Work management methods, work management programs, work management computers, database server computers, work management systems

Abstract

To provide an attendance management method, attendance management program, and attendance management system that can track and manage the arrival and departure times for each workday of an employee who arrives and leaves work multiple times during the day. [Solution] The attendance management method of the present invention includes the steps of generating a data record to record the arrival time and departure time each time an employee goes through the attendance procedure multiple times during the day, and recording the arrival time in the generated data record, and each time the employee goes through the departure procedure, recording the departure time in the data record that registered the most recent arrival time. The working hours are calculated from the arrival and departure times for each instance and aggregated to calculate the total man-hours for the day. Based on this total man-hours, the data is aggregated on a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, etc. basis and displayed in a list or graph format, making it possible to manage the work status, normal working hours, and overtime hours.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a work management method, a work management program, a work management system, and a database server computer used in the work management system.

Background Art

[0002] An attendance management system generally includes management of regular working hours, overtime hours, and regular working hours and overtime hours for each case handled by a worker with respect to the working hours of the worker. As technologies for configuring such an attendance management system, various systems and methods have been known conventionally.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, the working hours are calculated based on the arrival and departure times reported by the worker himself / herself, the arrival and departure times stamped by a card reader or the like, or the times when the worker logs on (start work stamping operation) and logs off (end work stamping operation) to an information terminal used for work, so as to grasp the working hours more objectively and improve the accuracy of working hour management.

[0004] Further, in Patent Document 2, an attendance management sheet is disclosed in which employee identification information and each day of the week for each week of the month for the employee are arranged in a list format on a single form, a condition non-compliance display column capable of listing multiple columns of condition non-compliance matters that do not satisfy the conditions of the predetermined number of working days or working hours within the month, and a column for displaying the value of the number of working days or working hours corresponding to this non-compliance matter are provided, so that the information necessary for labor management can be overviewed and the management work can be made efficient.

[0005] Furthermore, in Patent Document 3, for example, a technique for realizing on-site arrival authentication and work attendance management method of dispatched workers in a dispatch service, which is suitable for use in visiting care, is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

[0007] The above-mentioned conventional technologies disclose various forms of attendance management systems, but all of them are based on a work schedule of one shift per day.

[0008] In other words, Patent Document 1 calculates the start and end times for the day based on the employee's self-reported start and end times, the start and end times recorded by a card reader, the times the employee logs on (start time stamping operation) and logs off (end time stamping operation) to the information terminal used for work, and calculates one set of working hours for the day. There is one set of start and end times for that working time.

[0009] Patent Document 2 records and describes the daily working hours displayed in a list. Here too, there is only one set of working hours per day, and the corresponding arrival and departure times are also only one set.

[0010] Patent Document 3 discloses a technology for tracking arrival times at each client's location, or the start and end times of work at each client's location, in home care services provided by home helpers, etc. In this document, for example, as seen in paragraph 0024, the term "attendance management of dispatched workers" is used to refer to managing the start and end times of work at each client's location. However, the term "attendance management" in this document has a different meaning from the "attendance management" referred to in the present invention, that is, tracking and managing arrival and departure times. Rather, it refers to managing the start and end times of work at each client's location while visiting several home care locations during a day's work.

[0011] In other words, Patent Document 3 discloses in paragraph 0003 that home care services provided by home helpers, etc., are inherently mobile services, and states in paragraph 0031 that one of the effects of the invention is that "in particular, in the case of mobile dispatch, progress management can be managed in real time."

[0012] From these descriptions, it is clear that the home helper in question works in a manner that involves visiting several client locations between the start and end of their shift each day. The home helper in question is an employee of a home care service provider, and in this case, as an employee, their start and end times for work each day are the same.

[0013] Looking at other implementations by general businesses, for example, large corporations often install so-called flapper gates at office entrances and exit gates, and employees hold their employee ID cards or special security cards over the card sensors on these gates to track their entry and exit times.

[0014] Looking at the actual operations of such companies, for example, they track the time of entry when employees arrive at work in the morning, exit when they leave the premises for lunch break, re-enter before the end of lunch break, and exit when they leave work in the evening. They then record the earliest entry time as the arrival time and the latest exit time as the departure time, treating these as a pair of arrival and departure times for attendance management.

[0015] In this case, the reason for tracking the earliest entry time and latest exit time as the arrival and departure times for one group of employees for attendance management is that some employees may not leave or re-enter the premises during their lunch break. For example, some employees may use the company cafeteria, while others may bring their own lunches and eat them at their desks within the company.

[0016] Incidentally, in recent years, Japan has seen progress in developing laws related to work style reform, and in response to the "work style reform" promoted by the Japanese government, various work arrangements are being devised, planned, and implemented by companies and other organizations. For example, discretionary work systems are being introduced depending on the type of job, and systems are being considered to allow employees to choose from a variety of work styles according to their individual circumstances. Furthermore, it is expected that even newer work arrangements will be implemented in the future.

[0017] For example, for workers with young children, in addition to the conventional reduced working hours (such as starting later or leaving earlier), it is conceivable that in the future, work arrangements may include leaving work early due to reduced hours, taking care of children, and then working from home for several hours late at night.

[0018] In this case, the time between leaving work early and starting to work from home must be considered non-working time, neither work-related nor break time. This is because this work-from-home time may or may not occur depending on whether the individual chooses to work from home (or is able to work from home). If working from home, there will be two sets of arrival and departure times.

[0019] Furthermore, in the food and beverage industry, for example, employees might work from early morning during the procurement and preparation period, for example from around 4 a.m. to 7 a.m., then leave work, return to work during the busy daytime hours, for example from 11 a.m. to 14 a.m., leave work again, and then return to work a third time in the evening.

[0020] In this case as well, it would be appropriate to consider the time between leaving work at 7:00 AM and arriving at 11:00 AM, and the time between 2:00 PM and arriving at work in the evening, as non-working hours rather than working hours. This is because if the time between these work shifts were considered working hours, the daily working time would exceed 12 hours, which would be unreasonable. In this case as well, the arrival and departure times for each shift are not limited to predetermined times, but may be flexible depending on the situation. In this example, there are three sets of arrival and departure times.

[0021] Furthermore, currently, for example, there are scattered examples of systems in which discretionary work systems are applied to workers in creative occupations and a predetermined wage is paid regardless of the actual working hours. However, regarding this, there is still a tendency in society to view it as a problem, such as the risk of inducing long working hours. As a solution to such problems, there is a possibility that, in the future, the actual arrival and departure times will be appropriately grasped and some form of determination regarding the relationship with remuneration will be made.

[0022] In the case of workers in more creative occupations, a work style is also conceivable in which they perform their duties while changing locations or moving from time to time and using a mobile terminal or the like.

[0023] For example, suppose that while walking in the city, one suddenly gets an idea for a new idea. Then, immediately enter a nearby café, perform the "check-in" procedure, enter the idea into the mobile terminal, and after finishing a series of related tasks, once perform the "check-out" procedure and take a break or leave the store and move on.

[0024] In this case, the "check-in" and "check-out" procedures may be, for example, "login" and "logout" operations on the mobile terminal, or "login" and "logout" operations for accessing the server of the workplace. Of course, it goes without saying that a method involving dedicated procedure operations, separate from simple login and logout operations, may also be possible.

[0025] After that, suppose that the idea expands further or a new idea for another assigned business case emerges, and one wants to start the next task. If the situation allows for working on the spot, a work style in which the "check-in" procedure is performed to start work, and after finishing a series of related tasks, the "check-out" procedure is performed again to take a break or leave the store and move on, that is, a work style in which check-in and check-out are carried out several times within a day, is also considered likely to be implemented in the near future.

[0026] In such a case, the interval between one duty and the next could be about 10 to 15 minutes, and it is also conceivable that the interval could be several hours or even span across days. Therefore, the time between each duty is virtually of indefinite length, and it is inevitable that it cannot be regarded as either restricted working hours or break time. Thus, it is considered that the time period of the "interval" between these multiple duties can only be treated as outside working hours.

