> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.bossithq.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.bossithq.com/users-and-access/labour-management/auto-close-attendances.md).

# Auto-Close Attendances

{% hint style="info" %}
To enable this feature, please reach out to support.
{% endhint %}

The **Auto-Close Attendances** feature automatically closes open work and break attendances when an employee forgets to clock out.

This helps prevent attendances from remaining open indefinitely while still allowing employees to work beyond their scheduled shift if needed.

### How it works

When an attendance is left open, the system compares the attendance start time with the employee's configured **Default Shift Length** (for work attendances) or **Default Break Length** (for break attendances).

The system waits for the configured **Buffer** period before automatically closing the attendance.

The automatic close check runs every **30 minutes**.

#### Work attendances

For work attendances, the system calculates:

**Attendance Start Time + Default Shift Length + Buffer**

Once this time has been reached, the attendance is automatically closed.

#### Break attendances

For break attendances, the system calculates:

**Attendance Start Time + Default Break Length + Buffer**

Once this time has been reached, the break attendance is automatically closed.

### Example

An employee:

* Clocks in at **9:00 AM**
* Has a **Default Shift Length** of **8 hours**
* The **Auto Close Attendance After** setting is **240 minutes (4 hours)**

The expected end of the shift is **5:00 PM**.

The system waits an additional **4 hours**, meaning the attendance becomes eligible for automatic closure at **9:00 PM**.

When the attendance is auto-closed, the recorded end time is **5:00 PM** (the scheduled end of the shift), not **9:00 PM**.

### Recommended setting

A value of **240 minutes (4 hours)** is recommended.

This provides up to 4 hours of overtime before an unattended shift is automatically closed.

### Important notes

* The auto-close check runs every **30 minutes**, so attendances may not be closed immediately after the grace period expires.
* The feature evaluates **each attendance independently**. If an employee clocks out and later starts a new attendance, the auto-close calculation begins from the start time of the new attendance.
* Default Shift Length and Default Break Length are configured on the employee's **Position**. The default values are **8 hours** for shifts and **0.5 hours (30 minutes)** for breaks.


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