Time tracking (for employees)

To view the Time tracking section of your account, the feature first needs to be turned on by your payroll administrator—reach out to your employer if you do not see this option. If you're a US contractor trying to track your hours, check out this article.

Hourly W-2 employees with access to a Gusto account can clock in and out during each shift, or manually enter and edit hours for each day worked.

You can also use the Gusto Wallet mobile app to track time.

Track your hours

You can track your hours until the point the hours have been approved, or a payroll administrator has processed payroll for that pay period. If you need to track hours for a past pay period, reach out to your payroll administrator.

Sign in to your Gusto account.
On the Time tracking tile on your Home page, select which role or project you're clocking in for if you have multiple pay rates.
Click Clock in on the Time tracking tile.
Click Clock out when your workday or shift is complete.
If you’d prefer to manually add hours for the day, click Add hours + and select your start and end times for the day and click Save.
- You'll also have the opportunity to enter a note for each block of time.
- If mandated by your employer, you'll be required to leave a note when manually adding hours, and/or to identify if a break was taken.

Gusto will automatically calculate your time worked for the day and log it in your Time tracking tab.

Gusto Time Kiosk: Set up or reset your PIN and track your hours

This feature is in beta and is not yet available for all customers.

Your PIN is used to access the Time kiosk to clock in, clock out, and take breaks. Do not share your PIN with anyone else.

Set up or reset your PIN

Set up your PIN for the first time in your Gusto account

Sign in to Gusto.
Click the Time tracking section.
Toggle to the Settings tab.
Under the Time kiosk PIN section, click edit.
Enter a custom 4-digit PIN.
Click Save.
- Your PIN will be immediately updated across all Time Kiosks.

Set up your PIN for the first time at a Time kiosk

On any device that has been set up as a Time kiosk, navigate the device's browser to kiosk.gusto.com.
Find your name on the Time kiosk entry screen by scrolling or using the search bar and select your name.
Enter a custom 4-digit PIN.
Re-enter your PIN on the next screen to confirm.
- Your PIN will be immediately updated across all Time Kiosks.

Reset your PIN in your Gusto account

Sign in to Gusto.
Click the Time tracking section.
Toggle to the Settings tab.
Under the Time kiosk PIN section, click Edit.
Enter a new 4-digit PIN.
Click Save.
- Your PIN will be immediately updated across all Time Kiosks.

Reset your PIN from a Time kiosk

On any device that has been set up as a Time kiosk, navigate the device's browser to kiosk.gusto.com.
Find your name on the Time kiosk entry screen by scrolling or using the search bar and select your name.
Below the number keypad, click Forgot your PIN?.
We’ll email you with instructions to reset your PIN to your work email. If you do not have a work email entered in Gusto, it will be sent to your personal email that's in Gusto.

Clock in and out

Clock in

On any device that's been set up as a Time kiosk, navigate the device's browser to kiosk.gusto.com.
Find your name on the Time kiosk entry screen by scrolling or using the search bar and select your name.
Enter your PIN.
- You can reset your PIN from your Gusto account on the web by following the reset instructions above.
Click Clock in.
The screen will automatically switch back to the entry screen after a few seconds for the next person to clock in or out.
- You can also click Sign out to send it back to the entry screen sooner.

Clock out

On any device that's been set up as a Time kiosk, navigate the device's browser to kiosk.gusto.com.
Find your name on the Time kiosk entry screen by scrolling or using the search bar and select your name.
Enter your PIN.
- You can reset your PIN from your Gusto account on the web by following the reset instructions above.
Click Clock out.
The screen will automatically switch back to the entry screen after a few seconds for the next person to clock in or out.
- You can also click Sign out to send it back to the entry screen sooner.

Take a break

Important: This is only available if your admin has set up meal and rest breaks.

On any device that has been set up as a Time kiosk, navigate the device's browser to kiosk.gusto.com.
Find your name on the Time kiosk entry screen by scrolling or typing in the search bar and select your name.
Enter your PIN.
- You can reset your PIN from your Gusto account on the web by following the reset instructions above.
Click Take a Break.
Select Break Type (Rest break or Meal break).
The screen will automatically switch back to the entry screen after a few seconds for the next person to clock in or out.
- You can also click Sign out to return to the entry screen sooner.

Clock in after a break

On any device that has been set up as a Time kiosk, navigate the device's browser to kiosk.gusto.com.
Find your name on the Time kiosk entry screen by scrolling or typing in the search bar and select your name.
Enter your PIN.
- You can reset your PIN from your Gusto account on the web by following the reset instructions above.
Select either End break and clock in or End break and clock out.
- Selecting End break and clock back in will end your current break and automatically clock you back in. Make sure to clock out when you’re done with your shift.
- Selecting End break and clock out will end your current break and end your current shift.
The screen will automatically switch back to the entry screen after a few seconds for the next person to clock in or out.
- You can also click Sign out to return to the entry screen sooner.