[0027] Moreover, as the diversification of the employment forms of workers further progresses, it is expected that the number of employers who permit their employees to engage in part-time or concurrent jobs will increase. When an employee starts having a part-time job, for example, they go to work in the morning and work as an employee of Company A, their main employer, until around noon and then leave work. In the afternoon, they go to work as an employee of Company B, their part-time employer, and leave the work of Company B in the evening. After that, it is also conceivable that they will go to work again as an employee of Company A, their main employer, work for several hours, and then leave work.

[0028] In such a case, the attendance management system of Company A, where the employee works as their main job, neither treats the time when the employee is working at the workplace of Company B, their part-time job, as part of its own work management nor as its own restricted working hours. Therefore, Company A, where the employee's main job lies, will treat the employee's work on that day as if there were two arrivals and departures. Thus, in this case, the arrival time and departure time of the employee will be managed as two sets.

[0029] Incidentally, such a working pattern also applies to workers who work in the so-called "teleworker" style.

[0030] In recent years, there has been an increase in workers who work from home or in so-called "satellite offices" without having to go to any company's office. Such workers carry and operate work-related information processing terminals, and by following the prescribed authentication procedures, such as logging into the server of their primary employer, company A, they can report to work as an employee of company A and work there. Similarly, by following the prescribed authentication procedures, such as logging out of company A's server, they can report to work as an employee of company B and work there. Similarly, by following the prescribed authentication procedures, such as logging into company B's server, they can report to work as an employee of company B and work there. Similarly, by following the prescribed authentication procedures, such as logging out of company B's server, they can report out of work for company B.

[0031] Then, on the same day, by following the prescribed authentication procedures, such as logging back into the server of company A (their main employer), they can report to work again as an employee of company A, and after working, by following the prescribed authentication procedures, such as logging out of company A's server, they can report to work again as an employee of company A.

[0032] Thus, it is considered possible for teleworkers who do not commute to the offices of companies A or B to have a side job in addition to their main job and work as employees of each company. In this case, company A's attendance management system would recognize that the employee had two entries and two entries on the same day, and would track and manage the entry and exit times for each entry and exit.

[0033] However, the aforementioned conventional technologies are all based on the assumption of one shift per day, and therefore cannot accommodate work patterns where employees may come in and out multiple times a day, making it impossible to properly track and manage employees' working hours.

[0034] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an attendance management method, an attendance management program, and an attendance management system that can accommodate the aforementioned work arrangements, that is, work arrangements in which employees are not limited to one shift per day, but rather multiple shifts of attendance and departure at times of their choosing, at the discretion of the employee. [Means for solving the problem]

[0035] The attendance management method according to the present invention includes the steps of: when an employee who comes in and out of work multiple times a day operates a computer to record their arrival time, or when the computer detects the employee's arrival, generating a data record in a database to record the arrival and departure times and recording the arrival time; and when the employee operates a computer to record their departure time, or when the computer detects the employee's departure, recording the departure time in the data record that recorded the most recent arrival time.

[0036] The attendance management program according to the present invention includes the steps of: generating a data record in a database to record the arrival and departure times and recording the arrival time when an employee who arrives and leaves work multiple times a day operates the computer to record the arrival time, or when the computer detects the employee's arrival; and recording the departure time in the data record that records the most recent arrival time when the employee operates the computer to record the departure time, or when the computer detects the employee's departure.

[0037] The attendance management system according to the present invention is configured to include a computer that performs an attendance management method which includes the steps of: when an employee who comes in and out of work multiple times a day operates the computer to record their arrival time, or when the computer detects the employee's arrival, it generates a data record in a database to record the arrival and departure times and records the arrival time; and when the employee operates the computer to record their departure time, or when the computer detects the employee's departure, it records the departure time in the data record that recorded the most recent arrival time. [Effects of the Invention]

[0038] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an attendance management method, an attendance management program, and an attendance management system that can accommodate work arrangements in which employees can clock in and out multiple times a day at their own discretion. Furthermore, it is possible to provide an attendance management method, an attendance management program, and an attendance management system that can manage the clock-in and clock-out times, working hours, and progress of various types of overtime for employees who may clock in and out multiple times a day. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0039] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a timeline showing the arrival and departure times on a given workday for a worker who may work multiple shifts per day as envisioned by the present invention, a data record that records each arrival and departure time, and their corresponding relationships. [Figure 2A] Figure 2(a) shows an example of a terminal screen and its correspondence to the elements of a data record when registering the current time as the clock-in / clock-out time using a mobile device or similar device. [Figure 2B] Figure 2(b) shows an example of a terminal screen and its correspondence to the elements of a data record, when an employee manually inputs a time different from the current time, mainly by operating a PC terminal. [Figure 2C] Figure 2(c) shows an example of a registration operation screen and its correspondence with data record elements when registering actual working hours separately from the clock-in and clock-out times, including other time-stamping methods. [Figure 3A] Figure 3(a) shows an example of a settings screen where a case ID is set for each of the multiple clock-in and clock-out times in a day. [Figure 3B] Figure 3(b) shows an example of a method for setting case IDs when an employee handles multiple cases during a single clock-in / clock-out period. [Figure 4A] Figure 4(a) shows an example of an input screen where the breakdown of man-hours for each project is entered based on the total man-hours for each day, and an example of the structure of the corresponding record. [Figure 4B]Figure 4(b) shows an example of the operation and behavior when adding a project category on the input screen for entering the breakdown of man-hours for each project. [Figure 5A] Figure 5(a) shows an example of a management screen that displays a list of weekly and monthly aggregate values ​​based on the total man-hours for each day. [Figure 5B] Figure 5(b) shows an example of a management screen that displays a list of attendance status, project IDs, and man-hours for a selected day when any day is selected from the list screen. [Figure 5C] Figure 5(c) shows an example of a management screen that displays monthly man-hours / monthly overtime man-hours in graph format. [Figure 5D] Figure 5(d) shows an example of a management screen that displays monthly man-hours / monthly overtime man-hours in graph format. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of a management screen that displays an annual list of monthly overtime hours and holiday work hours for each employee. [Figure 7A] Figure 7(a) shows an example of a flowchart of a software program that implements the attendance management method of the present invention. [Figure 7B] Figure 7(b) shows an example of a flowchart of a software program that implements the attendance management method of the present invention. [Figure 7C] Figure 7(c) shows an example of a flowchart of a software program that implements the attendance management method of the present invention. [Figure 7D] Figure 7(d) shows an example of a flowchart of a software program that implements the attendance management method of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example configuration of an attendance management system that executes a software program to realize the attendance management method of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0040] Figure 1 shows an example of a timeline illustrating the daily attendance status of an employee who has multiple attendance periods, an example of the data record structure in a database (hereinafter referred to as "DB") that tracks and records these multiple attendance times, and the relationships between them.

[0041] In the figure, 11, 13, and 15 represent the employee's arrival time on a timeline (horizontal axis) representing the passage of time t on a given workday, while 12, 14, and 16 represent the employee's departure time.

[0042] Furthermore, the periods between 11 and 12, 13 and 14, and 15 and 16 represent the time slots during which the worker was present at work: "Clock-in / Clock-out 1," "Clock-in / Clock-out 2," and "Clock-in / Clock-out 3," respectively. In other words, this shows an example where the worker performed three shifts on this day.

[0043] The present invention tracks and records the arrival and departure times of employees whose work schedule involves multiple arrivals and departures per day. Since the number of arrivals and departures per day for an employee is variable, the number of records that record these arrival and departure times is also variable. Therefore, the data records in Figure 1 do not necessarily exist in sets of three from the start. For example, the system can be configured to generate a new record in the database each time the employee's attendance is detected, and record the arrival and departure times.

[0044] Furthermore, arrow 110 in Figure 1 indicates that data record 1 of the work management data TBL (TBL is used as an abbreviation for "table," where a table refers to a data table included in the DB; the same applies hereafter) was generated in response to attendance record 1.

[0045] Similarly, arrow 120 indicates that data record 2 was generated in correspondence with attendance 2, and arrow 130 indicates that data record 3 was generated in correspondence with attendance 3.

[0046] Furthermore, while the data record in Figure 1 includes a pair of "arrival time" and "departure time," as well as a pair of "start of work" and "end of work," both may be included depending on the attendance management rules of the company implementing the present invention. For example, in a company that treats the arrival time as the start of work, only the pair of "start of work" and "end of work" may be included, and the data record may not include the pairs of "arrival time" and "departure time."

