Regulations require unalterable and traceable records
A digital time tracking system ensures reliable and auditable data.
Since 2019, all companies in Spain have been required to keep a daily record of their employees' working hours (Royal Decree-Law 8/2019). The law aims to guarantee that these records are objective and tamper-proof. In fact, the official guide from the Ministry of Labor specifies that the recording system must provide information that is “reliable, unalterable, and cannot be manipulated afterward,” and ensure “the reliable and unchanging traceability of the daily working hours once recorded.” In other words, once an employee clocks in or out, that data cannot be freely altered as if nothing had happened. Any attempt to covertly modify a clock-in would be considered manipulation of the time record, which is prohibited by law.
The objective of these requirements is to prevent fraud and falsification of working hours. For example, the Labor Inspectorate verifies the integrity of the time record by comparing the recorded hours with actual hours worked, and expects no alterations without traceability. Any change must leave a record (who made it, when, and why). A reliable time record must be unalterable; that is, a clock-in/out entry cannot be edited without leaving a trace. If the company were to unilaterally alter the hours worked (for example, to remove overtime), it would be breaking the law and subject to severe penalties. Fines for falsifying or manipulating the time record can reach up to €7,500 in the most serious cases.
Correction of clock-in/out entries: only at the employee's request
However, the above does not mean that an error in the clock-in/out entries can never be corrected. The regulations distinguish between a fraudulent alteration and a justified correction. If an employee makes a mistake or forgets to clock in (for example, forgetting to clock out, recording the wrong time, etc.), it's possible to legally correct the record, provided it's done with the necessary safeguards. The key is that the company cannot modify the record unilaterally; the employee's consent or request is required.
In fact, new legislation on digital timekeeping reinforces this point: it establishes the impossibility of modifying records without the employee's consent. In practice, if an employee forgets to clock in or makes a mistake, the company must obtain their approval before making any changes to the record. This measure aims to prevent unilateral alterations to working hours and strengthen legal certainty for both parties. In other words, changes to a clock-in record can only be made at the employee's request, never solely at the company's initiative.
So, how should one proceed in the event of a clock-in error? It's recommended that the employee report the issue in writing (for example, using an internal form or a feature of the timekeeping application) and request a correction. The request must be recorded – ideally with the employee's signature or confirmation – to document that the change is justified and authorized by them. From there, an authorized person (e.g., an administrator or manager) can edit the erroneous record, entering the necessary correction into the system. Important: this modification must be audited in the time and attendance system. This means the software must keep a history of changes, indicating who made the correction, the date and time, and the reason or associated comment (e.g., "correction requested by employee due to forgetting to clock out"). This way, in the event of any future inspection or inquiry, it can be demonstrated that the adjustment was legitimate and not an attempt at irregular manipulation.
In summary, it is possible to modify a clock-in record in case of an error, provided that:
- The employee requests the correction (in writing or through the system), providing proof of the reason.
- The company never alters data on its own initiative or without notifying the employee.
- The timekeeping system leaves a record of the modification, recording who made the change, when, and why.
As long as these requirements are met, correcting an incorrect time entry is perfectly legal. What is not permitted is deleting or hiding records behind the employee's back. In fact, employees always have the right to access their records and verify their hours, so any unauthorized changes could be detected and penalized.
Timenet and traceability in timekeeping modifications
Modern digital time tracking systems, such as Timenet, already incorporate features to handle these situations securely and in compliance with the law. Timenet, for example, complies with current regulations on timekeeping (Royal Decree-Law 8/2019) and offers a specific module for managing clocking errors. This means that if an employee forgets to clock in or makes a mistake, they can report the issue through the same application. With Timenet's advanced module, employees themselves can propose corrections to clocking errors, so the administrator only has to accept or reject them. This feature greatly streamlines the correction process and avoids misunderstandings or conflicts with employees. By involving employees in correcting their records, transparency and trust in the time tracking system are fostered.
When the administrator approves a correction in Timenet, the change is automatically recorded. The system maintains complete traceability of the modification: which supervisor made it, at what time, and what adjustment was made to the clock-in/clock-out time. Furthermore, it is usually required to indicate a reason for the correction (for example: “incident due to missed clock-in approved”). All this information is reflected in the reports that Timenet generates for the company, so in the event of an inspection, it is possible to demonstrate that the records are reliable. Under no circumstances can the company alter a clock-in record in Timenet without leaving a record, as the system is designed to guarantee secure, traceable, and tamper-proof timekeeping.
In conclusion, timekeeping legislation does not prohibit correcting an erroneous clock-in record, but it requires that any modification be justified, transparent, and mutually agreed upon. The company cannot change the records at will; it can only do so if the employee requests it and leaves an auditable record of the change. Thanks to digital tools like Timenet, complying with this requirement is simple: the employee can report the incident, and the system automatically records the correction in accordance with the law. In this way, inevitable human errors (oversights, incorrectly marked clock-ins, etc.) are corrected without violating regulations, ensuring both the accuracy of the data and the legal peace of mind of the company and employees.