Time tracking law for restaurants: complete 2025 guide

Since the entry into force of Royal Decree-Law 8/2019, all companies in Spain are required to keep a daily record of their employees' working hours. In the hospitality sector, where schedules are variable and split shifts are common, complying with this regulation poses an additional challenge.

What does the time tracking law require?

The regulation establishes that the working-hours record must include the specific start and end times of each worker's shift, without prejudice to flexible scheduling. This record must be kept for four years and be available to workers, their legal representatives and the Labor Inspectorate.

Penalties for non-compliance

Penalties for failing to maintain proper time records can range from €751 to €7,500 per workplace. In cases of repeat offenses or serious violations, fines can reach up to €225,018. The Labor Inspectorate has intensified inspection campaigns in the hospitality sector.

How to comply easily?

The most efficient way to comply with the time tracking law is to use digital clock-in software. Zeus Manager offers a complete solution that allows employees to clock in from the mobile app with GPS verification, automatically generating the records required by law.

• Digital clock-in from the mobile app with a single tap
• GPS and WiFi verification to ensure presence at the workplace
• Automatic generation of working-hours reports for the Labor Inspectorate
• Secure storage of records for the 4 years required by law
• Automatic alerts for overtime and deviations

Advantages of digital clock-in over paper

Paper-based recording is not only inefficient but also more vulnerable to errors and tampering. A digital system like Zeus Manager ensures data integrity, automates hour calculations and makes it easy to generate reports for an inspection.

Additionally, digital clock-in integrates directly with payroll management, eliminating the need to manually transcribe data and reducing errors in salary calculations.