[0047] These variations are indicated by the solid arrow 17 and the dotted arrow 18 in Figure 1.

[0048] The solid arrow 17 indicates that the clock-in time and clock-out time for Clock-in / Clock-out 1 are recorded in the "Clock-in Time" and "Clock-out Time" elements of data record 1, respectively.

[0049] This is an example of a data record structure that can accommodate a system used in companies, for example, where flapper gates are installed at the entrances and exits of offices, and employees hold their employee ID cards or special security cards over the card sensors on the gates to record their entry and exit times. In such a system, the time of passing through the gate is recorded as "arrival time" and "departure time," and separately, the time when an employee sits down at their desk and actually begins their assigned work, such as the time they log in or log out of their PC terminal at their desk, or the time they perform work start and end procedures in other ways, is recorded as "work start time" and "work end time."

[0050] The "start time" and "end time" can be configured to be registered each time the employee clocks in and out, or they can be configured to register the "start time" and "end time" from the previous day, for example, the day after they clock in and out.

[0051] In this case, the "Effort" element of data record 1 can be configured to calculate the time from the "Start of work" to the "End of work" time and record it as effort when the "End of work" time is recorded.

[0052] On the other hand, the dotted arrow 18 indicates that the start time and end time of attendance 1 are recorded in the "Work Start" and "Work End" elements of data record 1, respectively.

[0053] This illustrates, for example, the application of the present invention to companies that treat arrival and departure times as the "start time" and "end time" of work. In this case as well, the "work hours" element of data record 1 can be configured to calculate the time from the "start time" to the "end time" and record it as work hours when the end time of work is recorded.

[0054] It goes without saying that in this case, the "Arrival Time" and "Departure Time" elements do not need to be included in Record 1.

[0055] Furthermore, for example, instead of including the "Employee ID" in this data record, it is possible to link it to the ID information of the employee data that has been pre-registered in a separate "Employee Data Table," making it possible to identify whose attendance data record it is.

[0056] Thus, there can be many variations in the configuration of data record elements, and it is not limited to the configuration disclosed in Figure 1.

[0057] As described above, when multiple clock-in and clock-out entries are recorded in a single day, generating multiple data records, the total man-hours for that day can be calculated by aggregating the values ​​of the "man-hours" element recorded in each data record.

[0058] It goes without saying that even if each data record does not have a "work hours" element, it is still possible to calculate the total work hours for a given workday. Using database queries and other data extraction and calculation functions, it is also possible to configure the system to calculate the total work hours for a given day by referring to the time information recorded in the start and end work hours elements of each data record belonging to that day.

[0059] Figure 2 illustrates a specific method for recording time information in the "Arrival Time," "Departure Time," "Start of Work," and "End of Work" elements of any of the data records in Figure 1 (generally referred to as "data record n" in Figure 2).

[0060] Figure 2(a) illustrates the case where employees clock in and out from outside the company, such as while out or at home.

[0061] These employees can clock in and out of work from outside the company, such as while out or at home, using information devices they carry with them, such as smartphones, smartwatches, tablet devices, or mobile PCs.

[0062] In other words, the system can be configured such that when an employee or other person operates a mobile information terminal and logs in to the company's DB server via the network, whether wirelessly or wired, after going through a prescribed authentication procedure, a menu screen (not shown) is displayed, and when they select the "clock-in / clock-out" menu there, the operation screen 21 shown in the figure is displayed.

[0063] By tapping or clicking either the "Clock In" button 22 or the "Clock Out" button 23 displayed on the display screen 21 (hereinafter referred to as "click, etc."), the system can be configured to register the time of the operation as the "Clock In Time" or "Clock Out Time" in the data records of the company's DB server via the network.

[0064] This method is not limited to clocking in and out from outside the company, such as while on the go; it can also be done within the company, or on the screen of a PC terminal at one's desk. Furthermore, a computer can detect employees' arrival and departure and register the arrival and departure times in a data record. For example, when a computer detects arrival and departure using a camera, flap gate, or security card, it registers the time of detection as the arrival and departure time in the data record.

[0065] Figure 2(b) primarily illustrates the scenario of registering arrival and departure times on a PC terminal screen at one's desk within the company, but it is not limited to such cases. The key point is that times different from the current time are manually registered as "arrival time" and "departure time."

[0066] For example, if you start working as soon as you arrive at the office and forget to register your arrival time, or if you forget to register your departure time when you leave work the previous day, you may need to register a time different from the current time. This document provides an example of how to input arrival and departure times to address such situations.

[0067] In this case as well, after employees operate an information terminal and go through a prescribed authentication procedure, such as logging into the company's DB server, a menu screen (not shown) will be displayed, and by selecting the "Input Clock-in / Clock-out Time" menu there, they can reach the screen shown in the diagram. In the diagram, employees can register their clock-in and clock-out times by entering the times in the clock-in time input field 25 and clock-out time input field 26 displayed on the display screen 24, and clicking the register button 242, etc.

[0068] Furthermore, for example, if you want to register any start and end times for any day prior to the previous day, you can configure the system to allow you to move back and forth between dates by clicking the "Previous" and "Next" buttons 241 on screen 24.

[0069] Furthermore, performing a "Register" operation on this screen, which includes the clock-in / clock-out time, will generate a new clock-in / clock-out data record in the database and record the clock-in / clock-out time.

[0070] Unlike (a) and (b), Figure 2(c) illustrates a method for manually registering the "start time" and "end time" when the clock-in and clock-out times have already been registered.

[0071] For example, consider a company that has installed flapper gates at the entrances and exits of its office, where employees hold their employee ID cards or special security cards over the card sensors on the gates to record their entry and exit times, which are then recorded in the "clock-in time" and "clock-out time" elements of the data record. In this case, we envision a company that also uses a system where employees retrospectively register their start and end times for the previous day's work.

[0072] In this case as well, once an employee logs into the company's DB server using an information terminal and goes through a prescribed authentication procedure, a menu screen (not shown) will be displayed. By selecting the "Enter Start / End Time of Work" menu there, the system can be configured to reach screen 27 in Figure 2(c). In the diagram, while referring to, for example, the previous day's start time and end time displayed on screen 27, the employee can enter the start time of work in the work start time input field 28 and the work end time input field 29, and then click the "Register" button 272, thereby registering their own start and end times of work for the previous day.

[0073] Here, for example, if there were multiple clock-in / clock-out entries on the previous day, it is necessary to select which clock-in / clock-out data to enter. Therefore, the "clock-in / clock-out number" is displayed on screen 27, and "previous" and "next" buttons 271 are provided to allow users to move back and forth through this number. By clicking these "previous" and "next" buttons, the "clock-in / clock-out number" is increased or decreased, allowing access to the data for the desired clock-in / clock-out number.

[0074] Furthermore, for example, if you want to register any start / end time for any day prior to the previous day, you can select it by clicking on the "Date" display on screen 27, and then configure the system to allow you to move back and forth between dates by clicking the "Previous" and "Next" buttons 271.

[0075] As described above, data for each element—"arrival time," "departure time," "start of work," and "end of work"—can be obtained and registered in various ways. Needless to say, these methods are not limited to the three examples mentioned above, but can be structured in many more diverse ways.

[0076] Figures 3(a) and 3(b) illustrate how to register the case ID in the "Case ID" elements 111 to 113 of data records 1 to 3 in Figure 1.

[0077] In this case as well, once an employee logs into the company's DB server using an information terminal and goes through a prescribed authentication procedure, a menu screen (not shown) will be displayed. By selecting the "Case ID Setting" menu there, the system can be configured to reach the screen shown in Figure 3(a). In Figure 3(a), the system can be configured so that employees can enter the "Case ID" for the relevant case (in this example, "B123-4567" for Attendance 1) in the respective "Case ID" fields corresponding to "Attendance 1," "Attendance 2," and "Attendance 3" displayed on the display screen 31, according to the work they have performed.

[0078] After setting the case ID for each clock-in / clock-out, employees confirm the set case ID by clicking the "Register" button 311 on screen 31. This records the set case ID in the case ID element of the corresponding data record in the database.

