The pay run is only as good as the hours it starts with. This is how to get approved time ready for Gusto.
Gusto runs payroll for hourly and salaried employees, and for businesses that are often small and growing. For hourly teams the weak point is the step between timesheets and the pay run. If a manager copies hours by hand, every pay period carries a small chance of a typo. Connecting the two removes the retyping, and the approval step becomes the control.
To record clock-ins, breaks and overtime automatically, see EZTime time and attendance software.
The data points, direction and timing for your account are confirmed with the EZTime team during setup, so use this page to prepare your questions rather than as a technical specification.
Gusto supports weekly, every other week, twice a month and monthly pay schedules. EZTime needs to match yours. A twice a month schedule, paid on the 15th and the last day, does not line up with a workweek, which matters for overtime. Overtime is still based on the workweek, so a period that splits a week needs care. Agree a cut-off such as Monday noon for approvals, and tell managers that late edits go to the next run.
A line cook has these made-up numbers for one week:
| Item | Hours | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | 40 | $19.00 | $760.00 |
| Overtime | 6 | $28.50 | $171.00 |
| Total | 46 | $931.00 |
The hours in the pay run should match the approved hours in EZTime exactly. If they do not, one of the two has a late edit. The cut-off exists to prevent that.
Hours are one part of a paycheck. Tips, bonuses, reimbursements and paid time off sit in other earning types. Decide which come from time tracking and which are entered in payroll. A common split is regular and overtime hours from EZTime, and everything else entered directly in Gusto. Write the split down so nobody enters sick leave twice.
Contractors are paid differently from employees and do not accrue overtime. If contractors also log time for billing, keep them in a separate group so their hours never reach the employee pay run.
The Fair Labor Standards Act measures overtime by the workweek, a fixed and recurring period of seven consecutive days, not by the pay period. The U.S. Department of Labor does not allow averaging hours across two weeks. A semimonthly schedule therefore needs a rule for the week that straddles the 15th.
| Day | Date | Hours | Pay period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Jan 13 | 9 | Jan 1 to 15 |
| Tuesday | Jan 14 | 9 | Jan 1 to 15 |
| Wednesday | Jan 15 | 9 | Jan 1 to 15 |
| Thursday | Jan 16 | 9 | Jan 16 to 31 |
| Friday | Jan 17 | 8 | Jan 16 to 31 |
| Week total | 44 | 4 hours of overtime |
The 4 overtime hours cannot be known until Friday, which falls in the second pay period. A common approach is to pay the regular hours in the period they were worked and pay the overtime premium in the period in which the workweek ends. Whatever you choose, apply it the same way every time and document it, and confirm it with your payroll adviser.
Five checks take about ten minutes for a team of thirty, and they catch most of the problems that would otherwise turn into an off-cycle correction.
| Mistake | Result | Prevention |
|---|---|---|
| PTO entered in Gusto and also tracked as hours | Employee paid twice for the same day off | Decide one source for paid time off and write it down |
| New hire added to payroll but not to EZTime | No hours, so no pay on the first check | Add the person to both systems on the same day, ideally before day one |
| Approvals after the cut-off | Late edits missed the run | Hold late edits for the next period as recorded adjustments |
| Workweek start differs between systems | Overtime calculated on different weeks | Set the same workweek start day in both |
A fictional barista forgot to clock out on a Thursday, and the shift was approved at 4 hours instead of 7. Payroll had already run. The manager approves a missed punch request in EZTime, which records the change with an audit trail, and the 3 missing hours at $17.00, or $51.00, go into the next pay run as an adjustment. If those hours push that earlier week over 40, the overtime premium is owed as well. Several states set deadlines for paying wages owed, so check how quickly a correction must be paid where you operate.
It can, through the EZTime API (Premium plan) or a custom integration built by EZTime’s development team. The EZTime team can confirm how it works for your plan and pay schedule.
Fix them in the next period with a recorded adjustment, and follow your state’s rules on corrections.
No. Review the preview before you approve it.
No. Under the FLSA, overtime is calculated for each workweek separately, even when you pay every two weeks or twice a month.
The manager who saw the work, with one person in the office checking totals. Splitting the two roles catches both missed punches and data mistakes.
Weekly overtime math
Convert pay between formats
Add up shifts and breaks
Book a demo and bring one pay period or one week of sales. We will go through what you want to see and which data is needed.
Gusto is a trademark of its owner. EZTime is not affiliated with or endorsed by Gusto. This page is general information, not legal, payroll or tax advice. Rules differ by state, city and contract, and they change. Check with a qualified professional before you act. Numbers in examples are made up.