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Managing Time Credits in Drum

Drum allows you to create and manage your own timesheet credit concepts (e.g. TOIL or Overtime). You can combine this with leave types or manual debits to easily manage these concepts in Drum.

Ben Walker avatar
Written by Ben Walker
Updated over 3 weeks ago

The time credits system in Drum allows you to track and manage different types of time credits for your staff, such as overtime, TOIL (Time Off In Lieu), flexible hours, and other custom credit types.

You can effectively combine time credits with leave types to create a simple credit/debit system for simpler concepts like Time off in Lieu for your staff.

Overview

Time credits work by:

  1. Creating time credit types in the settings area of Drum with specific rules

  2. Adding time credits from timesheets as staff work hours eligible for crediting (e.g. over their standard workday)

  3. Managing balances through the insights area for payroll and administrative purposes

1. Setting Up Time Credit Types

Accessing Time Credit Types

Navigate to Settings > Time Credit Types to manage your time credit types.

Creating a New Time Credit Type

  1. Click "Add Time Credit Type"

  2. Enter a descriptive Name (e.g., "Overtime", "TOIL", "Double Time")

  3. Choose the management level:

Admin-Managed vs Staff-Managed

Admin-Managed (Default)

  • Only administrators can view and manage these credits on timesheets

  • Staff cannot see or add these credits themselves

  • Best for sensitive types like overtime that require approval

  • Marked with "Admin Only" badge

Staff-Manageable

  • Non-administrative staff can view and add their own credits on timesheets

  • Administrators can still manage all credits

  • Suitable for flexible credits like TOIL or comp time

  • Marked with "Staff Manageable" badge

Connecting Leave Types to Time Credits

In Drum, you can have staff member's time credit balances automatically debited as staff take certain types of leave.


To set this up:

  1. Go to Settings > Leave Types

  2. Edit an existing leave type or create a new one

  3. Select a Time Credit Type from the dropdown

  4. Save the leave type

Now, when staff log this leave type, their time credit balance will be automatically debited by the amount of leave taken.

Example: Create a "TOIL Leave" leave type linked to your "TOIL" time credit type. When staff take TOIL leave, it will deduct from their TOIL credit balance.

2. Adding Time Credits from Timesheets

For Admin-Managed Credits

Only administrators can add admin-managed time credits:

  1. Navigate to Timesheets

  2. Scroll to the Time Credits section at the bottom

  3. Click on the appropriate time credit type row

  4. Enter hours in the day cells where credits were earned

  5. Time credits are automatically calculated and added to staff balances

For Staff-Manageable Credits

Both staff and administrators can add staff-manageable credits:

  1. Staff navigate to their Timesheets

  2. The Time Credits section shows only staff-manageable types

  3. Click on the time credit type row

  4. Enter hours earned for each day

  5. Credits are automatically added to their balance

3. Managing Time Credit Balances

Accessing Time Credit Management

Navigate to Insights > Manage Time Credits to view and manage all staff time credit balances.

Viewing Balances

  • Select a staff member from the dropdown to view their balances

  • Filter by date range to see transactions in a specific period

  • Filter by time credit type to focus on specific credit types

  • Each balance shows:

    • Current total hours

    • Whether it's "Admin Only" or "Staff Manageable"

Adding Manual Adjustments

To manually adjust a staff member's time credit balance:

  1. Select the staff member

  2. In the "Add Time Credit Transaction" section:

    • Choose the time credit type

    • Enter hours (positive to add, negative to deduct)

    • Add a note explaining the adjustment (e.g., "Payroll", "Holiday pay")

  3. Click "Add Transaction"

Examples of manual adjustments:

  • +8 hours with note "Overtime earned during project crunch"

  • -4 hours with note "Payroll - overtime paid out"

  • -8 hours with note "TOIL taken for personal day"

Zeroing Out Time Credits (Payroll)

For payroll processing or period-end resets:

  1. Click "Zero out time credits"

  2. Select the time credit type to zero out

  3. Review the preview showing affected staff and their current balances

  4. Select which staff members to include

  5. Add a note (e.g., "Payroll Q4 2024")

  6. Click "Zero Out Selected Balances"

This creates individual transactions for each staff member, recording exactly how much was zeroed out for audit purposes.

Transaction History

All time credit activities are tracked:

  • Timesheet entries: Automatically created when time is logged

  • Manual adjustments: Created by administrators

  • Zero-out operations: Bulk operations for payroll

  • Each transaction shows:

    • Date and time

    • Amount (positive for credits, negative for deductions)

    • Who created it

    • Associated notes

    • Whether it can be deleted (manual adjustments only)

Deleting Transactions

  • Only manual adjustments can be deleted

  • Timesheet entries cannot be deleted (they're automatically managed)

  • Deleting a transaction reverses its effect on the balance

  • Click the trash icon next to manual adjustments to delete

Excel Export

Export comprehensive time credit reports:

  1. Click "Export Excel Report"

  2. The export includes all staff time credit balances and transactions for the selected date range

  3. Useful for payroll processing and audit purposes

Best Practices

Setting Up Types

  • Use descriptive names that staff will recognise, like "TOIL Credit", "Time Credit" or "Overtime".

  • Mark sensitive types (overtime, penalty rates) as admin-managed

  • Allow staff to manage flexible credits (TOIL, comp time)

Managing Balances

  • Add descriptive notes to all manual adjustments

  • Use the zero-out feature at the end of pay periods

  • Export reports for payroll processing

  • Regularly review balances to ensure accuracy

Workflow Recommendations

  1. Setup: Create time credit types and link relevant leave types

  2. Daily: Staff/admins add time credits on timesheets as earned

  3. Weekly: Review balances and make manual adjustments if needed

  4. Monthly/Quarterly: Zero out balances for payroll and export reports

Common Scenarios

  • Overtime Tracking: Create admin-managed "Overtime" type, managers add overtime hours on timesheets, payroll zeroes out monthly.

  • TOIL System: Create staff-manageable "TOIL" type, link to "TOIL Leave" leave type, staff earn and take TOIL credits themselves.

  • Public Holiday Credits: Create admin-managed "Holiday Rate" type, managers add holiday hours worked, payroll processes at period end.

  • Flexible Time: Create staff-manageable "Flex Time" type, staff manage their own flexible hour credits and usage.

Related Articles
Drum Onboarding #3 - How to add and manage time entries on the Drum timesheet
Drum Onboarding #1 - Welcome to Drum 👋 Your First Walkthrough
Drum Permissions
Drum Migration Guide
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