[0079] In this case, it may be necessary to handle multiple tasks within a single workday. Figure 3(b) illustrates how to handle such situations.

[0080] In Figure 3(b), for example, if you perform tasks corresponding to two cases within "Time Attendance 2," to register two case IDs for "Time Attendance 2," you would increase the number of rows for "Time Attendance 2" to two and register the case ID in each row.

[0081] Specifically, first, select the "Attendance 2" section indicated by the arrow at P1 in the diagram by clicking on it. The selected "Attendance 2" will then change color or be otherwise indicated as being selected. Next, click the "Add Row" button indicated by the arrow at P2 in the diagram, and the row indicated by the arrow at P3 in the diagram will be added, displaying another "Attendance 2" row. Register the case ID of the second case in this row.

[0082] In this example, the "Clock-in Time" and "Clock-out Time" fields in the added "Clock-in / Clock-out 2" row are copied from the original "Clock-in / Clock-out 2" row. Employees refer to this and enter the ID of the work performed in the "Workload" field of each row, and enter the man-hours spent on each project in the corresponding "Man-hours" field. At this time, the value displayed in the "Man-hours" field of the original "Clock-in / Clock-out 2" row needs to be changed. This displayed value may be overwritten when the employee enters the man-hours spent on the work for that project ID.

[0083] Furthermore, if you handle multiple tasks within a single clock-in / clock-out period, you can use the method described above to perform an additional "add row" operation and configure the system to enter the task ID into each row.

[0084] In this case as well, once the case ID and man-hours have been set for each attendance, the employee clicks the "Register" button 311 on screen 31. Needless to say, the system can be configured to generate a new record in the database according to the number of attendance rows set on screen 31 when the "Register" operation is performed.

[0085] Furthermore, since the total man-hours for Attendance 2 can be calculated from the "Arrival Time" and "Departure Time" of Attendance 2, it is possible to configure the system to check if the sum of the man-hours spent on each project across multiple rows matches the total man-hours for Attendance 2 when rows are added, and to display a warning message to employees if they do not match.

[0086] Figures 4(a) and 4(b) illustrate a different method of registering project IDs than that explained in Figure 3. Specifically, while Figure 3 recorded project IDs and man-hour data on a "clock-in / clock-out" basis, essentially in a "one-work, one-project, one-record" format for multiple clock-ins and clock-outs within a single day, Figure 4 uses the total man-hours for the day (hereinafter referred to as "total man-hours") as the basis to register project IDs and man-hour data on a daily basis, based on which projects were worked on and for how many hours. This is essentially a "one-day, one-project, one-record" format for capturing and recording "man-hours per project" data.

[0087] In this case as well, the configuration of Figure 1 is still applied, as it uses the total daily man-hours that can be calculated from "attendance" data recorded in the "1 work shift, 1 project, 1 record" format as the basis. However, when tracking man-hours for each project using the method in Figure 4, it is not necessary for the project ID and man-hour elements to exist in the data record of Figure 1. As shown in 412-414 of Figure 4(a), it is possible to generate a separate data record for each project, distinct from Figure 1, and configure the system to manage man-hours on a project-by-project basis.

[0088] Figure 4(a) shows an example of a "project-specific work hour breakdown input screen" where the project ID and the work hours spent on the project are registered based on the project category. In this case as well, after employees or others have completed the prescribed authentication procedure, such as logging into the company's DB server using an information terminal, a menu screen (not shown) will be displayed, and by selecting the "project-specific work hour breakdown input" menu there, they can reach the screen shown in Figure 4(a).

[0089] In the diagram, display 41 shows a list consisting of a project category column, a project ID column, and a man-hour column. The list displays the "Year, Month, and Day" which indicates which work day the display pertains to, the "Total Man-Hours" for that day, and the "Employee ID" which indicates the employee in charge.

[0090] Generally, an employee may handle more than one case per day, so for the convenience of registration, the list may be configured to display 4-5 rows from the start.

[0091] On screen 41, if the number of completed tasks exceeds the number of rows displayed, clicking the "Add Case Category" button indicated by the arrow at P1 in Figure 4(b) will add a row for case category "4" indicated by the arrow at P2 in the figure.

[0092] Furthermore, if even more case categories are added, for example, the number of rows that can be displayed in the table may be limited to 5 rows. For more than that, the number of rows in the table itself can be increased, but the screen display may be configured to allow scrolling up and down within the display range of those 5 rows.

[0093] In both Figures 4(a) and 4(b), when an employee enters the project ID in the "Project ID" column of the list, enters the man-hours in the man-hours column, and clicks the "Register" button 411, the system can be configured to generate the necessary number of project-specific data records in the database according to the number of project categories for which data has been entered at that time, and to record the data in the elements of employee ID, date, project ID, and man-hours.

[0094] First Example Based on the technology described above for tracking, recording, and managing the daily attendance data of employees who may work multiple shifts in a day, one of the required functions in employee attendance management is the management of work progress based on total man-hours for each employee.

[0095] In other words, a monthly summary of work progress for each employee could be displayed, or it could be displayed in a graph format to allow for a more visual understanding of the situation. Similarly, the monthly trend of overtime hours could be displayed in a list format or in a graph format.

[0096] Figure 5(a) shows an example of a configuration that displays a list of total man-hours for each employee on a daily basis, along with weekly and monthly aggregate values. In this case as well, after employees log in to the company's DB server using an information terminal and go through a prescribed authentication procedure, a menu screen (not shown) will be displayed, and by selecting the "Monthly Man-Hour Management" menu there, they can reach the screen shown in Figure 5(a). Screen 51 is called the "Monthly Man-Hour Management Screen" and displays a list of total man-hours for each day. Needless to say, it is also possible to configure the system to display aggregate values ​​for each day of the week in addition to this.

[0097] This display screen allows administrators to see the daily workload distribution in concrete numbers, as well as understand the workload levels on a weekly basis and the workload levels on a day-of-the-week basis.

[0098] Here, for example, you might want to check the breakdown of workload, such as noticing that the workload on Tuesday of the second week is significantly higher than on other days. In such cases, selecting the date column for Tuesday of the second week, as shown by 511 in the diagram, will display Figure 5(b).

[0099] In Figure 5(b), the attendance status for the selected day, the start and end times of work, and the project ID and man-hours of the completed tasks are displayed on screen 52, allowing for a detailed breakdown. This allows for an understanding of the attendance status, as well as the working hours, tasks, and man-hours for each attendance period.

[0100] Here, Figures 5(a) and (b) may be made available for administrators to view for management purposes, but they may also be made available for each employee to view to check their own work status. For example, if an employee views the list display screen 51 in Figure 5(a) to review their work status for the current month and finds that the work hours on the second Tuesday are unusually large or small, they can select that day and check the details on screen 52 in Figure 5(b).

[0101] Furthermore, if any errors are found in the registered data, the system can be configured to allow users to select the cell in the table that needs correction by clicking on it, update the data appropriately, and then click the "Correct" button 521 to correct and update the data registered in the corresponding data record.

[0102] Figure 5(c) shows an example of a display screen configured to show the monthly man-hour management screen in graph format, instead of the list view format shown in Figure 5(a). In this case as well, after employees or others have completed the prescribed authentication procedure, such as logging into the company's DB server using an information terminal, a menu screen (not shown) will be displayed. By selecting the "Monthly Man-Hour Management (Graph Display)" menu there, the system can be configured to reach the screen shown in Figure 5(c).

[0103] For the employee identified by the "Employee ID" in the lower left of screen 53, the total man-hours for each day are shown in a bar graph, starting from the first day of the month displayed in "Year and Month" in the upper right of the screen, and the cumulative value for each day is displayed in a line graph 531. In this example, data up to the 16th of the current month is displayed. In other words, this screen is being displayed and viewed at a certain time on the 17th of the same month.

[0104] In this example, we are using a month where the 1st falls on a Monday. That is, the 6th is a Saturday and the 7th is a Sunday, and in the example company, these are holidays and there is no work, so the total man-hours are zero. On the other hand, the total man-hours increase on the 13th (Saturday) and the 14th (Sunday) because employees worked on these holidays, and in this example, the bar graph is colored differently to indicate that these were holidays.

