Shifts, time clock & security
Shift gate & time clock
The register stays closed until a manager opens the shift — so no one rings a sale on an unattended machine, and every dollar is tied to a person. The same clock that gates the register runs the time clock, so payroll gets clean numbers instead of a shoebox of guesses.
★One clock gates the register and feeds payroll — no double entry.
on break
An open register with no one accountable is a leak.
Shared logins and an always-on till make shrink easy and payroll fuzzy. PatronWorks closes the register by default and makes every sale, every drawer count, and every clocked minute attributable to a named person.
How it works
Simple where it counts.
A manager opens the shift
The day starts locked. A manager — defined by role permission, not a shared password — opens the shift to unlock selling.
Crew clock in and sign in
Staff clock in, then ring sales with just a name and PIN. Only clocked-in crew appear, so the list is always current.
It re-locks on its own
The terminal auto-relocks after each cash-out or after idle minutes, and shifts auto-expire after a set number of hours as a safety net.
What’s inside
Everything this covers.
The shift gate
Selling is off until a manager turns it on. Role permission — not a password everyone knows — decides who counts as a manager.
- A manager opens the shift to unlock the register
- Role permission decides who can open — owner, manager, or a trusted lead
- Nothing rings until the shift is open
Crew sign-in
No shared passwords. Crew clock in, then sign in with a name and PIN, so every sale is attributed to a person.
- Name + PIN sign-in — only clocked-in staff appear
- Every sale and till count tied to the crew member who made it
- Manager / Crew / Time-clock tabs on one lock screen
Time clock → clean payroll
The same clock that gates the register tracks hours and breaks to the minute, so payroll starts from real numbers.
- Clock in, clock out, breaks tracked to the minute
- Auto-relock after every cash-out or after idle minutes — your choice
- Shifts auto-expire after a configurable number of hours as a safety net
The clock does double duty
The clock that decides who can open the register is the same one that records hours and breaks. That means no separate time-tracking app and no re-keying — payroll is fed the exact minutes the floor actually worked.
Good to know.
- Default state
- Register closed until a manager opens the shift
- Sign-in
- Name + PIN; only clocked-in staff shown
- Re-lock
- After each cash-out, after idle minutes, or on shift expiry
- Feeds
- Timecards → payroll, with breaks deducted
Questions, answered.
Who can open a shift?
Whoever you give the role permission to — an owner, a manager, or a team lead you trust. It’s a role, not a shared password.
How do staff ring sales?
They clock in, then sign in with a name and PIN. Only clocked-in crew appear in the list, and every sale is tied to them.
What if someone forgets to lock the register?
It re-locks itself — after every cash-out, after a configurable idle time, and shifts auto-expire after a set number of hours.
Explore the rest of the platform
Start running your restaurant on PatronWorks today.
14 days free, no credit card. Set up your POS, printer, and first crew member in minutes — or book a demo and we'll do it with you.