.
Next step
Ask whether the student is taking breaks. If they work through them, that is a scheduling question; if not, restore the deductions.
In the example

Student 250Sun, Mar 1Food Court

The 30-minute meal deduction was removed from a 7.1-hour shift, so the whole shift is paid. The same for this student in 3 of the last 4 pay periods (meal deductions removed).
Recorded
7.1 h
Expected
6.6 h
from the meal deduction
Over
0.5 h
≈ $6.50 estimated potential over-payment

Confirm hours, on a repeated pattern: Confirmed. The hours stand; the schedule needs changing.

Rule 12 · Shown when they repeat

Hours repeatedly far from the student’s usual

  • Needs six pay periods of history

A student’s pay-period hours are far from their own usual hours (more than 40% away unless the department sets another) in three of the last four pay periods, and this pay period has more hours than expected. The usual is the median of earlier pay periods, so it needs about six pay periods of history.

What it reads
The time entries report, plus the review file from earlier pay periods
Schedule file
Not needed.
When the supervisor sees it
Shown when it repeats.
Direction
Over: more hours than scheduled, or, with no schedule, more than the usual.
Next step
Check whether the extra hours were scheduled or agreed. Hours worked are paid; the schedule may need updating.
In the example

Student 66Sun, Mar 1Dining Hall A - Service

23.0 hours this pay period against a usual 16.0 (44% more). Far from the student’s usual hours in 3 of the last 4 pay periods.
Recorded
23.0 h
Expected
16.0 h
from the schedule
Over
7.0 h
≈ $91.00 estimated potential over-payment

Confirm hours, on a repeated pattern: Confirmed. The hours stand; the schedule needs changing.

Rule 13 · Shown when they repeat

Repeated unscheduled time

  • Needs a schedule file
  • Needs earlier pay periods

Clocking in before the scheduled start or out after the scheduled end, past the allowed margin, in three of the last four pay periods. The margin is a few minutes the department sets, compared after the system’s rounding. This is the rule that sees “a little every shift” past the margin, and it needs a schedule file. A few minutes inside the margin on most shifts is counted by “A few minutes over, most shifts”. On the timekeeping system’s reports alone, the repeated-pattern rules only see forgotten clock-outs, missed punches and removed meal deductions; repeated early or late clock times need a schedule file.

What it reads
The time entries report and a schedule file, plus the review file from earlier pay periods
Schedule file
Needed. Without one, this rule does not run.
When the supervisor sees it
Shown when it repeats, or at once for a single shift 30 minutes or more past the schedule.
Direction
Over: time recorded outside the schedule.
Next step
Talk with the student: either the schedule changes to match the work, or the work keeps to the schedule. Hours worked are paid.
In the example

Student 617Tue, Mar 3Dining Hall G - Kitchen

Clocked out after the scheduled end on 6 of 7 shifts: 2 h 06 min outside the schedule in total, past the allowed margin. Repeated unscheduled time: the same in 3 of the last 4 pay periods. Either the schedule or the habit needs a conversation.
Recorded
22.5 h
Expected
20.0 h
from the schedule
Over
2.5 h
≈ $32.50 estimated potential over-payment

Confirm hours, on a repeated pattern: Confirmed. The hours stand; the schedule needs changing.

Rule 14 · Shown when they repeat

A few minutes over, most shifts

  • Needs a schedule file
  • Needs earlier pay periods

Clocking in a few minutes before the scheduled start or out a few minutes after the scheduled end, inside the allowed margin, on most of a student’s shifts (a share the department sets), in three of the last four pay periods. Once is rounding; the same few minutes on nearly every shift, pay period after pay period, add up. A shift past the margin belongs to “Repeated unscheduled time” and does not count here. It needs a schedule file.

What it reads
The time entries report and a schedule file, plus the review file from earlier pay periods
Schedule file
Needed. Without one, this rule does not run.
When the supervisor sees it
Shown only when it repeats: a single pay period is never listed or counted.
Direction
Over: the minutes past the schedule, inside the margin.
Next step
Talk with the student: if the work needs those minutes, the schedule changes to include them; if not, the clock times keep to the schedule. Hours worked are paid.
In the example

Student 3Mon, Mar 2Market A

Clocked out a few minutes after the scheduled end on 5 of 5 shifts, and clocked in a few minutes before the scheduled start on 1 of 5 shifts, each time inside the allowed margin: 36 min past the schedule in total. The same in 3 of the last 4 pay periods. Either the schedule or the habit needs a conversation.
Recorded
17.6 h
Expected
17.0 h
from the schedule
Over
0.6 h
≈ $7.80 estimated potential over-payment

Confirm hours, on a repeated pattern: Confirmed. The hours stand; the schedule needs changing.