What is a night shift?
A night shift is any shift whose working window spans midnight (00:00). Examples common in Pakistan:
- 22:00–06:00 — Textile mill night shift (8 hours)
- 23:00–07:00 — Factory / continuous process plant
- 20:00–04:00 — BPO / call centre serving US East Coast clients
- 21:00–05:00 — Hospital nursing staff / security firms
In Octal HR, a night shift is configured by turning on the shift's Overnight shift flag (its end time is on the next day, e.g. Start: 22:00, End: 06:00). With this flag set, a check-out that is earlier than the check-in is recognised as crossing midnight, and the worked hours are calculated correctly.
The attendance record is always dated on the day the employee checks in. A 22:00 punch on 10 May is recorded on 10 May, and its paired 06:00 check-out the next morning is folded into that same record. This matches how shifts are communicated to workers ("you work the night of the 10th").
Visual: cross-midnight timeline
Example: Night shift 22:00–06:00. The employee checks in on May 10 and checks out on May 11.
Record dated: 10 May (check-in date) | Hours worked: 8h
Setting up a night shift
Common questions
What if the employee is absent for a night shift — which date is marked Absent?
The absent record is dated on the check-in date of the scheduled shift. For a 22:00 shift on the night of May 10, a no-show is marked Absent on May 10.
Can an off day coincide with a night shift?
Yes. The night shift (22:00 Fri – 06:00 Sat) is attributed to its check-in date (Friday). If Friday is not an applicable day for the shift, any overtime hours entered for that shift are paid at the standard OT multiplier from the applicable overtime rule. A separate weekend multiplier can be configured on the rule for future use, but payroll does not currently switch multipliers automatically by day type — reflect a higher off-day payout by adjusting the OT hours entered.
What happens to Asar / Isha prayer breaks on night shift?
Many Pakistani night shift operations allow a 20–30 minute prayer break (Isha, ~21:00) before the 22:00 shift starts. This does not affect attendance since it falls before the shift window. For mid-shift Fajr prayer (around 04:30), configure it as a paid break in the shift settings if applicable.
Does the biometric device handle cross-midnight correctly?
Yes. Biometric devices record timestamps — they don't know about shifts. When the overnight flag is set and a check-out is earlier than the check-in, Octal HR recognises the shift crossed midnight and rolls the check-out forward a day, so an in 22:00 → out 06:00 shift correctly computes 8 hours worked. Keeping the device clock in sync is still good practice so punch times match the roster.
How does leave interact with night shifts?
Leave is applied on the check-in date. If an employee applies for annual leave on May 10, their 22:00 May 10 night shift is covered. The leave system treats it as one full day of leave regardless of the cross-midnight nature of the shift.
Night allowance in payroll
Many organisations pay a night allowance — a flat amount or percentage of basic salary — for employees on night duty. Configure this in payroll:
Go to Payroll → Allowances → Add Allowance → Name: "Night Allowance" → Type: Fixed / % of Basic → Assign to Night Shift employees.
The allowance will appear on payslips and is subject to WHT under FBR rules (taxable income component).
Labour law note: The Factories Act 1934 (applicable across Pakistan) does not mandate a night shift premium, but Industrial Relations Acts in Punjab and Sindh recommend it. Many CBAs (Collective Bargaining Agreements) in textile and manufacturing sectors specify night allowances of PKR 3,000–8,000 per month. Always check your applicable agreement.