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What time is shown in Sprout HR for employees clocking in from different time zones?

A common question for companies with a global or remote workforce is how Sprout HR records employee time when clock-ins occur from different geographic locations. The short answer is: Sprout HR operates exclusively on the Philippine Time Zone (PHT). This article clarifies what time will be reflected in the system for employees clocking in from various time zones and provides guidance on how to manage schedules that must align with a non-PHT schedule.

 

Employees Clocking In From Different Time Zones: What Time Will Reflect in Sprout HR?

The time that is recorded in Sprout HR for any employee clock-in, regardless of their physical location, will always be the Philippine Time Zone (PHT).

  1. System Time Consistency: The Sprout HR system is hard-coded to follow PHT (UTC+8). When an employee clocks in, the system records the actual, real-time PHT time of that transaction.

  2. Schedule Alignment: The system also interprets and reflects all employee profile schedules based on PHT. For instance, if an employee's schedule is set from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, the system treats this as 9:00 AM PHT to 6:00 PM PHT.

Local Time vs. System Time: If an employee in the Japan Time Zone (JST, UTC+9) clocks in at 10:00 AM local time, the time recorded in Sprout HR will be 9:00 AM PHT (since JST is one hour ahead of PHT).

 

Aligning Employee Schedules Manually

Because the system is PHT-centric, if you need an employee’s schedule to reflect a different time zone (e.g., JST) for payroll or monitoring purposes, you must manually calculate and apply the time difference when setting their schedule in Sprout HR.

Example: Setting a JST Schedule in Sprout HR

If you want an employee to work a schedule of 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM in Japan Time (JST):

  1. Calculate the Difference: JST is 1 hour ahead of PHT.

  2. Adjust the Schedule to PHT: Subtract the 1-hour difference from the JST schedule.
    • JST Start: 9:00 AM - PHT Input: 8:00 AM
    • JST End: 6:00 PM - PHT Input: 5:00 PM

Key Takeaway: You must input the PHT equivalent schedule (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM) into the employee's Sprout HR profile. This ensures that when the employee clocks in at their desired local time (9:00 AM JST), the recorded PHT time (8:00 AM PHT) is properly matched against the PHT schedule in the system.

Final Summary: Employees can clock in outside the Philippines, but Sprout HR will always record, interpret, and standardize all time in Philippine Time (PHT), regardless of the employee’s local time zone.

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