Aikakirjaus

Aikakirjaus is the practice of recording the time that employees spend on work tasks, with the aim of supporting payroll, billing, project management and compliance with labor regulations. The term is commonly used in Finland and other Nordic countries, and it is a core function in human resources and operations management.

Forms and methods vary from manual to highly automated. Traditional methods include paper timesheets and punch clocks, while modern systems rely on electronic timekeeping, RFID or smart cards, biometric verification, and mobile or cloud-based applications. Time data typically includes employee identity, date, start and end times, breaks, overtime, and codes for projects, tasks or clients. The data often passes through a validation and approval workflow before being integrated with payroll and accounting systems.

Key applications include payroll processing and overtime calculation, project costing and budgeting, client invoicing on a time-and-material or project basis, and workforce planning. Aikakirjaus supports auditing, transparency, and dispute resolution by providing a traceable record of hours worked.

Benefits commonly cited are improved accuracy, reduced administrative effort, better compliance with working-time regulations, and enhanced visibility into labor costs and productivity. Challenges can include system implementation costs, data entry errors, privacy and data-protection concerns, and user adoption resistance.

Legal and regulatory considerations vary by jurisdiction but generally require employers to maintain accurate time records for payroll, overtime and tax purposes, with secure storage and defined retention periods. Aikakirjaus practices should align with applicable labor laws, data protection rules, and organizational policies.