Gusto will automatically calculate your time worked for the day and log it on your timesheet.

Review, edit, or remove hours tracked

If you need to manually adjust your time worked, follow the steps below to add, edit, or remove hours. This doesn't require you to clock in or out, and your employer will be notified that your hours have been changed.

Click View pay period in the Time tracking tile on your Home page or click the Time tracking tab.
Confirm the pay period selected is the one for review.
- Click Add hours + to add hours.
- Click Edit next to existing hours to make any changes.
- To delete hours, click Edit next to existing hours and select Delete this shift.
  - If mandated by your employer, you'll be required to leave a note when making edits to your hours and/or to identify if a break was taken.

Gusto will automatically update your tracked hours. You can edit your hours until the point the hours have been approved, or a payroll administrator has processed payroll for that pay period. If you need to make any edits past this point, reach out to your payroll administrator, as that payroll will need to be corrected.

Update your timezone

If your tracked hours appear to be associated with the incorrect time zone, follow the steps below to update the time zone.

Contractors cannot update their time zone—reach out to your admin for assistance.

Go to the Time tracking section of your account.
Toggle to the Settings tab.
Click edit next to "Current timezone."
Select the correct timezone from the dropdown list.
Click Save.

Record your meal and rest breaks

Record a meal or rest break (both paid and unpaid) with Gusto Time tracking in your Gusto account.

Track breaks from your Gusto Home page

Sign in to your Gusto account.
Click Clock out in the Time tracking tile on your Home page.
Next to your hours, click Edit and select Add break.
- Select the type of break—meal or rest and fill in the requested information.
- Click Save.
- You'll only see this if your admin has meal and rest breaks set up and you’re assigned to a break policy.

Gusto will automatically calculate your time worked for the day and log it in your timesheet for your manager or admin to review and approve.

Add a break to hours worked on your timesheet

Sign in to your Gusto account.
Click the Time tracking tab.
In the My hours tab, click Add hours + next to the day/shift you need to record a meal or rest break for.
Select Add break.
Fill in the following information:
- What type of break was taken—meal or rest.
- How long the break was.
- When the break started.
If a break ended early or was delayed, you may be asked to select a reason why.
Click Save.

Track hours to a project

Once your company admin has created projects, you can track your time to them. Follow the applicable instructions below based on whether you're tracking time to both payroll and projects, or just projects alone.

Project time tracking is available to our Plus and Premium customers—at this time, contractors can not track hours to projects (only employees). If you do not have access to this feature, administrators can upgrade the plan.

Tracking time for payroll and projects

During clock-in and clock-out

Sign in to your Gusto account.
- Make sure you’re viewing your employee profile.
From your Home page, find the Time tracking tile.
Use the dropdown in the tile to select the project you'd like to track time to. If the time is not associated with a specific project, choose no project.
- The list of projects was created by your company—if you’re not sure which to choose, reach out to your payroll administrator.
If applicable, enter the task associated with the project from the dropdown.
Click Clock in.
When your workday or shift is complete, click Clock out.

If you’d prefer to manually add hours for the day, click Add hours + and select your clock in and clock out time period(s) for the day. Then select the project, and if applicable, the task you’d like to track time to from the dropdown. If not tied to a specific project, select no project.

You'll also have the opportunity to enter a note for each block of time. If mandated by your employer, you'll be required to leave a note when manually adding hours, and/or to identify if a break was taken.

Enter payroll and project hours from the Time tracking section

Sign in to your Gusto account.
- Make sure you’re viewing your employee profile.
Go to the Time tracking section of your account.
Under My hours, select the pay period you need to track time for.
On the specific day, click Add hours +.
Enter the time worked and select which project to track time to from the dropdown. If the time is not tied to a specific project, choose no project.
- The list of all projects is created by your company—if you’re not sure which to choose, reach out to your payroll administrator.
If applicable, enter the task associated with the project from the dropdown.
Add a break if applicable.
Click on Add note to leave a message for your employer.
Click Save to confirm the changes.

Tracking time to projects only

Sign in to your Gusto account.
- Make sure you’re viewing your employee profile.
Go to the Time tracking section of your account.
Under My projects, select the pay period you need to track time for from the dropdown on the right-hand side.
Click + Add timesheet row.
Select the project you’d like to track time to from the drop-down.
- You’ll see a list of all projects created by the company—if you’re not sure which to choose, reach out to your payroll administrator.
If applicable, enter the task associated with the project from the dropdown.
Enter the hours for each day worked. The hours will automatically save and will be sent to your admin.
Click on + Add notes if you need to leave a message for your payroll administrator.

If you need to delete a project from your Project tracking page, click the x next to the “Total hours” column.

FAQs

Q: Can a shift span for longer than a day?

A: No. Gusto automatically stops a shift at 12 a.m. and will start a new shift at 12 a.m. that'll end once you clock out. If you forgot to clock-out, you can edit your hours manually in your Time tracking tab.

Q: Can hours for the future be entered in?

A: No.