This article is for US employees who use Gusto to track their time. Before you can track time, a payroll admin needs to turn on Gusto Time tracking. If you don’t see time tracking in your profile, contact your admin.
If you are not a US employee, time tracking works differently:
For US contractors: Learn how contractor hours are tracked.
For non-US employees: Track your hours in Remote.
If you’re a US employee paid by the hour, or a salaried employee eligible for overtime, you can track your time and projects in your Gusto account and in the Gusto mobile app.
If you aren’t sure if you should be tracking your time in Gusto, check with your admin.
Who can track time
Hourly employees
Salaried employees who are eligible for overtime
Salaried overtime-exempt employees cannot be added to time tracking. If you are unsure of your classification, contact your admin.
How time entry works
You can’t enter a total number of hours. You will need to enter a start time and end time for each shift. Gusto calculates your total hours from those times.
Pay periods and submission deadlines
You can track and edit hours until your admin approves your timesheet or processes payroll for that pay period. After that point, contact your admin to make changes.
Your pay period is the date range you are being paid for. Your check date is the day you get paid. These are not the same date — for example, you might work a pay period of March 2 – March 15 and get paid on March 20.
Note: Overtime is calculated based on your workweek, not your pay period. Your workweek start date may be different from your pay period start date, which can affect when overtime kicks in. You cannot see your workweek start date in your profile — contact your admin if you have questions about how your overtime is calculated.
A note for salaried overtime-eligible employees
If you are a salaried employee eligible for overtime, enter your actual start and end times for every shift — including time worked beyond your standard schedule. Gusto uses your actual tracked hours to automatically calculate overtime. You do not need to calculate overtime yourself.
Notes on your timesheet
Your admin may require you to leave a note when you manually add or edit hours, or when you record a break. If you are prompted to leave a note, this is a setting your admin has turned on — it is not optional.
You can track your time in a web browser, the mobile app, or at the Time kiosk.
To track your hours in a web browser:
On your Home page, find the Time tracking tile.
If you have multiple pay rates or roles, use the dropdown in the tile to select which role or project you are clocking in for.
Click Clock in.
When your shift is complete, click Clock out.
To manually add hours instead of clocking in and out:
On the Time tracking tile, click Add hours +.
Enter your start time and end time for the shift.
Add a note if required or if you want to leave a message for your admin.
Click Save.
Note: Your admin must give you edit access to your timesheet before you can manually add hours. You may be required to leave a note.
To track your hours in the mobile app:
Open the Gusto mobile app.
Go to the Time tab.
Tap Clock in.
When your shift is complete, tap Clock out.
To manually add hours:
Tap the Current pay period card.
Tap Add hours.
Enter your clock-in and clock-out times.
Add a note if required or if you want to leave a message for your admin.
Tap Save.
To clock in at the kiosk:
Go to kiosk.gusto.com on the kiosk device.
Find your name by scrolling or using the search bar, then select your name.
Enter your PIN.
Tap Clock in.
To clock out:
Go to kiosk.gusto.com on the kiosk device.
Find your name and select it.
Enter your PIN.
Tap Clock out.
The screen returns to the entry screen automatically after a few seconds. You can also tap Sign out to return to it sooner.
Record a meal or rest break (both paid and unpaid) with Gusto Time tracking in your Gusto account. Only overtime-eligible employees can track breaks in Gusto, and you need to be assigned to a break policy by your admin.
To record a break while clocked in:
On your Home page, click Take a break on the Time tracking tile.
Select the type of break — meal or rest.
Click Save.
When your break is done, return to the tile and choose to End break and clock back in or End break and clock out.
To add a break to your timesheet after the fact:
Click the Time tracking tab.
Under My hours, click Add hours + next to the shift you want to add a break to.
Select Add break.
Enter the break type, start time, and duration.
Click Save.
To record a break while clocked in:
Go to the Time tab.
Tap Take a break.
Select the type of break.
Tap Start break.
When your break is done, tap End break.
To add a break to your timesheet after the fact:
Go to Time.
Find the shift and tap Edit.
Tap Add break.
Enter the break type, start time, and duration.
Tap Save.
To take a break at the kiosk:
Go to kiosk.gusto.com on the kiosk device.
Find your name and select it.
Enter your PIN.
Tap Take a break.
Select the break type — rest or meal.
To end your break and return to your shift:
Find your name and select it.
Enter your PIN.
Select End break and clock in to return to your shift, or End break and clock out to end your shift.
Note: You may not be able to end a break early if your admin has set up a policy to prevent it. If manager approval is required, ask your manager for the override PIN.
Project tracking is available on Plus, Premium, and Time and Attendance Plus add-on plans. Contractors cannot track time to projects. Projects and tasks are created by your admin — if you are not sure which to select, ask your admin.
There are two ways to track project time, depending on how your admin has set up your account.
If you track time for both payroll and projects, select your project and task when you clock in. The project and task dropdowns appear on the clock-in screen.
In your web browser:
On the Time tracking tile, click Clock in.
