Answer
Lightning Payroll offers several ways to get hours into a pay, and it is easy to mix them up. Here is what each one is for.
1. Type Hours Directly Into The Pay
The simplest option: open the employee's pay and enter hours straight into the Hours & Pay Rates table. No setup required - this is the right choice if you do not use rosters, a timeclock, or the employee portal.
2. Timeclock App
A separate mobile app (Android/iOS), usually installed on a shared device at the workplace. Employees clock in and out on the device, and their times sync back into Lightning Payroll. See How Do I Use the Lightning Payroll Timeclock App?
3. Employee Portal Timeclock
A different feature to the app above, despite the similar name - employees clock themselves in and out from inside their own Employee Portal in a web browser, rather than a shared device. See How Do Employees Use Timeclock in the Online Portal?
4. Employee Portal Timesheets
Employees type their own start and end times for pre-configured shifts directly into their Employee Portal, rather than clocking in and out. See How Do Employees Use Timesheets in the Online Portal?
5. Timeclock/Portal Sync
Whichever of options 2-4 is used, the entries do not appear in a pay automatically. A payroll admin reviews and imports them from Timeclock/Portal Sync (also called Import/Manage Shifts), which turns them into rostered shifts a pay run can pick up. See How Does the Timeclock and Portal Sync Window Work?
Which One Should I Use?
If rosters are already in use, pick whichever of the Timeclock App or Portal Timesheets/Timeclock suits the workplace, then bring the results in through Timeclock/Portal Sync. For a small business with no rosters, typing hours directly into the pay is usually the simplest option.
