Core hours instead of a 9:30 start
An agency's day starts late and ends later. Put creative, digital and account teams on one flexible shift whose core hours run from 11:30 am to 5:30 pm, with a minimum hours rule. The copywriter who arrives at 1 pm after a 2 am pitch night is still inside a normal pattern for the week, and HR can waive a late penalty with a reason on such days. Treat a late arrival as a mark rather than a deduction, so the creative director can see the pattern without anyone losing money unless the policy is broken repeatedly.
Shoot days and client visits as on duty
A producer on a Film City set or an account manager at a client's office in Lower Parel is working, just not at the agency. Record these days as on duty requests from My Self-Service or the app, approved by the reporting manager and then HR. Where crew can punch on the mobile app on set, and your capture controls allow app punches away from the office, the actual hours are captured too, which matters for overtime and comp-off on a 14-hour shoot. Keep work from home for genuine home days, within the monthly WFH limit.
Pitch weeks and the attendance record
In pitch week, the team's punches tell a story the creative director already knows: arrivals at noon and exits at 2 am. That record is what makes comp-off fair afterwards. Look at the week in Attendance Analytics, confirm who worked the late nights and the weekend, and have HR credit comp-off to those who gave up a weekly off. Without the record, comp-off goes to whoever asks loudest, and the quiet designer who stayed every night gets nothing.
Corrections and month close
Creative people forget punches, especially after late nights. Set correction limits that fit agency life, for example four a month and up to ten days back, and let the missed punch-out alert remind people an hour after shift end. Corrections go to the reporting manager and HR, and the original punches stay on record. Close the month by the third working day of the next one so paid days reach payroll on time; reopening a closed month needs a reason, which keeps late edits honest.
How to set it up in ZeniaHR
- Create a flexible shift with core hours such as 11:30 am to 5:30 pm and a minimum hours rule for creative and account teams.
- Use the Lenient preset as a base, record lateness as mark only, and add a monthly penalty cap.
- Allow on duty requests for shoots and client visits, and set the monthly WFH limit in the work terms policy.
- Decide whether production crew punch on the app away from the office, and set capture controls to match.
- Set correction limits that suit late nights, and close each month before payroll.
Read more about attendance in ZeniaHR.
Roles this applies to
See attendance for media and advertising agencies in a demo
We set up your locations, shifts and rules on a video call and show it running for your team. Free for your first 50 employees.
Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
Do advertising agencies track attendance?
Yes, usually lightly. A flexible shift with core hours, quick office or app punches, and on duty requests for shoots and client meetings give payroll and leave the data they need without timing creative people to the minute. The same record makes comp-off after pitch weeks and weekend shoots fair and checkable.
How should agencies record shoot days?
As on duty days approved by the manager, with actual hours captured through app punches on set where your policy allows. Long shoot days often run into overtime or a worked weekly off, so the hours need to be on record to pay overtime or credit comp-off correctly under the agency's policy.
Should creative employees get late marks?
Only as a record, not a deduction, unless lateness becomes a pattern that affects clients. Agencies that work late into the night need core hours rather than a fixed start. In ZeniaHR, set the late step to mark only; a penalty that follows a pitch night can be waived by HR with a note explaining why.