# What happens when someone forgets to clock out

**For:** Shift worker | Manager
**You'll need:** Nothing.

People walk out the back door. When a clock-out never arrives, {{ app_name }} works through a ladder that always asks a person first — a reminder, then a question at the next punch — because someone's own answer is better evidence than a time a computer made up. Only if nobody answers does the system close the entry itself, and even then it flags it.

## Step 1 — the reminder push

Shortly after your shift's scheduled end (once the company's attendance grace period has passed), you get one push notification on the mobile app:

> **Still clocked in — forgot to clock out?**

Tap it and you either clock out right there — the tap time is real data, so that's the best outcome — or you land on the correction form to enter the time you actually finished.

```{note}
This reminder is sent **once per open punch** and never repeated, so an ignored notification won't nag you all evening. It's push-only: it doesn't appear in the notification bell or the mobile inbox. And it's never sent for a shift that ended more than 7 days ago. If you don't have the mobile app or push turned off, you'll simply meet the next step instead.
```

## Step 2 — the question at your next clock-in

An open punch normally blocks your next clock-in. After a few hours (your company sets the exact number, and the default is **4**), it stops blocking and turns into a question instead.

At the kiosk, tap your card and type your PIN as usual. Before your new shift starts, a **'Still clocked in'** prompt appears:

> You are still clocked in from *Monday, 4 August, 08:00*. When did you finish?

Answer with one of the buttons:

1. **'At scheduled end'** — you finished when the shift was planned to finish.
2. **'+1 hour'** or **'+2 hours'** — you ran over by roughly that much.
3. Pick an exact time in the field and click **'Use exact time'**.

Or click the dismiss button and start your shift; the old entry stays open and waits.

Your new shift starts normally either way — the old one never gets in the way.

```{tip}
Answering here is the cleanest outcome. You typed your PIN to get to this prompt, so your answer counts as your own attestation of the hours, exactly like a real clock-out. It closes the entry with no flag and no manager follow-up.
```

The mobile app asks the same question.

## Step 3 — the backstop

If your company has turned on automatic clock-out, an entry that's still open a long time after the shift ended (24 hours by default) is closed by {{ app_name }} at the scheduled end time — and marked with an orange **'Auto clock-out — verify'** badge that stops it from being approved until a person checks it. See {doc}`set-up-automatic-clock-out`.

If your company hasn't turned it on, the entry simply stays open until you or a manager fixes it on the timesheet.

## Verify it worked

Open your timesheet and find the shift. It now shows a clock-out time and no longer sits open. If you answered at the kiosk or tapped the reminder, there's no badge on the row — it's a normal, attested entry, ready to confirm and approve.

## Related

- {doc}`set-up-automatic-clock-out`
- {doc}`timesheet/edit-clock-in-clock-out`
- {doc}`kiosk/daily-use`
- {doc}`/settings-and-admin/personal-settings/notification-preferences`