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Minute by Minute timekeeping implemented on March 10, 2025

Minute by Minute timekeeping implemented on March 10, 2025

Your WSNA collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with Overlake, ratified last July for 2024-2027, includes terms and conditions with an effective date of March 10, 2025, for implementation of the new timekeeping and payroll calculation processes. In short, instead of rounding to the nearest quarter hour, RNs will be paid by the minute. As with any system changes regarding hours, wages and working conditions, please be vigilant by reviewing this communication in full, monitoring your clockings and pay slips. It will take some time to become accustomed to the change, so hang in there and help identify what is working well and what issues are presenting themselves.

The hospital shared the communication sent to nurses on February 28, which includes some FAQs and answers from the employer.

Here is the language, direct from the memorandum of understanding (MOU) from p. 84-85 of the CBA:

The Washington State Nurses Association ("WSNA") and Overlake Hospital Medical Center ("Overlake") enter this memorandum of understanding regarding timekeeping practices. Effective, March 10, 2025, Overlake will move from a rounding system to a minute-by-minute timekeeping system. Overlake and the WSNA agree as follows, beginning March 10, 2025, and continuing for the remaining term of the 2024-27 Collective Bargaining Agreement:

A. Timekeeping 

1. Overlake will compensate nurses for all time worked, including time worked beyond their scheduled shift.

2. Effective March 10, 2025, the following language in section 10.6 will be stricken: "Overtime shall be computed to the nearest quarter hour." Effective March 10, 2025, overtime shall be calculated to the minute. Overlake will communicate with nurses about this change.

3. Although Overlake's expectation has been that all overtime must be approved by the Director/ Manager or designee, occasional daily incremental overtime of five (5) minutes or less before the start of the shift and/or past the end of the shift, shall not require approval.

4. In units where working time includes donning and doffing, nurses must clock in before donning and clock out after doffing. 

5. Overlake will continue to pay the appropriate contractual premiums for all time worked.

B. Discipline 

1. Employees are expected to report to work on time, be prepared to work at the beginning of their shift, and report back from breaks on time. During the transition period, the manager may provide coaching in response to persistent clocking in early or clocking out late. At all times, discipline will occur in response to unacceptable clocking behavior and patterns of tardiness (including early departures). Occasional differences of five (5) minutes or less due to actual timekeeping will not be used to change a nurse's FTE status for benefit purposes. 

2. Nurses may be required to state the reason they clocked in early or clocked out late. 

3. Nurses will utilize the automated Time and Attendance System by "clocking" to record their working time on a daily basis at the time clock nearest their department. There are two mechanisms that can be used for clocking: badge reader, or computer properly linked to the Overlake timekeeping system.

C. Transition Period

The first three months following March 10, 2025, will be a transition period. Overlake will make reasonable efforts to resolve transition issues during the transition period without resort to discipline. Atthe end of the transition period, management representatives will meet with WSNA in Conference Committee to review any concerns about the implementation of minute-by-minute timekeeping.

Overlake RNs may also find it helpful to review the employer’s communication from February 28 that includes operational detail and Q and A:

Overview of Changes: 

This memo serves to announce an important update to our timekeeping and payroll calculation processes. Effective March 10, 2025, Overlake Medical Center & Clinics will be changing how we calculate worked hours for all hourly employees. With the current practice, your actual punch in and punch out time is recorded in UKG then rounded to the nearest 15-minute increment. Once this change is implemented your pay will reflect the times you clock in and out; there will be no rounding of worked time.

What this Means for You

Current Method Example A: You are scheduled to start at 7 a.m. and you clock in at 7:04 a.m., your time is currently rounded to 7 a.m. for calculating your pay, and you are paid based on a start time of 7 a.m. 
New Method Example A: You are scheduled to start at 7 a.m. and you clock in at 7:04 a.m., you are paid based on your recorded clock-in time of 7:04 a.m.

Current Method Example B: You are scheduled to start at 3 p.m. and you clock in at 2:56 p.m., your time is rounded to 3 p.m. for calculating your pay, and you are paid based on a start time of 3 p.m. 
New Method Example B: You are scheduled to start at 3 p.m. and you clock in at 2:56 p.m., you are paid based on your recorded clock-in time of 2:56 p.m.

Please see the tipsheet:  Minute to Minute Clocking - Timecards - myOverlake to illustrate these examples.

This new method will reflect the actual times you clocked in and out without rounding. With to-the-minute time tracking, Overlake can more readily understand how time is being spent across different tasks and projects. This can lead to more effective workforce management, optimized scheduling, and improved allocation of resources.

Other Timekeeping Reminders:

You are expected to ensure your timecard is accurate in UKG by attesting to rest breaks and meal periods daily when you punch out and approving your timecard after your last worked shift of the pay period.  Please remember that missed time due to failure to review and approve the accuracy of the timecard will be paid on the following pay period once a payroll correction is processed.

