When to use manual attendance entry

Manual entry is appropriate in several scenarios:

  • No biometric device: Small offices or field-based teams relying on registers or WhatsApp check-in
  • Device offline: Biometric device was down; attendance was recorded on paper
  • Missed punch: Employee forgot to punch out; HR enters the expected time
  • Field employees: Staff working off-site where a device punch is not possible
  • Retroactive correction: Correcting a wrong status from a previous date

Manual entry and correction is permission-gated — only users with attendance edit rights can add or change records. Every entry is captured in the audit trail.

Single day entry

1
Attendance → Daily Attendance — Select the date and find the employee row.
2
Open the employee's attendance record. It shows the current status and any existing punch times.
3
Set the Check-in time and Check-out time, and choose the Status — one of Present, Absent, Half Day, Late, Holiday, or On Leave. You can also record OT hours.
4
Optionally add a note (e.g., "Device offline", "Field visit", "Missed punch").
5
Click Save. The status you selected is stored as-is — manual entries are not recomputed from shift rules.

Bulk daily entry

To record attendance for a whole team on a single day, use bulk entry on the daily view:

1
Attendance → Daily Attendance — Select the date. Optionally filter by department or designation.
2
Each employee appears as a row for that date, with fields for status, check-in, check-out, OT hours, and a note.
3
Set a status on each row you want to record: Present Absent Half Day Late (or Holiday / On Leave). Rows left without a status are skipped.
4
Click Save. Octal HR creates or updates a record for each employee for that date and confirms how many were saved.

Excel import

For large teams or importing from an existing register, use the Excel import (.xlsx / .xls). Each row carries an employee code, date, and status. See Importing Attendance via Excel for the template and full steps.

Attendance statuses

Manual entry accepts exactly these statuses:

  • Present — Full day worked
  • Absent — No attendance and no approved leave
  • Half Day — Worked less than a full day
  • Late — Checked in after the grace period
  • Holiday — Public holiday declared in the company calendar
  • On Leave — Approved leave record for the day

Audit trail for manual entries

Every manual attendance entry creates an audit record showing:

  • Who made the entry (user)
  • The employee and date affected
  • The status and punch times saved
  • Any note provided
  • Date and time of the entry

Tip: Export the attendance audit log monthly before payroll processing. This gives you a defence-ready record if any employee disputes their payslip deductions for absent or half-day days.