EU working-time records: the 2019 judgment and Claimora

Working-time records help make recorded hours available for review. This article separates the EU judicial context from Claimora’s time-entry workflow; using software does not by itself establish compliance.

What the 2019 judgment requires

On 14 May 2019, the CJEU held in C-55/18 that Member States must require employers to establish an objective, reliable and accessible system measuring daily working time. States define its implementation and form. The judgment does not itself prescribe a digital format; applicable national and sector rules need separate review. Judgment C-55/18; Directive 2003/88/EC. CJEU summary.

• Employee Protection: Ensuring accurate recording of hours worked to safeguard against unpaid overtime.

• Entry review: submit recorded hours for the responsible person to check.

• Operational Transparency: Providing clear data on labor practices, enhancing decision-making processes for management.

Putting a recording system into practice

Practical considerations when choosing and introducing a recording system include:

• System Integration: Efficiently integrating a robust digital time tracking system into existing IT infrastructure.

• Training and Adoption: Ensuring all employees are adequately trained and comfortable with the new system.

• Cost and Efficiency: Balancing the financial investment in new technology with the expected efficiency gains and compliance benefits.

The Strategic Role of Claimora

Claimora lets employees record working hours and breaks, correct an existing time entry and submit it for review. The responsible reviewer can approve or reject the entry.

Time-entry review with Claimora

A recorded entry and its review decision give both the employee and reviewer a clear reference for the hours in question.

Access controls and data review

Claimora restricts access to time entries by role and company. These access controls do not establish GDPR compliance; data purposes, retention and operational safeguards require their own review.

Cost-Effectiveness and Scalability

Understanding the financial constraints that often accompany the adoption of new technologies, Claimora offers plans for businesses of different sizes: free for up to 10 employees, the Standard plan for up to 100 employees and 10 external contractors, and the Business plan for up to 1,000 employees and 100 external contractors. Each plan has a flat price per company rather than per user, so adding employees within a plan does not increase its cost (prices exclude VAT).

Implementation and Beyond: The Claimora Advantage

Recording hours and reviewing corrections helps the team identify entries that need attention. Salary calculations, payment processing and legal conclusions are separate tasks.

Continuous Support and Evolution

Product changes must be checked against the needs of the team and the applicable requirements. A software update does not establish continued legal compliance.

Recording and reviewing time entries

The demonstrated workflow covers recording, correcting and reviewing time entries. It does not establish improved legal compliance or measured business results for customer organisations.

Conclusion

Choose a time tracker by checking the recording and review workflow against your team’s needs. Verify applicable legal requirements and any external integrations separately.