[0105] Line graph 532 shows the cumulative trend of total man-hours for the second week. To allow only the trend for the second week to be read, line graph 532 stops at Sunday the 14th. To understand the relationship between these total weekly working hours and the legal limit for weekly working hours, a horizontal line indicating the "weekly limit" is displayed at the 40h height on the vertical axis, and it can be seen that line graph 532 exceeds this limit.

[0106] Similarly, line graph 533 shows the cumulative progress of total man-hours for the third week.

[0107] Here, only line graph 531 for the first week is plotted from the second week onward, in order to display both the cumulative progress for the first week and the cumulative progress for the month together. This is structured to make it easier to read how the progress is moving towards the line indicating the legal limit on monthly man-hours and the line indicating 100 hours of overtime.

[0108] In this example, Graph 534 is displayed, which estimates how much the workload is expected to increase by the end of the month, based on the average value obtained by dividing the total workload up to the 16th of the month by the number of days elapsed. According to this, it can be seen that the workload is progressing at a pace that could reach the 100-hour overtime mark by the end of the month.

[0109] Figure 5(d) is the "Monthly Overtime Work Hour Management Screen," as indicated by the color change at the top of screen 54. In this case as well, once an employee logs into the company's DB server using an information terminal and completes the prescribed authentication procedure, a menu screen (not shown) will be displayed. Selecting the "Monthly Overtime Work Hour Management (Graph Display)" menu from this screen will allow the user to reach the screen shown in Figure 5(d). Figure 5(d) displays only the overtime hours from the total work hours shown in Figure 5(c) as a graph. Accordingly, the number of hours on the vertical axis has been changed from that in Figure 5(c), and the regulatory value display lines have also been changed to a "weekly limit" of 45 hours and a "special limit" of 100 hours for overtime hours.

[0110] Each graph extracts and represents only the overtime hours from the employee's work hours in Figure 5(c). Specifically, the 6th and 7th of the month are Saturday and Sunday holidays, so there is no work and no overtime hours. However, on the 13th and 14th, which are Saturday and Sunday, employees worked on holidays, so all of the total work hours are recorded and displayed as overtime hours. As a result, line graphs 541 and 542 show a sharp increase on the 13th and 14th. Line graph 543 shows the cumulative trend of overtime hours for the third week.

[0111] Figure 5(d) also shows Graph 544, which estimates how much overtime work is expected to increase by the end of the month, based on the average value obtained by dividing the cumulative overtime work up to the 16th of the month by the number of days elapsed. According to this, it can be seen that, at this rate, overtime work is progressing at a pace that could exceed the "special limit" of 100 hours of overtime by the end of the month.

[0112] Incidentally, while Figure 5(d) shows an example where the line graph representing the cumulative amount of overtime work is generally on an upward trend, in the future, if workers are able to come in and out of work multiple times at any time they choose, the cumulative amount of overtime work may not necessarily be on an upward trend and could increase or decrease depending on the work situation.

[0113] For example, it is conceivable that the total monthly working hours of an employee may fall below the prescribed working hours. In such a case, as is seen in companies that currently employ a flextime system, it is possible that the monthly shortfall in prescribed working hours may be offset by working hours within a certain range of overtime hours.

[0114] In this case, the offsetting of overtime hours against regular working hours can be done in various ways, such as daily, weekly, or monthly. If it is done daily or weekly, the line graph of overtime hours will likely increase or decrease for each unit.

[0115] In such cases, the present invention records the time data for each employee's arrival and departure, including early morning and late-night hours. This allows for the calculation of normal working hours and overtime hours in accordance with the employment regulations of the company where the employee works, and enables appropriate processing of offsetting calculations between these hours.

[0116] It should be noted that there are several categories of overtime hours that need to be managed, and generally, each category has a defined period and a time limit within that period.

[0117] As an example of classification, in Japan's Labor Standards Act, there is first the regulation of statutory working hours. According to this, the daily working hours at the time of filing this application are set at 8 hours and the weekly working hours at 40 hours. Any working hours exceeding these must be considered as overtime work.

[0118] Overtime hours are limited to 45 hours per week and 360 hours per year. Furthermore, under special provisions, the number of times exceeding 45 hours per month is permitted is limited to 6 times per year, the total of average monthly overtime and holiday work hours must be 80 hours on average over a 2-6 month period, the total of overtime and holiday work hours must be 100 hours per month, and the total annual overtime hours must be 720 hours. (The above values ​​are the working hour restrictions stipulated in the Japanese Labor Standards Act at the time the specification of the present invention was prepared.)

[0119] The "Weekly Limit," "Statutory Limit," and "100 Hours of Overtime" on the monthly work hour management screen, as well as the "Weekly Limit" and "Special Limit" on the monthly overtime work hour management screen, as exemplified in Figures 5(c) and (d) above, are examples of these regulatory values.

[0120] Figure 6 shows an example of a "Statutory Overtime and Statutory Holiday Work Hour Limit Management Screen" that displays and manages an annual list of overtime hours that cannot be managed on a monthly basis. In this case as well, after employees or others have completed the prescribed authentication procedure, such as logging into the company's DB server using an information terminal, a menu screen (not shown) will be displayed, and by selecting the "Statutory Overtime and Statutory Holiday Work Hour Limit Management" menu there, they can access the screen shown in Figure 6.

[0121] In screen 61 of Figure 6, for employees identified by the "Employee ID" displayed in the upper left, the statutory overtime hours, statutory holiday overtime hours, and their total values ​​can be displayed and managed in a list for each employee, as indicated by the "Year" in the upper right of the screen.

[0122] It goes without saying that, as with Figure 6, just as the graphed display examples in Figures 5(c) and (d) show the list display in Figure 5(a), the annual trend of overtime hours can also be displayed in a graph as appropriate.

[0123] Operation Description Next, with reference to Figure 7, the operation of the attendance management system of the present invention, which can accommodate work arrangements in which employees can clock in and out multiple times a day at their own discretion, will be explained.

[0124] Figure 7 shows an example of a flowchart illustrating the operation of the attendance management system of the present invention.

[0125] Referring to Figure 7(a), it can be seen that the control program for the attendance management system of the present invention is configured to start execution from step S100, then execute step S200, which grasps and records the employee's multiple arrival and departure times per day; step S300, which calculates the employee's total daily work hours; and step S400, which aggregates and manages the total daily work hours, and repeats these steps.

[0126] Here, Figure 7 discloses a configuration in which a series of programs are executed iteratively for illustrative purposes. This is described as an example of a configuration that can respond without delay when an employee or other user operates an information terminal, and is not limited to such a loop configuration. Currently, it is generally known that software programs can be configured to detect user operations, such as so-called "event-driven" programs, and to initiate necessary processing based on the content of those operations.

[0127] However, if we were to apply such a structure directly to the explanation, the flowchart would become fragmented for each event, making the explanation complex and difficult to understand.

[0128] Therefore, in this specification, for the sake of explanation and understanding, an example of a flowchart is shown as a more general software method for detecting events programmatically.

[0129] The following description is one embodiment of the present invention, and a program that achieves the same effect can be created with a configuration other than the flowchart in Figure 7. Therefore, it goes without saying that the program of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the flowchart disclosed in Figure 7, and that various program configurations are included within the scope of the present invention, as long as they do not depart from the gist of the present invention.

[0130] Step S200 in Figure 7(a), "Understand and record the employee's multiple arrival and departure times per day," can be implemented, for example, by configuring it as shown in the flowchart in Figure 7(b).

[0131] In other words, starting from step S201, step S202 first checks whether the "time registration" operation has been performed. This checks whether the registration button 242 in Figure 2(b) or the registration button 272 in Figure 2(c) has been clicked. If either of them has been clicked, step S202 proceeds to "Y".

[0132] Next, in step S203, it is checked whether the clicked button was the registration button 272 in Figure 2(c). If so, the process proceeds to "Y", and in step S204, the time set in the work start time input field 28 and the time set in the work end time input field 29 in Figure 2(c) are recorded in the "Work Start Time" and "Work End Time" elements of the data record in the DB corresponding to the date and attendance number displayed in the upper right corner of screen 27 in Figure 2(c).