On the clock-in screen, select the Project and Task from the dropdowns.
Click Clock in.
When your shift is complete, click Clock out.
To manually add hours with a project:
Click the Time tracking tab.
Under My hours, click Add hours + on the day you want to add.
Enter your start and end times.
Select the project and task from the dropdowns. If the time is not tied to a project, select No project.
Add a note if required.
Click Save.
In the mobile app:
Open the Gusto mobile app and go to the Time tab.
Under Project, select the project you want to track time to.
Tap Clock in.
When your shift is complete, tap Clock out.
If you only track time to projects and not payroll, you'll use a separate weekly timesheet in the Time tracking section.
In your web browser:
Under My projects, select the pay period from the dropdown.
Click + Add timesheet row.
Select the project and, if applicable, the task from the dropdowns.
Enter your hours for each day worked. Hours save automatically.
Click + Add notes if you need to leave a message for your admin.
To remove a project from your timesheet, click the x next to the Total hours column.
In the mobile app:
Open the Gusto mobile app and go to Time.
Tap the pay period you want to enter hours for. For past pay periods, scroll down and select Past pay periods.
Tap Add hours.
Choose the date and times of the shift.
Under Project, select the project.
Add a break if applicable.
Add a note if needed.
Tap Save.
Note: If your admin later adds you to payroll time tracking, your weekly project timesheet will be replaced by the project dropdown on the clock-in screen. Your existing project hours will still appear in reports.
You can edit or remove hours until your admin approves your timesheet or processes payroll for that pay period. If you need to make changes after that point, contact your admin.
Note: Your admin must give you edit access to your timesheet before you can make changes. Your admin will be notified when you edit your hours.
To edit or remove hours:
Click the Time tracking tab, or click View pay period on the Time tracking tile on your Home page.
Confirm the correct pay period is selected.
Click Edit next to the shift you want to change.
Make your changes, or click Delete this shift to remove it.
Add a note if required.
Click Save.
To edit or remove hours:
Open the Gusto mobile app.
Go to the Time tab.
Select the Current pay period card and confirm the correct pay period is selected.
Tap Edit next to the shift you want to change.
Make your changes or delete the shift.
Add a note if required.
Tap Save.
Your PIN is used to clock in and out at the Time kiosk. Do not share it with anyone.
Use the steps below to set up your PIN for the first time.
In your Gusto account:
Click the Settings tab.
Under Time kiosk PIN, click Edit.
Enter a custom four-digit PIN and click Save.
At the kiosk:
Go to kiosk.gusto.com, find your name, and select it.
Enter a custom four-digit PIN.
Re-enter your PIN to confirm.
Use the steps below to reset your PIN.
In your Gusto account:
Click the Settings tab.
Under Time kiosk PIN, click Edit.
Enter a new four-digit PIN and click Save.
At the kiosk:
Go to kiosk.gusto.com, find your name, and select it.
Click Forgot your PIN?
We'll email reset instructions to your work email, or your personal email if no work email is on file.
Your PIN updates across all kiosks immediately.
If your tracked hours appear in the wrong time zone:
Click the Settings tab.
Click Edit next to Current time zone.
Select the correct time zone and click Save.
Note: You can only change your time zone from your web browser, not from the mobile app.
Timesheet history shows every edit made to your timesheet, including who made the change, when, and what was changed. Changes include adding or removing hours, editing shift times, clocking in or out, adding or changing breaks, and changing jobs or projects.
To view your timesheet history:
Select a pay period from the Select a pay period dropdown, or view the current pay period.
Scroll to the bottom of the timesheet.
Click Version history.
Edits are sorted oldest first by default. You can sort by time within a workday.
Q: What is the last day I am paid for in a pay period?
A: Your pay period end date is the last day you are paid for. For example, if your pay period is Mar 2 – Mar 15 and your check date is Mar 20, you are being paid for work through Mar 15. Check your Time tracking tab to see your current pay period dates.
Q: I'm a salaried employee. What do I enter for my hours?
A: Enter your actual start and end times for every shift, including any time worked beyond your standard schedule. Gusto calculates overtime automatically based on your actual hours. You do not need to calculate overtime yourself.
Q: Why is the system asking me to leave a note?
A: Your admin has turned on a setting that requires a note when hours are manually added or edited. This is not optional when the setting is on. Add a brief description of why you are making the change.
Q: How does overtime work? Why does it seem off?
A: Overtime is calculated based on your workweek, not your pay period. If your workweek starts on a different day than your pay period, overtime may appear to carry across pay periods in a way that seems unexpected. You cannot see your workweek start date in your profile — contact your admin if you have questions.
Q: Can a shift span more than one day?
A: No. Gusto automatically ends a shift at midnight and starts a new one. If you forgot to clock out, edit your hours manually in the Time tracking tab.
Q: Can I have two shifts in one day?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I enter hours for a future date?
A: No.
Q: Can I track hours for a past pay period?
A: You can edit hours until your admin approves your timesheet or processes payroll. After that, contact your admin to make any corrections.