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Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2023-06-23
Concept: Day Breakers

Concept: Day Breakers

The day breaker on a worker's work schedule calendar defines the start time of a worker's workday and work week. The day breaker setting also specifies how Workday should assign dates to calculated time blocks.
Workday assigns the same calculated date to every time block on a day, whether or not the time blocks cross calendar days. This approach has an impact on calculations such as standard daily and weekly overtime calculations. The day breaker ensures that a calculated date represents an exact 24-hour period. As a result, daily overtime calculations apply over a 24-hour period regardless of the worker's shift or actual work times. Similarly, weekly overtime calculations apply over a 168-hour period, regardless of the worker's shift or actual work times.
When a worker clicks
OK
 during time entry, Workday splits time blocks according to the day breaker and assigns calculated dates to calculated time blocks. The worker's reported time blocks remain on the time entry calendar as originally reported, but Workday uses the calculated time blocks to run calculations. You can view calculated time blocks on the
Calculated
 tab of reported time blocks.

Calculated Time Block Date

When a reported time block crosses the day breaker, the
Day Breaker Divides
 setting on the work schedule calendar determines which date Workday assigns to the calculated time block. Workday splits the reported time block into 2 calculated time blocks. Workday then assigns the appropriate date to each block based on whether you select
Current day from previous day
 or
Current day from next day
.
Example: Current Day from Previous Day
The day breaker is 3:00 PM and the
Day Breaker Divides
 setting is
Current day from previous day
.
Workday assigns:
  • The previous calendar date to time blocks before the day breaker.
  • The reported calendar date to time blocks after the day breaker.
Reported Time Blocks
Calculated Time Blocks
6:00 AM - 3:00 PM, February 23
6:00 AM - 3:00 PM, February 22
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM, February 23
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM, February 22
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM, February 23
3:00 PM - 11:00 PM, February 23
3:00 PM - 11:00 PM, February 23
Example: Current Day from Next Day
The day breaker is 3:00 PM and the
Day Breaker Divides
 setting is
Current day from next day
.
Workday assigns:
  • The reported calendar date to time blocks before the day breaker.
  • The next calendar date to time blocks after the day breaker.
Reported Time
Calculated Time Blocks
6:00 AM - 3:00 PM, February 23
6:00 AM - 3:00 PM, February 23
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM, February 23
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM, February 23
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM, February 24
3:00 PM - 11:00 PM, February 23
3:00 PM - 11:00 PM, February 24

Day Breaker Changes

Workday evaluates day breakers on a daily basis when calculating time so that you can change a worker's day breaker in the middle of a week.
Example: You assign a worker to a new work schedule with a different day breaker. Workday calculates the first part of the week (before the change) according to the original day breaker. Workday calculates the second part of the week according to the new day breaker.
If a worker enters time between the end of 1 day breaker and the start of the next day breaker, Workday calculates their time according to a midnight day breaker. Workday then gives their time block a calculated date of the calendar date.