[0133] If there is no operation of the time registration button in Figures 2(b) and (c), or if the registration button that was clicked was 242 in Figure 2(b), or if the recording in step S204 is completed, the process proceeds to step S205 to check the employee's operation to register their attendance time.

[0134] This includes detecting operations such as clicking the "Clock In" button 22 on screen 21 in Figure 2(a), and operations such as clicking the "Register" button 242 on screen 24 in Figure 2(b).

[0135] If any of these operations are detected, step S205 proceeds to "Y", and in step S206, a new data record is generated on the DB and the clock-in time is recorded in the "clock-in time" element.

[0136] If no clock-in operation is detected, or if the clock-in time registration is completed in step S206, the process proceeds to step S207 to check for the employee's operation to register their clock-out time.

[0137] This includes detecting actions such as clicking the "Clock Out" button 23 on screen 21 in Figure 2(a), and actions such as clicking the "Register" button 242 on screen 24 in Figure 2(b).

[0138] If any of these operations are detected, step S207 proceeds to "Y", and in step S208, the clock-out time is recorded in the "clock-out time" element. If the "Register" button 242 in Figure 2(b) is clicked, the clock-out time set in the clock-out time input field 26 is recorded in the "clock-out time" element of the data record.

[0139] If no clock-out operation is detected, or if the clock-out time recording process is completed in step S208, the process proceeds to step S209 and terminates the process in step S200 of Figure 7(a).

[0140] The next step, S300 "Calculate the total daily man-hours of the worker" in Figure 7(a), can be implemented, for example, by configuring it as shown in the flowchart in Figure 7(c).

[0141] In other words, starting from step S301, the system first checks in step S302 for the arrival of the time to execute the "daily processing". This could be done, for example, by having a timer in the attendance management system to execute the daily processing at a predetermined time in the early morning each day, or by allowing employees to execute the daily processing when needed. Once the timing for executing the daily processing is detected, step S302 proceeds to "Y".

[0142] Step S303 checks whether attendance data records exist for the day in question or the day before, which are included in the designated daily processing days. This is because there may be days when no attendance data records exist for employees, such as company holidays.

[0143] When a data record to be processed is detected, step S303 proceeds to "Y". Then, for each employee, the man-hours recorded in the "man-hours" element of the multiple existing data records are aggregated to calculate the total man-hours for the day. This aggregation process is repeated in step S305 until no more records are detected.

[0144] For example, as shown in Figure 1, in the case of an employee who clocks in and out three times a day, the existence of data record 1 is detected first, leading step S303 to "Y", and in step S304, the data recorded in the "work hours" element from data records 1 to 3 is aggregated.

[0145] In this way, once the daily calculations are complete, step S305 proceeds to "N", and the process ends in step S306.

[0146] The next step, S400 "Collect and manage the total daily man-hours" in Figure 7(a), can be implemented, for example, by configuring it as shown in the flowchart in Figure 7(d).

[0147] In other words, starting from step S401, step S402 first checks whether there is an operation to display the "Management" screen. If any operation to display the management screen is detected, step S402 proceeds to "Y", and the respective management screens are displayed according to the display flow of the selected management screen.

[0148] The "Monthly Workload Management Screen (List View)" displayed in step S403 is screen 51 in Figure 5(a). If you click on the date 511 for the second Tuesday in Figure 5(a), this operation is detected in step S404 in Figure 7(d), and the process proceeds to "Y," and in step S405, the "Work Status Management Screen" 52 in Figure 5(b) is displayed. In step S405, as described above for Figure 5(b), the registered project ID and workload are modified, and once the data record update is complete, the process proceeds to step S412 in Figure 7(d), and the process ends.

[0149] The "Monthly Man-Hour Management Screen (Graph Display)" displayed in step S406 is screen 53 in Figure 5(c). To display this screen, the daily total man-hour data of the employee identified by the "Employee ID" displayed on screen 53 is used. As this total man-hour data, the data aggregated in step S300 in Figure 7(a) may be used, but for example, the recorded data of the "Man-Hour" element in data records 1 to 3 shown in Figure 1 can also be aggregated and used as needed.

[0150] The "Monthly Overtime Workload Management Screen (Graph Display)" shown in step S407 is screen 54 in Figure 5(d). To display this screen, it is necessary to calculate and use the overtime hours based on the daily total workload data of the employee identified by the "Employee ID" displayed on screen 54.

[0151] The "Statutory Overtime and Statutory Holiday Work Hour Limit Management Screen" displayed in step S408 is screen 61 in Figure 6. To display this screen, it is necessary to calculate and use the statutory overtime hours and statutory holiday overtime hours based on the daily total man-hour data of the employee identified by the "Employee ID" displayed on screen 61.

[0152] Step S409, "Enter project ID and man-hours on the project-specific man-hour breakdown input screen," refers to the operation of displaying the "project-specific man-hour breakdown input screen" 41, as explained in Figures 4(a) and (b), and setting the project ID and man-hours. When an employee or other user operates screen 41 in Figure 4 to input data and clicks the "Register" button 411, "Project Registration" is detected in step S410 in Figure 7(d), and the process proceeds to "Y". As a result, in step S411, data records 412-414 shown in Figure 4(a) are generated in the DB for each registered project, and the entered project ID and man-hours are recorded in the "Project ID" and "Man-hours" elements of each record. When step S411 is completed, the process proceeds to step S412 and ends.

[0153] Returning to Figure 7(a), once step S400 is complete, control is returned to step S200, and the above process is repeated.

[0154] System Configuration Example Figure 8 shows an example of an embodiment of the attendance management system of the present invention.

[0155] In Figure 8, 81 and 82 are information input / output terminals, including smartphones, smartwatches, tablet devices, and mobile PCs, owned by general employees, including those working in the office and those working outside the office, such as temporary staff. Employees 811 and 821 are users of information input / output terminals 81 and 82, respectively. These are not limited to the two shown in the figure, but may be as many as there are employees.

[0156] These information input / output terminals are used by connecting to DB84 via network 83. Network 83 may be a general-purpose network such as the internet, a dedicated line such as a VPN, or, in the case of small-scale systems, an internal LAN network.

[0157] DB84 can be configured as a computer-based information processing system, such as a so-called DB server. It consists of at least a "Work Management Data Table" 841 that records attendance data, project ID data, and various man-hour data for each employee; an "Employee Data Table" 842 that records employee information such as employee ID and employee name for each employee; and an "Employment Regulations Data Table" 843 that records information such as the company's employment regulations.

[0158] The attendance management terminal 85 is connected to DB84 and is mainly operated by employees in administrative staff departments, etc., and is used for attendance management, such as managing the progress of each worker's working hours and overtime hours. Employees 851 are employees of the said staff departments, etc.

[0159] In Figure 8, employees, including staff members, register their arrival and departure times, or work start / end times, in the database using the information input / output terminals 81, 82, and 85, respectively, in the methods shown in Figures 2(a), (b), and (c). This operation generates data records 1 to 3 as exemplified in Figure 1, recording arrival and departure times, work start and end times, and calculating man-hours.

[0160] Furthermore, general employees 811, 821, etc., as shown in Figure 8, can register the project ID and man-hours for each completed task for each clock-in and clock-out by operating screen 31, as shown in Figures 3(a) and (b).

[0161] Furthermore, general employees 811, 821, etc., as shown in Figure 8, can also register the project ID and man-hours for each project they have completed by operating screen 41, as shown in Figures 4(a) and (b).

[0162] As shown in Figure 8, employees 851 in staff departments, etc., can operate the attendance management terminal 85 and refer to the management screens shown in Figures 5(a), (b), (c), (d), and 6, for example, to perform attendance management tasks for each employee.

[0163] Furthermore, if the management screens shown in Figures 5(a), (b), (c), (d), and Figure 6 are configured so that general employees 811 and 821 can also refer to their own data, they can self-manage their work progress, overtime progress, etc. In particular, if they notice something unusual in the data for a particular day by referring to Figure 5(a), they can individually check and correct it as shown in Figure 5(b). Also, if general employees 811 and 812 have subordinates, if the system is configured so that they can refer to their subordinates' data along with their own data, they can also manage their subordinates' work progress, overtime progress, etc.

[0164] Furthermore, the information processing system shown in Figure 8 can be implemented in various ways.

