Q. We're ready to upgrade to the new Windows 10, but before we do, I just want to make sure that our TimePilot software is compatible. Is it?

A. If you're running Version 4 or above of the TimePilot software (released in 2010), you'll be fine. Here's how to check your version:

  1. Start TimePilot Central.
  2. Click the Help menu at the top of the screen.
  3. In the drop-down menu that appears, click "About."
  4. Your version number will appear.

Q. I have TimePilot Vetro and accidentally set "No Overtime" as the default option. How do I change things to reflect our OT policy? The system won't let me delete "No overtime" or set the new overtime policy as the default.

A. The “No Overtime” policy cannot be deleted; it is always an option in the list of Overtime Policies. Here's how to add an overtime policy and assign it to your employees:

  1. Start TimePilot Central and click Setup > Overtime Setup > Add an Overtime Policy.
  2. Create your policy and save it. When you are done, you'll see it in the list of policies, along with the "No Overtime" policies.
  3. Now you'll assign that policy to your employees' Pay Type. Click Setup > Pay Type Setup.
  4. Highlight the Pay Type that should contain your newly created Overtime Policy and click "Edit a Pay Type."
  5. The second question is "Do Employees of this Pay Type Qualify for overtime pay?" When you click the "Yes" radio button, you'll be asked to choose an Overtime Policy. Choose the newly created policy from the list.
  6. Click "Save" and close the Pay Type box.

When you do this, every employee who has that Pay Type (presumably your whole workforce) will be assigned the newly created overtime policy.

Q. Can I install the TimePilot Central software on more than one computer at a time?

A. Yes. You may have TimePilot Central installed on more than one computer as long as both computers have access to your TimePilot database.

If your database resides on your server, simply install TimePilot Central on the second computer, choose “Open an Existing Database” during the setup and point it to that location.

If you keep the database on the same PC as the original installation of TimePilot Central, you’ll need to share the folder where it’s located with the second PC.

To find the current location of your database, open our software and click Help > About and take note of the Data Path. The default location is directly on your C: Drive in a folder called tpData.


Did you feel the leap? On June 30, scientists added a "Leap Second" to worldwide time to get the time calculated by atomic clocks to match with the exact time of one rotation of the earth. Ocean tides are causing a tiny braking action on the earth's rotation, causing days to get slightly longer. Since 1972, 26 leap seconds have been inserted. In the past, Leap Seconds have caused problems with server networks, financial markets, web sites and GPS systems, but this time there were only a few minor disruptions across the world.

Source

Time to change the sheets! Statistics from the National Sleep Foundation:

  • 91% of Americans change their sheets every two weeks.
  • 35% of Americans don’t use bedroom curtains or shades.
  • 78% of Americans have at least one caffeinated beverage a day.

Source
Welcome!
TimePilot newsletter No. 42

Whether you're a current or future TimePilot customer, we're glad to see you.

Every month we'll offer news about TimePilot products, tips on how to use them more efficiently, some of the "cool stuff" our employees have come across and a special deal available only to those who receive this newsletter!

In this issue:

  • TimePilot Q&A: Windows 10; OT policies; more than one PC.
  • TimePilot Lead Story: All About Rounding.
  • Cool Stuff: Microsoft Office cheat sheets.
  • The Deal: 20% off Extreme Blue, Vetro or Tap clocks.

TimePilot Best Practices

All About Rounding

(Adapted from the TimePilot software's help files.)

In TimePilot, rounding is the process of shifting a clock-in or clock-out time to a more "simple" number; for instance you could round a clock-in from 8:04 a.m. to 8 a.m. or a clock-out from 4:58 p.m. to 5 p.m. Rounding can help employers by avoiding the need to pay just one or two minutes of overtime each day and can help employees because they don't have to clock in at exactly the start of their shift or clock out at exactly the end.

The Retail Edition of the TimePilot software offers a choice between no rounding and Basic Rounding; the Professional and Enterprise Editions offer more choices. 

