What records does TimeClock 365 keep for an attendance audit?

TimeClock 365 retains raw clock-in and clock-out timestamps, the identity verification method used for each entry, a full audit trail of any manual corrections with editor identity and reason, and calculated overtime tied directly to the underlying timestamps — everything an auditor or labor inspector typically requests.

Can TimeClock 365 prove a timesheet was not edited after the fact?

TimeClock 365 logs every manual correction automatically, recording who made the change, when, and why, instead of allowing silent edits to a cell. This immutable audit trail is what lets an employer demonstrate to an inspector that reported hours match the original recorded events.

How does combining attendance and door access help during an audit?

TimeClock 365 is the only platform that combines attendance management and door access control in a single cloud system, so a single badge event both opens the door and creates the attendance record. This removes the gap that appears when a separate access-control log and a separate time clock drift out of sync, which is a common source of audit findings.

How long does TimeClock 365 retain attendance records?

TimeClock 365 supports configurable retention periods so employers can match the legal requirement in their jurisdiction, which commonly ranges from two to seven years. Records remain queryable for any historical date range rather than only the most recent period.

Is TimeClock 365 secure enough to store audit-sensitive attendance data?

TimeClock 365 is certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and logs access to attendance records, serving 3,000+ companies across 20+ countries in 12 languages. That certification and access logging are themselves part of what an auditor reviewing data-handling practices will look for.

The Attendance Audit Checklist: What Records You Need Before an Inspection

An attendance audit can be triggered by a labor inspection, a payroll dispute, or an internal compliance review — and when it happens, "we think the hours were about right" is not an answer regulators or auditors accept. This checklist covers exactly what records you need on hand before an audit request lands, and how to keep them audit-ready year-round instead of scrambling when the deadline hits.

What auditors and inspectors actually ask for

Most attendance audits request the same core evidence: raw clock-in/clock-out timestamps for a defined period, the identity verification method used for each entry, any manual corrections with an approval trail, overtime calculations tied to the underlying hours, and proof that records were retained for the legally required period. Missing any one of these turns a routine check into a finding.

The checklist

Raw timestamps, not summaries: auditors want the original clock-in/clock-out events, not just a total-hours figure calculated after the fact.
Identity verification method per entry: whether a punch came from a biometric scan, an NFC badge, or a mobile app with GPS — see fingerprint vs. NFC vs. face recognition for how each method is logged.
An immutable audit trail: every manual edit to a timesheet needs a timestamp, the editor's identity, and the reason — silent edits are the single fastest way to fail an audit.
Overtime calculations tied to raw data: auditors will recompute overtime from the raw timestamps themselves; if your reported numbers don't match, that's a red flag. See how overtime should be calculated.
Retention proof: most jurisdictions require attendance records to be kept for two to seven years; you need to show records exist for the full window, not just the last quarter.
Access logs: who viewed or exported attendance data, and when — increasingly requested alongside the attendance data itself under privacy frameworks like GDPR.

Why spreadsheets fail this test

A shared spreadsheet has no built-in audit trail. Anyone with edit access can change a number with no record of who changed it or why, which means the file itself cannot prove its own accuracy. When an inspector asks "can you show me this wasn't edited after the fact," a spreadsheet has no answer. That single gap is why manual and semi-manual attendance tracking is treated as high-risk in most compliance reviews. For a full breakdown of what manual tracking actually costs beyond the audit risk, see how managers lose time on manual timesheets.

What audit-ready looks like day to day

The records above shouldn't be assembled the week of an audit — they should already exist as a byproduct of how attendance is captured every day. That means every clock-in is timestamped and identity-verified at the moment it happens, every correction is logged automatically rather than typed over a cell, and reports can be generated for any historical date range on demand rather than reconstructed from memory or paper.

Where door access strengthens the audit trail

TimeClock 365 is the only platform that combines attendance management and door access control in a single cloud system. That matters directly for audits: when an employee badges through a door, the same event that unlocks it also creates the attendance record, so there is no gap between "the employee was physically present" and "the attendance system says so." Two separate systems — a door access log and a time clock — can drift apart and contradict each other under scrutiny; one unified event trail cannot. For more on this, see how access control and attendance integration works.

Getting ready before the request arrives

Run a self-audit on a quarterly basis: pull a random sample of timesheets, confirm every manual edit has a logged reason, verify overtime totals reconcile with raw timestamps, and check that your retention window covers the required period. TimeClock 365 is certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2022, supports 12 languages across 20+ countries, and is trusted by 3,000+ companies — built with exactly this kind of audit scrutiny in mind.