Restaurant and hospitality time tracking for shift and part-time staff
In restaurants, pubs, cafés and hotels, staff clock in at a tablet by the staff entrance or by scanning a QR code with their phone. Managers see who is in before service, overtime is confirmed instead of rounded, and Sunday, late and public holiday hours appear separately in the month-end export for payroll.
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Why time tracking is hard in hospitality
- Shifts change every week – split shifts, doubles, last-minute swaps.
- Part-time and casual staff whose hours must match what's agreed and what's paid.
- Closing times are unpredictable, so "finished at 23:00" on the rota rarely matches reality.
- International teams who may not read English forms easily.
- Busy staff entrances where nobody wants a queue at shift change.
- Minimum wage risk: unpaid extra hours can pull average pay below the legal minimum.
Hospitality records matter for working time limits, rest breaks, holiday pay (which in the UK includes regular overtime for the first 4 weeks) and minimum wage checks. In Ireland, records of hours, breaks and Sunday and public holiday work must be kept for 3 years. See working time records in the UK and Ireland.
How staff clock in
| Method | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Tablet at the staff entrance | Staff type a PIN, show a printed badge or a personal code from their phone that changes every 30 seconds | Kitchen, floor staff, people who don't want to use their own phone |
| Venue QR code | Staff scan the code in the staff area with the app | Small venues, zero cost |
| Rotating QR on a screen | The code changes every 15 seconds, so a photo shared on WhatsApp doesn't work | Hotels and larger restaurants |
| GPS zone | Phone clock-in accepted only within the venue perimeter | Catering, events, seasonal terraces |
| Selfie or Face ID (optional) | Photo kept 30 days, or a passkey check on the phone | When you need to know exactly who clocked in |
Staff don't install anything from an app store: they open a link, add the app to their home screen and clock in from their first shift. The app speaks 23 languages. More in QR code time clock and entrance tablet vs time clock.
Shifts, late arrivals and who's missing
- Set schedules per venue or per employee – morning, evening, split shift.
- The "not in yet" list updates live, so you know a chef is missing before service.
- Late arrivals and early departures are calculated automatically.
- Breaks are punched, so you see hours actually worked, not just presence.
- Floor and kitchen managers use the team-lead app, see only their people and approve punches from the phone.
- Announcements ("private event tomorrow from 6 pm") and messages go through the built-in chat with read receipts.
Overtime confirmed, not rounded
Service rarely ends on time. With overtime confirmation turned on, a team member who stays past the schedule confirms with the QR code and a photo that they're still at the venue. Without confirmation, they're clocked out at the scheduled end. You don't pay for time spent on the phone in the car park, and you don't lose hours genuinely worked.
- Overtime appears separately, ready for the rate in your contracts – there's no statutory overtime premium in the UK or Ireland. See how to calculate overtime pay.
- For part-time staff, you see straight away when someone goes beyond their agreed hours.
- Late-night hours show separately; the rules on night workers are in night work rules in the UK and Ireland.
Weekends, public holidays and rest
Hospitality works when everyone else is off. That's allowed, but with rules you need to be able to show:
- Daily rest: 11 consecutive hours between working days (UK and Ireland). A closing shift followed by an opening shift breaks this easily.
- Breaks: in the UK, 20 minutes when the day is over 6 hours; in Ireland, 15 minutes after 4.5 hours and 30 minutes after 6 hours.
- Weekly rest: 24 hours in each 7 days (or 48 hours per 14 days).
- Sundays in Ireland: Sunday work must be compensated if not already reflected in pay.
- Public holidays in Ireland: a paid day off, an extra day's annual leave or an extra day's pay.
- Young workers under 18 have stricter limits on hours, breaks and night work in both countries.
In the app, weekend and public holiday hours appear separately in the report, ready for payroll.
Several venues or a hotel with departments
- Each venue, central kitchen or department (reception, housekeeping, restaurant) is a separate location with its own QR code.
- An employee can clock in at several locations; hours are shown per location.
- Run several companies (for example, one for the restaurant and one for catering) from one account.
- Leave is requested in the app and approved in one click; on leave, an employee can't clock in.
Inspections and payroll
If an inspector asks for records, the manager can create a read-only link from the app: it shows the punches and corrections for the last 3 months, needs no account, can't change anything and expires on its own.
- Review punches flagged yellow or red and approve or reject them.
- Close the month; after that nobody changes the hours.
- Staff confirm or dispute their hours from the phone.
- Export to Excel, CSV or PDF with normal, overtime, late and weekend hours for payroll.
Pricing and special offer
Standard costs €1.99 per active employee per month, minimum 5 billed (€9.95/month), excl. VAT. You only pay for staff active that month, so seasonal extras don't cost you all year. Start with 7 days free, no card, up to 10 employees.
For the staff entrance there's a special offer: Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ tablet, 3 months of QRtimetrack free and a step-by-step setup guide, for €299 outside Romania. You set the tablet up yourself in about 10 minutes by following the guide. Limited stock of 100 systems. See the offer.
Frequently asked questions
Does a small restaurant need to record staff hours?
Yes, in practice. In Ireland every employer must record hours worked, leave and breaks and keep them for 3 years. In the UK you must be able to show compliance with working time limits, and keep minimum wage and holiday records for 6 years – hard to do without real hours.
How do waiting staff clock in if they don't want to use their own phone?
Put a tablet at the staff entrance. They type a personal PIN or show a printed badge. Others can scan the QR code with their phone. Everyone appears in the same reports.
What's the risk if a part-timer works more than their contract?
Hours worked must be paid, and unpaid extra hours can take average pay below the minimum wage. It also counts towards working time limits. Recording real hours shows the problem early, so you can adjust the contract or the rota.
Do I have to pay extra for late-night hours?
There's no statutory night premium in the UK or Ireland; any premium comes from the contract or a sector agreement. Night workers do have limits on average hours and a right to a free health assessment.
Is Sunday work paid extra in Ireland?
Sunday work must be compensated – by a premium, a payment, time off or a combination – unless it's already reflected in the employee's pay. Record Sunday hours separately so you can show how it's compensated.
How much does it cost for a restaurant with 12 staff?
12 × €1.99 = €23.88 a month, excl. VAT, billed monthly for active employees only. The first 7 days are free with no card, for up to 10 employees.