See FAQs below to help with any questions you have related to this change. If, after reading the FAQs, you still have questions, please talk with your manager, or contact Human Resources.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

Q. Why is Overlake making this change? 
A. We are implementing this change to compensate employees for the time they work, and modern timekeeping systems like UKG can easily handle minute-by-minute tracking, making the transition smoother. This new method will automatically calculate work hours, to the actual minutes recorded, without rounding. With this more granular time tracking, managers can better understand how time is being spent across different tasks and projects. This can lead to more effective workforce management, optimized scheduling, and improved allocation of resources.

Q. When will this change take effect? 
A. The new minute-based timecard calculation will take effect starting from 12:01 a.m. on March 10, 2025, which you will see on your March 28, 2025, pay slip.

Q. How will this affect my paycheck?
A. Your paycheck will now reflect the exact number of minutes you have recorded rather than any rounding to the nearest 15 minutes. While you may see slight fluctuations in pay, this ensures that you are paid for every minute you are on the clock.

Q. Do I need to do anything differently?
A. No, you do not need to change anything about how you punch in and out. You will continue to track your hours the same way by punching in and out through a UKG time clock. The system will automatically calculate your time based on the new minutes-based method.

Q. How will pay by the minute look on my timecard?
A. Under the new process, your recorded hours will no longer be rounded to the nearest 15 minutes. This means you may notice potentially uneven amounts for your worked hours. Minutes will continue to convert to decimals representing a percentage of an hour. For example, if you worked three minutes less than a full 80 hours in a pay period, 79 hours and 57 minutes, your timecard would show as 79:95.

Another example is if you worked 12 hours and 10 minutes on your shift, your timecard would show 12:17.  A minutes to decimal conversion chart tool can be found in Minute to Decimal Hour Conversions - Timecards - myOverlake.

Q. What should I do if I see an error on my timecard?
A. You should always fix any error in UKG right away. If you are unable to fix it, you should immediately contact your manager to request the correction. If you notice an error after a pay period closes, you must submit a Payroll Correction Form to ensure that your time is corrected on the following pay period.

Most payroll corrections can be avoided by closely monitoring your timecard and making any corrections during the current pay period. Employees are expected to ensure their timecard is correct and approve their timecard before the close of each pay period. If an employee repeatedly disregards this expectation and does not approve their timecard by the deadline, despite coaching and reminders, it may become a performance issue and result in corrective action.

A helpful user guide is located on your myOverlake pages.

Q. I am required to don into and doff out of scrubs for my job, how should I punch in and out?  
A. In units where working time includes donning and doffing, you must punch in before donning and punch out after doffing.

Q. How will non-worked time, such as PTO, EIB, and Sick Leave, be treated?
A. Generally non-work time accruals such as PTO, EIB, and Sick Leave, are coded to start and end on quarter hour (15-minute) increments. This will continue, and any unworked time entered as PTO, EIB, Sick Leave, Jury Duty, etc. will be rounded to the nearest quarter hour.

Q. Do I need to get approval for any time worked beyond my scheduled shift? 
A.  Although Overlake’s expectation is that all overtime must be approved by the Director/Manager or designee, occasional daily incremental overtime of five (5) minutes or less before the start of the shift and/or past the end of the shift, will not require approval.

Q. Will I be required to tell my manager why I am working more than 5 minutes beyond either the start or end of my shift?
A. Yes, you may be required to state the reason you punched in early or clocked out late.

Q. What happens if my overtime is more than five (5) minutes before the start of the shift and/or past the end of the shift?
A. You may receive coaching in response to persistent punching in early or punching out late. If concerns persist, you may receive corrective action regarding this behavior. In addition, patterns of tardiness (including early departures) and other unacceptable attendance documentation behavior may also result in corrective action.

Q. If I clock in 5 minutes late to my shift, am I considered tardy?
A-Yes, employes are expected to begin working at their start time. Punching in any time after the scheduled start time is considered late.  Overlake’s ability to deliver and support quality patient care is dependent upon its employees' readiness to work. Many areas depend on staff arriving timely for shift report and other important activities supporting patient care. Employees are also expected to be prepared to work at the beginning of their shift and report back from breaks on time.

Q. What should I do if there is a line at the timeclock?
A. If you are waiting to punch in and you believe that continuing to wait will make you late for work, you may use any computer workstation in your department to punch in through UKG.

Q. How will overtime be calculated?
A. Since your work hours are now tracked by the minute, your overtime pay will be calculated based on the exact number of minutes overtime you work.

Q. What are the approved methods to punch in and out?
A. Mobile punching is not an approved method of punching in or out. You must use the timeclock nearest to your department. As outlined in the Time & Attendance System policy: Every hourly employee will utilize the automated Time and Attendance System by punching to record their paid time on a daily basis. There are two mechanisms that can be used for punching in/out:

  • Timeclock
  • Computer

Q. Where else can I go for information about this change?
A. There are several resources available for you for information and questions:

After reviewing this communication and consulting resources provided by Overlake, if you have further questions or concerns about this new practice, please contact:

WSNA Nurse Representative
Tara Barnes, tbarnes@wsna.org