Verify record completeness
Confirm every worked shift has a date, clock-in, clock-out and any unpaid break. Empty rows can be ignored, but partially completed rows should be resolved rather than treated as zero.
Look for structural conflicts
Check duplicate rows, overlapping shifts, end times before start times and breaks longer than the shift. Overnight work should be marked clearly instead of being mistaken for a negative duration.
- Missing punch
- Duplicate row
- Overlapping time
- Impossible break
- Unusually long shift
- Unexpected overnight entry
Reconcile totals with source records
Compare daily totals with schedules, approvals or other source records. Keep exact punches available even when payroll uses rounded values.
If a correction is needed, record the original value, corrected value, reason and approver.
Separate arithmetic from approval
An automated audit can flag patterns; it cannot confirm that work was authorized, that a break was unpaid, or that a policy was applied legally. Final approval remains a human process.