Initial System Setup Guide
Organisation Structure
- List of all office locations with addresses
- Rooms or work areas within each location
- Departments and job roles
Time & Schedule Info
- Standard working hours (e.g. 9-5:30)
- Part-time schedules
- Annual leave allowances
Employee Information
- Names and contact emails
- Job titles and departments
- Start dates and manager relationships
Step 1: Locations & Rooms
Define where your team works.
What you need
- Location addresses
- Room names
What to create
- Locations (e.g., 'London Office', 'Manchester Clinic')
- Rooms within locations (e.g., 'Surgery 1', 'Reception')
Why this matters
Employees must be assigned to a location before they can be scheduled or tracked.
Step 2: Working Patterns
Set standard hours for your team.
What you need
- Standard working hours for different employee types
What to create
- 'Full-Time 37.5 Hours' - Mon-Fri, 9am-5:30pm
- 'Part-Time 20 Hours' - 3 days per week
- Custom patterns as needed
Why this matters
Employees must have a working pattern to calculate accurate timesheets.
Step 3: Time-Off Policies
Configure leave and accruals.
What you need
- Annual leave allowances for different employee groups
What to create
- Fixed Allowance: 'Head Office 33 Days' or 'Standard 224 Hours'
- Hours Worked: 'Zero Hours Policy' (e.g., 12.09% per hour)
Why this matters
Employees must have an active policy to request and track time off.
Step 4: Add Employees
Onboard your staff members.
What you need
- Employee list with names, emails, job titles, start dates
What to create
- Create employee records
- Assign location, working pattern, and policy
- Set up manager/reporting relationships
Why this matters
This populates your team in the system and enables collaboration.
Step 5: Payroll Management(Optional)
Configure pay periods and dates.
What you need
- Pay period dates and schedules (monthly/weekly)
What to create
- Pay frequency (Monthly, Fortnightly, Weekly)
- Tax year start and cut-off dates
Why this matters
Optional: Enables seamless export of verified timesheet data to your pay provider.
Getting Started Tips
Start Small: Create 1-2 locations, 2-3 working patterns, and add 3-5 test employees first. Verify everything works before rolling out to the whole team.
Test Scenarios
- Submit a timesheet as a test employee
- Request time off
- Approve requests as a manager
Avoid Common Mistakes
- xAdding employees before creating working patterns.
- xForgetting to assign time-off policies to employees.
- xApplying public holidays manually (they are auto-populated!).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change settings later?
Yes. Locations, patterns, and policies can be updated. Changes to patterns affect future accruals only.
What if I make a mistake?
Most settings can be edited or deleted. We recommend testing with sample data first to avoid large-scale cleanup.
Need Help?
Contact your dedicated account manager for custom onboarding training sessions.