Build a record that can be explained
A reviewer needs to understand who worked, when, what changed and how the resulting figures reached payroll. Accurate capture helps, but missing punches and legitimate corrections still need a documented process.
GPS and selfies can be part of a product’s evidence. They are not universal legal prerequisites for every wage record, and a detailed digital record does not by itself settle a dispute.
Separate source, calculation and payment
Scroll the table sideways to read all columns.
| Layer | What to retain or explain under the applicable policy |
|---|---|
| Source attendance | Original events and available context |
| Calculation | Schedule, break and overtime settings used |
| Correction | Reason, proposed value and applied decision |
| Handoff | Export period, exclusions and receiver result |
| Payroll | Wage valuation and payment records held by payroll |
The applicable retention policy may differ between these layers. A face template and a payroll ledger should not automatically have the same retention period.
A United States recordkeeping reference
DOL Fact Sheet 21 describes FLSA recordkeeping, including daily/weekly hours and different retention requirements for payroll records and supporting wage-computation records. It does not prescribe one mandatory time-clock form or require GPS photographs.
Its guidance is US-specific. Other jurisdictions, contract types and legal holds can create different requirements. Do not choose a global “keep everything for seven years” or permanent-retention policy from a general article.
Prepare a small traceable sample
Select a normal day, an overnight shift, a missing punch that was corrected and a record excluded from an export. Trace each from the source to the calculation and receiving payroll result. Identify any explanation that exists only in someone’s memory.
Check that correction reasons and actor information are readable, that the relevant schedule can be understood and that an export can be matched to its period. A file that opens is not necessarily a reconciled record.
Understand the application boundary
Attendify keeps corrections separate and records supported audit activity. It does not promise cryptographic tamper proof, complete database forensics or a finalized-payroll lock. A person with both correction and approval capabilities may perform both actions.
Use the audit feature overview to understand supported evidence, then document the organizational responsibilities around it. For US covered public works, certified-payroll reporting is a separate, narrower topic.