By registering hours in Eitje, we can also keep track of your team members' overtime balance, or hour balance. Useful, as this allows you to see exactly how many hours team members have actually worked in comparison to the contracted hours.
The overtime balance can be a bit complicated, but this article explains all you need to know.
What is the overtime balance?
The overtime balance is only calculated for team members with a contract for fixed-hours. It keeps track of the number of hours someone has worked, and shows whether a team member has worked too many or too few hours.
Overtime-hours (plus): when more hours are worked than stated in the contract.
Deficit-hours (minus): when fewer hours are worked than stated in the contract.
Why track this?
Employees with a contract for fixed-hours usually don't get paid more when they work more, neither do they get paid less when they work less. The overtime balance is a way to account for this difference. Many companies have an overtime agreement, where overtime is either paid or converted into time off. Also, a negative balance does expire upon leaving the company. So it's good to keep track of that as well.
The overtime balance in Eitje
In Eitje, you'll find this page via the main menu: 'Hours' > Overtime balance.
Does the page only show 'Set start balance?' Then you'll first need to activate the balance. Here's an article on how to do so.
'Team member': the overview shows all team members with an active contract for fixed-hours in Eitje. A drop-down menu at the top of the page allows you to switch between team members that are either 'in service' or 'out of service'.
'Balance on': this column displays the balance at the end of the selected date. By default it is set to yesterday. Yesterday's end-balance is today's start-balance.
'Balance active on': here, you can see if a team member's balance is active on the selected date. The balance is active when the team member has an active fixed-hour contract.
Yes means the team member has an active balance on the selected date.
No means the team member has had balance, but not on the selected date.
Never means the team member has not previously accrued balance.
Question marks: these indicate that there are still unapproved hours. Unapproved hours are not included in the calculation of the hour balance, so it's best to check them. Details appear when you
The overtime balance: per team member
By clicking on the team member's name, you can view their balance in more detail. We use an example to explain how to read this page.
The tabel (1 - 5 red)
1. 'Period': By default, the hour balance is divided into periods of one week. Using the dropdown at the top, you can also view the balance by month, quarter, year, or day.
2. 'Difference in period': This is always the end balance of the period minus the start balance of the period. The start balance here is the end balance of the previous period (the row below).
3. 'Balance end period': This is always the balance at the end of the chosen period. For example, if you view the hour balance by week, this is the balance on Sunday evening 23:59:59.
4. 'Question mark': This indicates that there are unapproved hours. Check the hours from this period, as unapproved hours are not included in the calculation of the hour balance. Once approved, it impacts the balance.
5. 'Events': these are changes affecting the balance. For example: a new, changed or expiring contract, or a correction. These are displayed as separate lines in the overview.
The label (6-8 purple)
6. 'Currently': this is yesterday's balance, at the end of the day.
7. 'Balance started on': this is the date when Eitje started calculating the balance for this team member.
8. '32:00h contract': the number of hours per week listed on the team member's contract. If the team member has no contract today, this will show "no contract".
Actions (9 - green)
Under this button you'll find some useful options:
'Apply correction': a correction can be applied, for example, when you pay for overtime. In this article we explain when, and how to create a correction.
'Go to profile': clicking this will take you to the profile of this team member.
'Start balance': here, you can adjust the start balance of a team member. Want to know more about the start balance? Then read through this article.
Contracts (10 - green)
Under this button you can see the active, as well as previous or future contracts of this team member. Click to open the contract.
The receipt
By clicking on a row in the balance table, you'll open a ''receipt''. This receipt shows in detail how the balance in that period is calculated. The difference between the start and end balance is determined by:
The difference between the contracted hours and the total hours registered in the selected period.
Total approved hours consist of hours worked, leave hours, special leave hours and sick hours. By clicking this line, you unfold extra details.
Corrections: if you have created a correction, you will also see this on the receipt. You can create both positive and negative corrections. These respectively have a positive or negative effect on the final balance.
⚠️ Please note: Have any hours not been approved yet? This will appear as a warning on the bottom of the receipt. Check the hours from this period. Unapproved hours are not included in the calculation of the hour balance. Once approved, the balance will change.
Future forecast
You can also have a peak into the future to see what the overtime balance could look like, in case the planning is not modified. You can only see this on the overview page:
Navigate to the overtime balance: 'Hours' > 'Overtime balance'.
Change the date on top of the page.
Beware that the balance will be subject to changes.
The calculation for balance in the future is different, as there aren't any registered worked hours for future dates yet.
'Hours': Approved hours of leave will be taken into account. Same for hours of special leave and sickness.
'Planning': If there are no registered hours at all on a future date, then the system will look at the shifts in the planning, and create a forecast.
With these scheduled hours you get an idea of what a team member's balance could look like in the future, if the planning does not change.
The overtime balance in the Eitje app
You and team members can also view the overtime balance in the app:
Click on the menu in the top left corner (the three lines).
Go to your profile.
At the bottom, near the contract information, you will find balance information.