Electronic time registration is the system that automatically records what time employees arrive and leave work, replacing the old paper sheet. It is mandatory in Portugal for all companies, from micro-businesses with 2 employees. It can be done with an RFID card, fingerprint, facial recognition or mobile app.

Is it mandatory?

Yes. Article 202 of the Portuguese Labour Code requires all employers to keep a daily record of working hours. The format is not specified - it can be electronic or paper - but the record must be reliable, accessible and kept for 5 years. In practice, a paper sheet is very weak evidence. An electronic system with timestamps is what the ACT expects.

How it works

The employee approaches a card to the reader, uses a fingerprint or opens an app. The system records the exact time to the second. The manager sees all records in real time in a cloud dashboard, with automatic calculations of hours worked, overtime, lateness and absences.

Main types of systems

• RFID card terminal: recommended for factories, warehouses and production environments. Works with gloves, no smartphone needed, offline capable.
• Biometric terminal: fingerprint or facial recognition. No cards to manage, but more expensive and sensitive to industrial environments.
• Mobile app: ideal for offices, sales teams and remote workers. Not suited to production environments.

How to get started without complications

• Choose a system that installs without a technician and configures itself.
• Verify it stores data for 5 years and exports in a format your accountant can use.
• Test with a small team first before rolling out to the whole company.

Picco: RFID terminal, installs in under 10 minutes, platform from 9.90 euros per month. Find out more at damastor.com/picco.