ClockOut (“ClockOut,” “we,” “us”) is a time-tracking, scheduling, and payroll-export application for small businesses. This policy explains what data we collect, why, how long we keep it, and the choices you have. We tried to write it in plain English. Where we couldn’t, we’ve added a one-line summary.
1. Who this policy applies to
This policy applies to anyone who uses ClockOut, including business owners and administrators (“Customers”) and the employees they invite to use the Service (“Users”). When a Customer signs up, they become a data controller for their employees’ data; ClockOut acts as a processor on the Customer’s behalf.
2. What we collect
2.1 Account information
- Email address (required to sign in).
- Hashed password (we never store or transmit plaintext passwords).
- Name, role, department, and assigned location(s).
- Phone number, if provided for invitations or notifications.
2.2 Time and location data
- GPS coordinates at the moment of clock in, clock out, and break events. We do not track location continuously or in the background. Location is captured only when an action requires it.
- Geofence membership for each event (inside / outside / flagged).
- Timestamp, device type, and IP address of each event.
Plain English: we capture one coordinate the moment you tap Clock In, check it against the geofence, and store the result. We do not record your location at any other time.
2.3 Schedule, PTO, and timesheet data
- Shifts, schedules, swaps, open-shift claims, conflict records.
- PTO accruals, balances, and approvals.
- Timesheet entries, edits, approvals, and the audit trail.
2.4 Payroll-export data (Pro plan)
- Hours, overtime, PTO, and earnings codes mapped to your payroll provider.
- PDF payroll reports generated for your records.
We do not store bank or pay-stub data. Payroll exports are generated on demand and delivered as CSV or PDF files; we do not transmit them to your payroll provider on your behalf.
2.5 Billing data
Subscription and payment processing are handled by Stripe. We receive subscription metadata (plan, employee count, status) but never your full credit-card number. Stripe’s privacy policy applies to card data.
2.6 Technical data
- IP address, user agent, and device type.
- Application logs (errors, latency, feature usage).
- Cookies for session management and preferences.
3. How we use your data
- To deliver the Service: process clock-ins, build schedules, run reports.
- To verify identity and authenticate sessions.
- To enforce plan limits and bill your subscription.
- To send transactional notifications (shift reminders, exception alerts, password resets).
- To improve the product through aggregated, de-identified analytics.
- To comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests.
We do not sell your data. We do not use your data to train third-party AI models. We do not run third-party advertising networks inside the application.
4. Location permissions and your control
ClockOut requests location permission as “While Using App”. We never request “Always” permission. You can revoke location permission at any time in your device settings; if you do, GPS-verified clock-ins will fail and your manager may need to verify your time manually.
Geofence behavior is configured by your employer (“Block” or “Flag”) and disclosed in their employee handbook. If you have questions about how your specific employer uses location data, ask your manager first.
5. How we share data
We share data only with these categories of recipients:
- Your employer. Customers who invited you can access timesheets, schedules, GPS coordinates of punches, and exception records for their own employees. Cross-company access is technically prevented.
- Payment processors. Stripe, for subscription billing.
- Infrastructure providers. Convex (database and application hosting), Vercel (web hosting), AWS SES (email delivery), and similar service providers acting under contract.
- Legal authorities, when required by valid process. We will notify Customers of demands targeting their data unless legally prohibited.
6. How long we keep data
- Active account data is retained while your account is active.
- Timesheets and payroll records are retained for at least 7 years to support tax and labor compliance.
- GPS coordinates older than 24 months are aggregated or deleted unless required for an active dispute.
- Application logs are retained for 90 days for debugging and security.
When a Customer cancels, we retain their data for 60 days to support reactivation, then permanently delete it (subject to legal hold requirements).
7. Security
- Passwords are hashed with PBKDF2-SHA256 (100,000 iterations) plus a random per-user salt. Plaintext passwords are never stored or transmitted.
- Session tokens are randomly generated, unique per device, and rotated when you change your password.
- All data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest.
- Data is logically scoped per Customer; cross-Customer access is prevented at the application layer.
- Administrative activity is recorded to support account security and troubleshooting.
8. Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct inaccurate data.
- Delete your data, subject to legal retention requirements.
- Port your data in a machine-readable format.
- Object to or restrict certain processing.
- Withdraw consent for processing where consent is the legal basis.
For Users invited by an employer, requests should be directed to your employer first; ClockOut acts as a processor in that relationship. If your employer is unresponsive, contact us at hello@useclockout.com and we will help.
