Time Policies define the rules that govern how your employees track and verify time in Raken. Setting up your policy correctly from the start ensures every time card follows your company's requirements — from overtime rules and break types to pay types and shift assignments.
Quick Answer
To set up a Time Policy in Raken:
Click Company in the left side menu.
Click Time, then click Policies.
Click Edit policy on an existing policy or create a new one.
Work through each section: Settings, Overtime rules, Breaks, Rounding, Pay types, Shifts, Employees.
Click Save & finish when done.
Changes apply to all future time cards for employees assigned to the policy.
Step-by-Step Instructions
On the Web
This feature is only available on the Raken web app.
Step 1: Navigate to Policies
Log into the Raken web app. Click Company in the left side menu. Click Time, then click Policies. The Policies page shows a summary of all existing policies including their current settings for supervisor entries, overtime rules, and breaks.
Step 2: Open the Policy Editor
Click Edit policy on the policy you want to configure. To create a new policy, click + New policy in the top right corner. Give it a name and set it as the default if applicable — default policies are automatically assigned to new employees.
Step 3: Configure Settings
The Settings section has three areas:
Policy info
Enter a Policy name.
Toggle Set as default if this policy should be automatically assigned to new employees.
Time tracking Choose how employees log their time. Multiple options can be enabled at once:
Supervisor entries (simple) — supervisors enter total hours worked only
Supervisor entries (detailed) — supervisors must enter start and end times
Kiosk mode — employees clock in and out from a shared device
Employee time clock — employees clock in and out on their own devices
Verification (requires Time Clock add-on)
Photo ID — require employees to take a photo at clock-in and clock-out
Clock in questions — prompt employees with custom questions when clocking in
Clock out questions — prompt employees with custom questions when clocking out
Geofencing (requires Time Clock add-on) Configure location-based rules for employees clocking in and out:
Flag employees who are off-site when clocking
Send location-based reminders to clock in or out
Prevent employees from clocking in outside the project radius
Production
Require supervisors to track production — prompts production data entry alongside time entries
Require cost codes on all time card entries (Time Clock and Kiosk users only) — makes cost code selection mandatory
Allow employees to select cost codes (Time Clock and Kiosk users only) — lets employees choose their own cost code
Click Next: Overtime rules to continue.
Step 4: Configure Overtime Rules
Select a pre-built overtime template or create a custom rule. Available templates:
Standard 40, Standard 8/40, Standard 4/10, California, California 4/10, Exempt
Overtime is calculated automatically server-side every time a time card is created or edited — no need to enter time in chronological order.
Click Next: Breaks to continue.
Step 5: Configure Breaks
The Breaks page shows all break types available for this policy. Default break types are:
Default Policy Rest — 10 minute paid rest break
Default Policy Meal — 30 minute unpaid meal break
Enable or disable each break type using the toggle. Click the edit (pencil) icon to adjust the default duration, minimum duration, or compensation for any break type.
Click Next: Rounding to continue.
Step 6: Configure Rounding
Select the rounding type that matches your company's timekeeping practices:
Nearest interval — rounds to the nearest chosen increment
Round up — rounds up to the chosen increment
Round down — rounds down to the chosen increment
Employee favorable — rounds down on clock-in, rounds up on clock-out
Then select the Interval: 5, 6, 10, 15, or 30 minutes. Optionally enable rounding for break start and end times.
Click Next: Pay types to continue.
Step 7: Configure Pay Types
The Pay types page shows all pay types available for this policy. Default pay types include Regular Time (RT), Overtime (OT), Double Time (DT), Drive Time, Hazard Pay, and others. Toggle each pay type on or off. Click + Add pay type to create a custom pay type. At least two pay types must be active at all times to support overtime rule calculations.
Click Next: Shifts to continue.
Step 8: Configure Shifts
Create shifts to associate time card entries with specific work periods — such as day shift, night shift, or swing shift. Click + Add shift to create a new shift. Give it a name and define the shift window.
Click Next: Employees to continue.
Step 9: Assign Employees
The Employees page shows all employees in your organization. Check the box next to each employee who should be assigned to this policy. Use the Assigned, Active, and Search groups filters to find employees quickly. All employees must be assigned to at least one policy. If this is your only policy, all employees are assigned by default.
Step 10: Save
Click the orange Save & finish button in the top right corner. All selected employees will now have their time cards governed by this policy.
Troubleshooting & FAQ
Do policy changes apply to existing time cards?
No. Changes to Time Policy settings apply to time cards created after the change is saved. Existing time cards follow the rules that were active when they were created.
Can I have more than one Time Policy?
Yes. Create multiple policies for different employee groups — for example, separate policies for field crews and office staff, or for employees in different states. Assign each employee to the relevant policy.
What is the difference between simple and detailed supervisor entries?
Simple entries require only total hours worked. Detailed entries require supervisors to enter a start time and end time for each employee. Detailed entries support more accurate overtime calculations and are recommended for most use cases.
Can I override a policy for a specific project?
Yes. Project-level exceptions let you assign a different Time Policy to a specific project, overriding the employee's default policy for that project only. See Enabling and Managing Project Level Time Policy Exceptions.
What happens if an employee isn't assigned to a policy?
All employees must be assigned to at least one policy. If only one policy exists, all employees are assigned to it automatically. If you add a second policy, manually assign employees to the correct one.
Technical Specifications
Compatibility: All major web browsers — Time Policy configuration is web-only
Offline Capability: No — requires an active connection
Data Format: N/A — policy settings govern time card exports but are not directly exportable
Plan Required: No plan restrictions for core settings. Premiums and Holidays require the Performance Plan.
Add-on Required: Time Clock add-on for Verification and Geofencing features
Role Required: Account Administrator only
Considerations
Only Account Administrators can create and edit Time Policies.
Policy changes apply to future time cards only — existing time cards are not retroactively updated.
All employees must be assigned to at least one policy — use the Employees section to manage assignments.
Set as default automatically assigns the policy to all new employees added to the account.
At least two pay types must be active at all times per policy.
Verification and Geofencing features (Photo ID, Clock questions, Geofencing) require the Time Clock add-on.
Premiums (Weekend, Shift, Holiday) require the Performance Plan.
Holidays section requires the Performance Plan.
The second and third Production settings (Require cost codes and Allow employees to select cost codes) apply to Time Clock and Kiosk users only.
Overtime is recalculated server-side automatically every time a time card is created or edited.
No plan restrictions apply to core policy settings — available on all Raken plans.
Related Articles
More Questions?
Feel free to email us or call us at +1 866-438-0646. We're always glad to answer your questions!