[0165] For example, in the case of small and medium-sized enterprises, if they aim to implement this with a minimal configuration, they can implement all the functions of information input / output terminals 81 and 82, DB 84, and attendance management terminal 85 on a single notebook PC without using network 83.

[0166] Alternatively, medium-sized companies can install a server device for the attendance management system in-house, implement DB84 and various calculation processing programs on it, provide general employees with information input / output terminals 81, connect to the server device via network 83 to access DB84, and install attendance management terminals 85 in staff departments, thereby constructing the system shown in Figure 8.

[0167] Furthermore, in large corporations, DB84 and various calculation processing programs can be implemented on a server on a cloud system provided as a so-called cloud service. Information terminals 81, 82, etc. used by individual employees, and attendance management terminals 85, etc. used by employees in staff departments, etc., can be connected to this server via a network 83, thereby constructing and utilizing a so-called SaaS (Software as a Service) system.

[0168] Second Example Based on the technology described above for tracking, recording, and managing the daily attendance data of employees who may work multiple shifts in a day, one of the required functions in employee attendance management is the management of the progress of each project.

[0169] In other words, for each project, a monthly summary of the progress of man-hours could be displayed, or it could be displayed in a graph format to allow for a more visual understanding of the situation. Similarly, the monthly trend of overtime hours could be displayed in a list format or in a graph format.

[0170] In this case, the daily man-hours for each project, which form the basis for constructing the display, can be obtained using the method described in Figure 4. That is, data records 412 to 414 shown in Figure 4(a) record the man-hours for each project ID. Alternatively, using each data record shown in Figure 1 as a basis, records can be separated for each project using the method shown in Figure 3(b), and equivalent information can be extracted from the "Project ID" and "Man-hours" elements of each record using data processing functions such as database queries.

[0171] The monthly list of man-hours for each project will follow the format shown in Figure 5(a), so specific illustrations will be omitted. If the "Employee ID" in the lower left of screen 51 in Figure 5(a) is changed to "Project ID," it can be configured as the monthly man-hour management screen for that project.

[0172] In this case, for example, Figure 5(b), which is displayed when you click on the date column 511 for Tuesday of the second week, uses the "Employee ID" in the lower left of screen 52 as the "Project ID," and the "Attendance 1," "Attendance 2," and "Attendance 3" columns in the list display the "Employee ID" of the employee who was in charge of that project. The list can then be configured to display the corresponding amount of work each employee spent on that day. This makes it possible to understand who was involved in the project for how many hours on that day.

[0173] In Figure 5(c), the "Employee ID" in the lower left of screen 53 is changed to the "Project ID," and the daily total of the man-hours spent on the project by each employee in charge of that project is displayed as a bar graph, and the cumulative total is plotted as a line graph 531.

[0174] In this case, the man-hour values ​​on the vertical axis may be set to the upper limit of the estimated man-hours planned for the project. This allows for a visual understanding of the current progress against the planned estimated man-hours. Furthermore, by plotting the forecast line 534 as the planned line for using the estimated man-hours from the start of work to the deadline, it is possible to configure the system to allow for the reading of any surplus or deficit in the actual man-hour usage compared to the plan.

[0175] In Figure 5(d), the "Employee ID" in the lower left of screen 54 is changed to the "Project ID," and the daily sum of overtime hours worked by each employee in charge of a project is displayed as a bar graph, with the cumulative total plotted as a line graph 541.

[0176] In this case, the man-hour values ​​on the vertical axis may be capped at the planned overtime hours for the project. This allows for a visual understanding of the current progress against the planned overtime hours. Furthermore, by plotting the forecast line 544 as a plan line using the planned overtime hours from the start of work to the deadline, the actual overtime hours compared to the plan can be read. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0177] 11,13,15 Work time 12, 14, 16 End of work hours 21. Clock-in / clock-out screen 24. Attendance Time Input Screen 25. Input field for arrival time 26. Input field for departure time 27. Start / End Time Input Screen 28. Input field for start time of work 29. Input field for end of work hours 31 Item ID setting screen 41. Input screen for breakdown of man-hours per project 412,413,414 Project-specific effort record in the DB. 51 Monthly Effort Management Screen 52 Work Status Management Screen 53. Monthly Effort Management Screen (Graph Display) 54. Monthly Overtime Work Hour Management Screen (Graph Display) 61. Management screen for statutory overtime and statutory holiday work hour limits 81,82 Information Input / Output Terminals 83 Network connections 84 DB System 85 Attendance Management Terminal

Claims

1. A work management method executed by a server providing an attendance management service, which records the arrival time, start time, end time, and departure time for each work session for employees in a work arrangement where the employee decides their own work schedule, including the number of times they work each day, when the employee works two or more times in a day. The aforementioned server, Upon obtaining information that notifies the worker of their attendance, including the worker's ID, date of attendance, and time of attendance, the system generates a work management data record corresponding to the ID, which includes at least an element recording the obtained date of attendance and time of attendance, and records it on the work management data TBL in the database. Upon obtaining information including the ID, start date, and time of work, which indicates the start of work for the worker, the work management data record corresponding to the ID is searched on the work management data TBL, and the work management data record in which the most recent attendance date and time are recorded is extracted. The extracted work management data record includes a step to record the acquired work start time, Upon obtaining information including the ID, date, and time of the worker's work completion, the worker searches the work management data TBL for the work management data record corresponding to the ID and extracts the work management data record in which the most recent attendance date and time are recorded. The extracted work management data record includes a step to record the acquired work end time, Upon obtaining information including the ID, date, and time of departure of the worker, the worker's departure is notified. The worker then searches the work management data table (TBL) for the work management data record corresponding to the ID and extracts the work management data record in which the most recent date and time of attendance are recorded. The extracted work management data record includes a step to record the acquired departure time, Execute, The steps include: obtaining information including the ID, date and time of attendance, which indicates the worker's second or subsequent attendance in a day; generating a work management data record corresponding to the ID, which includes at least an element recording the date and time of the second or subsequent attendance; and recording it on the work management data TBL; After the worker's second or subsequent attendance, information including the ID, date and time of start of work, which indicates the start of work, is obtained. Then, the work management data record corresponding to the ID is searched on the work management data TBL, and the work management data record in which the most recent attendance date and time are recorded is extracted. The extracted work management data record includes a step to record the acquired work start time, After the worker's second or subsequent attendance, the system obtains information including the ID, date and time of work completion, which indicates the end of work; then, it searches the work management data table for the work management data record corresponding to the ID and extracts the work management data record that records the most recent attendance date and time. The extracted work management data record includes a step to record the acquired work end time, After obtaining information including the ID, date and time of departure, which indicates the worker's departure after the second or subsequent attendance, the work management data record corresponding to the ID is searched on the work management data TBL and the work management data record in which the most recent attendance date and time are recorded is extracted. The extracted work management data record includes a step to record the acquired departure time, A work management method that implements this.

2. The aforementioned work management method further, The process involves obtaining information that indicates that any of the aforementioned arrival time, start time, end time, or departure time has been modified, including the modified arrival time, start time, end time, or departure time, and identification information of the work management data record to be modified, then searching the work management data TBL and extracting the work management data record to be modified. The extracted work management data record includes the step of recording one of the acquired, corrected, arrival time, start time, end time, or departure time. A work management method according to claim 1, which performs the following:

3. A work management program for causing a server providing a work management service to execute the work management method described in claim 1 or 2.

4. A server that provides attendance management services and executes the work management program described in claim 3.

5. A system for providing work management services, comprising a server that provides work management services as described in claim 4.

