We are using the UKG™ (Ultimate Kronos Group) for K-12 Time for School solution. Employees will use a finger swipe to utilize this biometric timekeeping system.

Upgrading to a digital timekeeping system has been long overdue for a district the size of Jefferson Parish Schools. Not only are we the largest school system in Louisiana, but we are the second largest employer in Jefferson Parish. We simply cannot continue to safely and efficiently operate a district of this size with an antiquated paper and pencil system. This modern system will help make our buildings and our administrative processes more safe, efficient, and accurate.

This technology helps create time and attendance efficiencies so administrators, teachers, and staff spend less time on administrative processes and more time on academics and programs. As the largest school district in the state, we serve over 6,400 employees in more than 80 schools and administrative facilities. It’s long past time for an organization of this size and complexity to implement a centralized, electronic process for tracking employee time and attendance. The new centralized system will replace the outdated paper and pencil method of tracking employee time and attendance with a more reliable, easy to use, and cost-effective way of managing such employee functions as payroll, leaves, and overtime.

The new system will allow employees the ability to view, manage and submit their own time-off requests online in real time, reducing the amount of needless paperwork from the classroom and workplace. You will submit your time off requests solely through the new system - no more paper or emails - and no more missed or misplaced requests! You will take an active role in tracking your own time and updating your schedule.

The foundation for the initial determination of clocks uses the basic formula. The number of clocks could vary from the below methodology based on other circumstances:

The first priority in 2024 is to “Provide Safe, Healthy, and Modern Schools.” One of the cornerstones of maintaining a safe school environment is simply understanding who is inside one of our buildings at a given time. This is not possible with our current paper and pencil system. The new system will provide real-time information on the employees who are in a building in the event of an emergency or necessary contact tracing.

Yes. UKG offers a mobile app, UKG Ready. The functionality of the mobile app will allow employees to check their applicable leave balances, their real time worked, and request days off of work. All of these features can also be completed on the UKG website and wall portal. Click  here for instructions on how to download the UKG Ready App.

Automated time management helps ensure employees are paid accurately and receive time off in accordance with labor laws, union agreements, and district policies. Manually tracking employee hours on paper timesheets can lead to compliance issues or unpaid time.

In May 2022, School Principals completed a survey which identified the number of entrances that staff use to enter and exit the campus and their first, second and third preferences for clock locations. After collecting this data, the technology team performed walk-throughs of the campus with school leaders to agree on the placement. The placement consideration used a combination of the survey results, distance for running network wiring and safety codes.

Employees will be able to use the UKG website, wall portal or UKG Ready app to request time off (Vacation, Non Work, Sick, Trauma/Bereavement, and Civic/Jury Duty). Employees needing to apply for a leave should contact the Human Resources leaves department to begin the process. Leaves are not initiated through the digital timekeeping system. Click here for instructions on how to request time off using the UKG website.

All employees should sign-in upon arrival and sign out upon departure. Additional instructions will be provided for employees that work at non-JPS facilities.

All employees, regardless of exemption status, should sign in/out using a finger scan upon arrival and departure.

If employees have a missed punch, they need to initiate a timesheet change request through UKG (website, portal or app). Click here for instructions on how to initiate a timesheet change request.

Bus drivers will be provided with a district iPhone. The iPhone will be used to log into the UKG Ready app to sign in and out. The bus attendants will also use the driver’s district provided iphone to sign in and out. 

The system is designed around an employee’s schedule. A part of the schedule includes a standard lunch period. If the employee remains on campus all day, the system will automatically assume that the scheduled lunch break occurred. If the scheduled lunch break is incorrect, then the employee should contact the timekeeper to make adjustments for the day or to update the lunch schedule if the assigned one is incorrect.

Itinerant staff will use the digital timekeeping clock to sign-in at their first campus. When leaving campus to travel to another campus, the employee will go back to the clock and use the travel button and then place their finger on the scanner to enter travel mode, Upon arrival at campus #2, they will use the clock to exit travel mode by pressing the travel button and placing their finger on the scanner. This process will continue until their day is complete and the employee will sign out for the day by simply placing their finger on the scanner. Click here for instructions on how to use the travel feature.

All itinerant employees, Principals, Assistant Principals, Deans, Central Office Coordinators and above, employees who have more than one job at more than one location and subs will be able to use the clock universally. If you are using a clock that is not at your home based school and you do not fall into the categories listed previously, then you will need to use your finger scan and your employee id to log in. Click here for instructions on how to sign in at a location other than your home base location.

If an employee is leaving a district building to conduct school-related business or transfer to a different location, the employee should go back to the clock and hit the travel button and then place their finger on the scanner to enter travel mode. Upon arrival at the different location or after completing the school-related business, the employee should go to the clock and repeat the process to exit travel mode (hit the travel button and then place their finger on the scanner). While an employee is in travel mode, the employee is on the clock. Click here for instructions on how to use the travel feature.

If an employee is leaving the building for personal reasons, the employee should sign out.

No, each school or department will continue to have a primary and backup timekeeper.

Schools will have hand sanitizer available near the portals.

In the event the power is out, the clocks will maintain power for up to two (2) hours. Upon return of power and the internet, the data will be submitted. In the event of a natural disaster, such as hurricane recovery, the district will revert to the use of EDARS.

All overtime should be approved in advance through the UKG website, UKG Ready App or portal. Non-exempt (overtime eligible) employees need to be aware of their actual time worked to ensure that an employee is not working unapproved overtime. Click here for instructions on how to request overtime through the UKG website.

Please let your timekeeper know about your interactions with the clock. Your timekeeper can make some recommended adjustments or rescan your fingers. If these choices are unsuccessful, please have your timekeeper contact payroll so your issue can be resolved.

Employees that work Child Care in the morning and/or afternoon will use the clock to select which job they are signing-in or out.  Employees will select the Transfer Extra Duties button in the morning and select their Child Care position. At the end of their child care morning shift, they will use that same button to transfer to their Primary Position. At the end of the day, they will use the Transfer Extra Duties button at the clock to transfer back to Child Care. When they are leaving campus for the day, the employee will use the clock to sign-out.

Our goal is to make the process of tracking extra duty tasks via the digital timekeeping system easy. This will enable the district to have access to accurate data so that employees can be accurately and as quickly as possible.

An employee should request the use of non-work days and vacation days in advance through use of the UKG app or the website. The digital request generates a workflow. The employee's time off manager manager will be responsible for approving the request. The request is also sent to the primary and backup timekeepers.

No, the digital timekeeping system completes a finger scan of the capillaries underneath the skin of the finger.

An antibacterial dispenser will be available next to each timeclock. 

Unlike systems used by government and law enforcement, Kronos technology DOES NOT store actual fingerprint images. In fact, no images are stored at all in the Kronos system. Instead, it scans the ridges and capillaries under the skin of the employee’s fingertip and converts that data into an encrypted mathematical representation called a “hash.” The “hash” is a string of letters, numbers and symbols that form a unique identifier that is then associated with each employee’s account. Kronos technology uses a unique algorithm, resolution and capture size that make the encrypted finger scan data incompatible with traditional fingerprinting technology. The encrypted mathematical representation created and stored in the Kronos system CANNOT be used to recreate the actual fingerprint.

We've created an easy way for employees to share questions, concerns, or suggestions.