9. Children
ClockOut is intended for workplace use. Some industries (restaurants, retail) may employ minors aged 14-17. We rely on the employer to comply with state-specific minor-employment laws. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 13. If you believe we have, contact us and we will delete it.
10. International users (GDPR and UK GDPR)
ClockOut is operated from the United States and our systems are hosted in the United States. If you use the Service from outside the U.S., your data will be transferred to and processed in the U.S. This section explains how we handle personal data of people in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
10.1 Our role: controller and processor
We are the controller of account and marketing data: the details a Customer gives us to open and run an account, billing contact information, support correspondence, and marketing email preferences. We decide why and how that data is processed.
We are a processorfor the employee data a Customer puts into the Service: time entries, GPS coordinates captured at punch events, schedules, PTO records, timesheets, and payroll exports. The employer is the controller of that data and decides what to collect and why. We process it on the employer’s documented instructions.
10.2 Legal bases for processing
- Performance of a contract. Creating and securing accounts, delivering the Service, billing, and providing support.
- Legitimate interests. Keeping the Service secure, preventing fraud and abuse, debugging, and improving the product using aggregated or de-identified analytics. We balance these interests against your rights and you can object (see below).
- Consent. Marketing emails, and any optional feature that asks you to opt in. You can withdraw consent at any time, which does not affect processing carried out before you withdrew it.
- Legal obligation. Tax, accounting, and responses to lawful requests.
Where we act as a processor, the employer is responsible for choosing and documenting the legal basis for collecting employee time and location data and for giving employees the required notice.
10.3 Your rights in the EEA and UK
If you are in the EEA, the UK, or Switzerland, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you and get a copy of it.
- Have inaccurate or incomplete data corrected (rectification).
- Have your data erased where the law allows it.
- Restrict how we process your data in certain circumstances.
- Receive your data in a portable, machine-readable format and have it sent to another provider where technically feasible.
- Object to processing we carry out on the basis of legitimate interests, and to direct marketing at any time.
- Withdraw consent where consent is the legal basis.
- Complain to your local supervisory authority. In the UK that is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO); in the EEA it is the data protection authority for your country.
To exercise these rights, email hello@useclockout.com. We respond within one month and will tell you if we need longer. If you are an employee invited by an employer, send your request to your employer first, since they control that data. We will pass on any request we receive directly and help the employer answer it.
10.4 International transfers
Personal data is stored and processed in the United States by us and by the infrastructure providers listed in section 5. We do not offer EU or UK data residency. Where we transfer personal data out of the EEA, the UK, or Switzerland, we rely on the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses, and on the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or the UK Addendum to the Standard Contractual Clauses where applicable. We enter equivalent terms with our subprocessors. You can ask us for details of the safeguards that apply to a specific transfer.
10.5 Retention
We keep personal data only as long as we need it for the purposes described in this policy, or as long as the law requires. The specific periods are set out in section 6, including the 7-year retention for timesheet and payroll records, the 24-month limit on GPS coordinates, the 90-day limit on application logs, and the 60-day window after cancellation before deletion. Where we act as a processor, we delete or return employee data on the employer’s instruction, subject to legal holds.
10.6 Data Processing Agreement
Business customers who need a Data Processing Agreement (DPA), including the Standard Contractual Clauses and the UK Addendum, can request one at hello@useclockout.com. We will send a copy for signature and list our current subprocessors.
11. California, Virginia, and other state rights
Residents of California (CCPA/CPRA), Virginia (VCDPA), Connecticut (CTDPA), Colorado (CPA), and Utah (UCPA) have additional rights to access, delete, correct, and opt out of certain data uses. We honor these rights for all users regardless of state. We do not sell personal information and we do not engage in targeted advertising.
12. Healthcare data, BAAs, and DPAs
ClockOut is designed for employee scheduling and timekeeping; it does not require patient information. Do not enter protected health information into ClockOut unless your organization has separately confirmed the arrangement in writing. For questions about a Business Associate Agreement (BAA), Data Processing Agreement (DPA), or other contractual privacy terms, contact hello@useclockout.com before using the service for that workflow.
13. Changes to this policy
We’ll notify Customers by email at least 30 days before any material change to this policy. The “Effective” date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.
14. Contact
Privacy inquiries: hello@useclockout.com
ClockOut, Houston, Texas, United States