Recording Labor Time on Work Orders

Recording labor time on a work order helps you track repair hours, labor cost, and the full cost of the job in one place. It also helps keep maintenance records cleaner when time is tied directly to the work that was done.

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Adding Labor Entries

Add labor from the work order so the time stays connected to the repair. If the work order is not set up yet, start with Creating and Managing Work Orders or Updating a Work Order before adding time.

• Open the work order
• Go to the Labor or Time tab
• Click Add Time Entry, Add Time, or Log Hours
• Enter the labor details:
  
  • Technician - who did the work
  • Date - when the work was done
  • Hours - time spent on the job
  • Labor Type - regular, overtime, or another labor class
  • Notes - what work was done
• Click Save.

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Connecting to Timecards

Labor entries can connect to CLUE timecards, which helps teams avoid entering the same hours twice. If your team reviews labor before payroll, Logging Time with Timecards and Reviewing Team Timecards fit naturally here.

When labor is entered from the work order, CLUE can use that time in the employee timecard workflow. This helps with payroll review, labor tracking, and cleaner job cost records.

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Labor Cost Calculation

Labor entries are also used in work order cost tracking. CLUE’s work order records are built to hold labor, parts, and total job cost together, so logged hours directly affect the running cost of the repair. If you also want to track expected hours against actual hours, link this section to Work Order Estimating and Budgets.

In simple terms, labor cost is based on hours worked and the labor rate tied to that time entry. Labor cost then adds to the parts cost to build the total work order cost. If parts were used on the repair, Adding Parts to Work Orders is the next related article to open.

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Multiple Technicians

If more than one person worked on the repair, add a separate labor entry for each mechanic. This keeps each person’s time clear while still rolling the total labor into the same work order.

That makes it easier to see individual contributions, review labor by person, and keep the full repair record in one place. If the job is being split across the shop, it may also help to review Assigning Work Orders so the work stays with the right people.

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Tips

Enter labor as the work is completed instead of waiting until later. That usually gives you cleaner notes, more accurate hours, and a better repair history.

• Record time as the job moves forward, not at the end of the week
• Include all labor time, including diagnosis, repair, and cleanup
• Use notes to explain unusual time or extra work
• Review timecards and labor entries regularly so labor cost stays accurate
• If the repair has several steps, break it up with Adding Tasks to Work Orders so the time and the work are easier to follow.