6. A server providing a work management service that records the arrival time, start time, end time, and departure time for each of two or more attendances in a day for employees in a work arrangement where the employee decides their own attendance time, start time, end time, departure time, and the number of times they attend work each day, The aforementioned server, When information indicating the worker's attendance, including the worker's ID, date of attendance, and time of attendance, is received via the network, the process includes generating a work management data record corresponding to the ID, which includes at least an element recording the received date of attendance and time of attendance, and recording it on the work management data TBL in the database. When information including the ID, start date, and time of work, which notifies the worker of the start of work, is received via the network, the process involves searching the work management data record corresponding to the ID on the work management data TBL and extracting the work management data record in which the most recent attendance date and time are recorded. The extracted work management data record is processed to record the received work start time, When information including the ID, date, and time of the worker's work completion, which indicates the end of the worker's work, is received via the network, the process involves searching the work management data record corresponding to the ID on the work management data TBL and extracting the work management data record that records the most recent attendance date and time. The extracted work management data record is processed to record the received work end time, When information including the ID, date, and time of departure of the worker is received via the network, the process involves searching the work management data record corresponding to the ID on the work management data TBL and extracting the work management data record that records the most recent date and time of attendance. The extracted work management data record is processed to record the received departure time, Execute, When information including the ID, date, and time of attendance, indicating the worker's second or subsequent attendance in a day, is received via the network, the system generates a work management data record corresponding to the ID, which includes at least an element recording the received date and time of the second or subsequent attendance, and records it on the work management data table. When information including the ID, start date, and time of work commencement, indicating the start of work for the worker after their second or subsequent attendance, is received via the network, the following processes are performed: search the work management data record corresponding to the ID on the work management data TBL and extract the work management data record in which the most recent attendance date and time are recorded. The extracted work management data record is processed to record the received work start time, When information including the ID, date and time of work completion, indicating the end of work for the worker after the second or subsequent attendance, is received via the network, the system searches the work management data table (TBL) for the work management data record corresponding to the ID and extracts the work management data record that records the most recent attendance date and time. The extracted work management data record is processed to record the received work end time, When information including the ID, date and time of departure, indicating the worker's departure after their second or subsequent attendance, is received via the network, the system searches the attendance management data table (TBL) for the attendance management data record corresponding to the ID and extracts the attendance management data record containing the most recent attendance date and time. The extracted work management data record is processed to record the received departure time, A server that executes this process.

7. The aforementioned server further, When information is received via the network indicating that any of the aforementioned arrival time, start time, end time, or departure time has been modified, and including the modified arrival time, start time, end time, or departure time, and identification information of the work management data record to be modified, the work management data TBL is searched and the work management data record to be modified is extracted. The extracted work management data record includes a process to record one of the received, corrected, arrival time, start time, end time, or departure time. A server according to claim 6, which performs the following actions.

8. A system providing work management services, comprising the server described in claim 6 or 7.

9. A work management method executed by a server providing an attendance management service, which records the arrival time, start time, end time, and departure time for each work session for employees in a work arrangement where the employee decides their own work schedule, including the number of times they work each day, when the employee works two or more times in a day. The aforementioned server, Upon obtaining information that notifies the worker of their attendance, including the worker's ID, date of attendance, and time of attendance, the steps include generating and recording a work management data record corresponding to the ID, which includes at least an element recording the obtained date of attendance and time of attendance, on the work management data TBL of the database. Upon obtaining information including the ID, start date, and time of work, which indicates the start of work for the worker, the work management data record corresponding to the ID is searched on the work management data TBL, and the work management data record in which the most recent attendance date and time are recorded is extracted. The extracted work management data record includes a step to record the acquired work start time, Upon obtaining information including the ID, date, and time of the worker's work completion, the worker searches the work management data TBL for the work management data record corresponding to the ID and extracts the work management data record in which the most recent attendance date and time are recorded. The extracted work management data record includes a step to record the acquired work end time, Upon obtaining information including the ID, date, and time of departure of the worker, the worker's departure is notified. The worker then searches the work management data table (TBL) for the work management data record corresponding to the ID and extracts the work management data record in which the most recent date and time of attendance are recorded. The extracted work management data record includes a step to record the acquired departure time, Execute, The steps include: obtaining information including the ID, date and time of attendance, which indicates the worker's second or subsequent attendance in a day; generating and recording on the work management data table a work management data record corresponding to the ID, which includes at least an element recording the date and time of the second or subsequent attendance obtained; After the worker's second or subsequent attendance, information including the ID, date and time of start of work, which indicates the start of work, is obtained. Then, the work management data record corresponding to the ID is searched on the work management data TBL, and the work management data record in which the most recent attendance date and time are recorded is extracted. The extracted work management data record includes a step to record the acquired work start time, After the worker's second or subsequent attendance, the system obtains information including the ID, date and time of work completion, which indicates the end of work; then, it searches the work management data table for the work management data record corresponding to the ID and extracts the work management data record that records the most recent attendance date and time. The extracted work management data record includes a step to record the acquired work end time, After obtaining information including the ID, date and time of departure, which indicates the worker's departure after the second or subsequent attendance, the work management data record corresponding to the ID is searched on the work management data TBL and the work management data record in which the most recent attendance date and time are recorded is extracted. The extracted work management data record includes a step to record the acquired departure time, A work management method that implements this.

10. The aforementioned work management method further, The process involves obtaining information that indicates that any of the aforementioned arrival time, start time, end time, or departure time has been modified, including the modified arrival time, start time, end time, or departure time, and identification information of the work management data record to be modified, then searching the work management data TBL and extracting the work management data record to be modified. The extracted work management data record includes the step of recording one of the acquired, corrected, arrival time, start time, end time, or departure time. A work management method according to claim 9, which performs the following:

11. A work management program for causing a server providing an attendance management service to execute the work management method described in claim 9 or 10.

12. A server that provides attendance management services and executes the work management program described in claim 11.

13. A system for providing work management services, comprising a server that provides work management services as described in claim 12.

14. A server providing a work management service that records the arrival time, start time, end time, and departure time for each of two or more attendances in a day for employees in a work arrangement where the employee decides their own attendance time, start time, end time, departure time, and the number of times they attend work each day, The aforementioned server, When information indicating the worker's attendance, including the worker's ID, date of attendance, and time of attendance, is received via the network, the process includes generating and recording a work management data record corresponding to the ID, which includes at least an element recording the received date of attendance and time of attendance, on the work management data TBL of the database. When information including the ID, start date, and time of work, which notifies the worker of the start of work, is received via the network, the process involves searching the work management data record corresponding to the ID on the work management data TBL and extracting the work management data record in which the most recent attendance date and time are recorded. The extracted work management data record is processed to record the received work start time, When information including the ID, date, and time of the worker's work completion, which indicates the end of the worker's work, is received via the network, the process involves searching the work management data record corresponding to the ID on the work management data TBL and extracting the work management data record that records the most recent attendance date and time. The extracted work management data record is processed to record the received work end time, When information including the ID, date, and time of departure of the worker is received via the network, the process involves searching the work management data record corresponding to the ID on the work management data TBL and extracting the work management data record that records the most recent date and time of attendance. The extracted work management data record is processed to record the received departure time, Execute, When information including the ID, date, and time of attendance, indicating the worker's second or subsequent attendance in a day, is received via the network, the process includes generating and recording on the work management data TBL a work management data record corresponding to the ID, which includes at least an element recording the received date and time of the second or subsequent attendance. When information including the ID, start date, and time of work commencement, indicating the start of work for the worker after their second or subsequent attendance, is received via the network, the following processes are performed: search the work management data record corresponding to the ID on the work management data TBL and extract the work management data record in which the most recent attendance date and time are recorded. The extracted work management data record is processed to record the received work start time, When information including the ID, date and time of work completion, indicating the end of work for the worker after the second or subsequent attendance, is received via the network, the system searches the work management data table (TBL) for the work management data record corresponding to the ID and extracts the work management data record that records the most recent attendance date and time. The extracted work management data record is processed to record the received work end time, When information including the ID, date and time of departure, indicating the worker's departure after their second or subsequent attendance, is received via the network, the system searches the attendance management data table (TBL) for the attendance management data record corresponding to the ID and extracts the attendance management data record containing the most recent attendance date and time. The extracted work management data record is processed to record the received departure time, A server that executes this process.

15. The aforementioned server further, When information is received via the network indicating that any of the aforementioned arrival time, start time, end time, or departure time has been modified, and including the modified arrival time, start time, end time, or departure time, and identification information of the work management data record to be modified, the work management data TBL is searched and the work management data record to be modified is extracted. The extracted work management data record includes a process to record one of the received, corrected, arrival time, start time, end time, or departure time. A server according to claim 14, which performs the following.

16. A system providing work management services, comprising the server described in claim 14 or 15.

Images