Rounding is set up when you create/add/edit a Company (TimePilot Central > Setup Menu > Company Setup...). If you have two groups of employees and want each group to have a different rounding policy, you'll need to set up two Companies in the software and assign each employee to the company with the appropriate rounding policy. Multiple companies are allowed in Professional and Enterprise Editions of the TimePilot software. Retail Edition users, your software allows only one company; if you want to have multiple companies, you'll have to upgrade your software to Professional or Enterprise.

Most of our customers use some form of rounding, but occasionally you might want to compare it to the "raw data"—the exact time an employee clocked in or out. Here's how:

TimePilot Central's "Date" column shows you the exact date and time the employee clocked in or out. The "Date w/R" and "Time w/R" columns show the time with Rounding applied. (If you don't see those columns, you can make them appear by right-clicking the green bar at the top of the Transaction List and checking the boxes next to "Date w/R" and "Time w/R.")

Retail Edition: Two choices

  • No Rounding: Employees' clock-in and clock-out times are not adjusted.
     
  • Basic roundingBasic Rounding: Employees' clock-in and clock-out times are adjusted to the nearest time specified. In the example illustrated at right, rounding is set at 15 minutes. If the employee's shift starts at the top of the hour and he or she clocks in at any time within the red zone (7 minutes before or 7 minutes after the top of the hour), the clock-in time will be rounded to the top of the hour.

Professional and Enterprise Editions: Five choices 

  • No Rounding: Employees' clock-in and clock-out times are not adjusted.

  • Basic roundingBasic Rounding: Employees' clock-in and clock-out times are adjusted to the nearest time specified. In the example illustrated at right, rounding is set at 15 minutes. If the employee's shift starts at the top of the hour and he or she clocks in at any time within the red zone (7 minutes before or 7 minutes after the top of the hour), the clock-in time will be rounded to the top of the hour.

  • Rounding In and Out transactions back.Round "In" Transactions Back; Round "Out" Transactions Back: In the example illustrated at right, rounding is set at 15 minutes. An employee clocking in at any time in the green zone will have his or her start time rounded to 15 minutes before the hour. A clock-out at any time in the red zone will be rounded back to the top of the hour.

    Round In Transactions Forward; Round Out Transactions Forward
  • Round "In" Transactions Forward; Round "Out" Transactions Forward: In the example illustrated at right, rounding is set at 15 minutes. An employee who clocks in at any time in the green zone will have his or her clock-in transaction rounded to the top of the hour. A clock-out at any time in the red zone will be rounded forward to 15 minutes after the hour.

    Round In Transactions Forward; Round Out Transactions Back
  • Round "In" Transactions Forward; Round "Out" Transactions Back: In the example illustrated at right, rounding is set at 15 minutes. An employee who clocks in at any time in the green zone will have his or her clock-in transaction rounded to the top of the hour. A clock-out at any time in the red zone will be rounded back to the top of the hour.

This month’s special offer to TimePilot newsletter readers:

20% off Extra TimePilot Clocks

Expand your TimePilot system with extra clocks. Extreme Blue comes with a padlock and mounting plate; Vetro comes with a power supply and USB drive, and Tap comes with a USB cable.

  • Extreme Blue: Regular price: $449; sale price: $359.20
  • Vetro: Reg. price: $259; sale price: $207.20
  • Tap: Reg. price: $159; sale price $127.20

To learn more about the deal, click here, visit www.TimePilot.com/newsletter/newsletter4.htm
or call us at 1-630-879-6400.

Every once in a while, our employees come across “cool stuff.”
This is where they share their finds.

Microsoft Office Quick Start Guides

Microsoft blogger Eric Ligman is giving away millions of free eBooks on Microsoft programs. Among them are quick start guides for Microsoft Word 2013, Excel 2013, Outlook 2013 and Access 2013. There are tons of other free books, too: everything from Office programs shortcuts to an intro to Windows 10 to networking to programming for Windows and Windows Phones.

Visit Ligman's blog for more.

Just want the quick start guides? Here you go:

Word 2013    Excel 2013    Outlook 2013   
Access 2013    PowerPoint 2013    Publisher 2013
Project 2013   Visio 2013

How about a quick intro to Windows 10? It's right here.