Session types (work and break)
Categorize attendance sessions as Work or Break. Control which options appear in the Take Break picker, and separate paid work from break time on reports.
Updated 2026-04-22
Every check-in in AttendFirst belongs to a session type. Work sessions add to paid work minutes. Break sessions add to break minutes. Session types are what populate the Take Break picker on the mobile home screen and what shows up in the per-session history on daily reports.
What’s in the list
/admin/settings/session-types. Each row has a name and a Work or Break badge.
Go to Admin → Settings → Session Types. Each row shows the session name and a Work or Break badge. The name is what an employee sees when they tap Take Break on the mobile home screen.
Every new company ships with three defaults: Work, Lunch Break, and Tea Break. Add more to match how your team tracks time.
Adding a session type to the list
Click Add Session Type to open this modal. Two fields - name and a toggle.
Click Add Session Type in the top right. Fill in:
- Name (required). Example: Site Visit, Client Meeting, Lunch Break.
- Is Break? Toggle off for a Work type (adds to work minutes). Toggle on for a Break type (adds to break minutes).
Click Add Session Type. The new category is live on every employee’s mobile home screen immediately.
How session types show up to employees
The only place session types surface is the Take Break picker on the mobile /m check-in screen:
- Employee checks in → first session is always Work.
- Employee taps Take Break → picker opens showing every break session type you have configured.
- Employee picks one → the current Work session closes and a new Break session starts.
- Employee taps End Break → the Break closes and a new Work session starts.
Non-break (Work) session types are used internally but do not appear on the picker - the employee is always in a Work session by default after each check-in or End Break.
Work vs Break on reports
| Metric | What counts |
|---|---|
| Work minutes | Sum of every session tagged as a Work type |
| Break minutes | Sum of every session tagged as a Break type |
| Attendance % | Work minutes against shift length, per working day |
| Half-day | Triggered when work minutes fall below the threshold |
Only work minutes count toward attendance status. A full 9-hour day with a 1-hour lunch is still 8 hours of work - Present.
Typical setup for Indian SMBs
| Name | Type | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Work | Work | Default session after every check-in |
| Lunch Break | Break | Midday meal, usually 30-45 minutes |
| Tea Break | Break | Short morning / afternoon break, 10-15 minutes |
| Site Visit | Work | Field visit, client meeting, or external errand |
| Client Meeting | Work | External meeting logged as a separate session for reporting |
| Outdoor Duty | Work | General field duty outside the office |
Start with the three defaults and add more as the team needs more granularity.
Renaming or removing a session type
Click the three-dot menu on any row:
- Edit: change the name or the Is Break toggle. Historical sessions keep their type tag; only new sessions created after the edit use the new definition.
- Delete: hides the type from future break pickers. Historical sessions tagged with it are preserved and continue to roll up into work / break totals based on the flag at the time of creation.
Frequently asked questions
What comes pre-configured?
Three types: Work, Lunch Break, Tea Break. Edit, delete, or add more.
When does an employee actually pick a session type?
Only when tapping Take Break. The default after each check-in is always Work. You cannot force an employee to pick a specific Work sub-type.
Do break minutes reduce pay or affect attendance status?
Breaks do not auto-deduct from pay — that happens in your payroll tool. But breaks do reduce work minutes, and if work minutes drop below the half-day threshold, the day’s status becomes Half day.
Can I delete a session type that was used in the past?
Yes. Deleting hides the type from future pickers. Historical sessions tagged with the deleted type are preserved and continue to show correctly on reports.
Does changing Is Break affect past sessions?
No. Past sessions keep their original classification. Only sessions created after the edit use the new flag.
Related docs
- Check in and check out. The employee-side flow where break types appear on the Take Break picker.
- Working hours and shifts. The half-day threshold that uses work minutes (not elapsed time).
- Reports and CSV export. Where work minutes and break minutes are summed separately.
Steps
- Open Session Types. Go to Admin → Settings → Session Types. Every session category your company uses is listed here.
- Click Add Session Type. A modal opens with a Name field and an Is Break toggle.
- Fill in the fields. Name is what the employee sees when they tap Take Break (Lunch Break, Tea Break, Site Visit). Toggle Is Break on if this session should count as break time, off if it should count as work time.
- Save. Click Add Session Type. The new category is available on the mobile check-in screen immediately.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a Work and a Break session type?
Work types (Work, Client Meeting, Site Visit) contribute to work minutes and count toward daily work-hour totals. Break types (Lunch Break, Tea Break) contribute to break minutes. They sit separately on the daily report.
What session types ship by default?
AttendFirst ships with three defaults - Work, Lunch Break, and Tea Break. Edit or delete them and add your own.
Can an employee pick a session type on every check-in?
The first check-in of the day always starts a Work session. The Take Break button on the mobile home screen lets an employee switch to any break type. Ending a break starts a new Work session.
Does categorizing something as a Break affect attendance status?
Indirectly. Status (Present / Late / Half day) is based on work minutes, not total elapsed time. If total work minutes fall below the half-day threshold, the day becomes Half day even if the employee was present all day and took long breaks.
Can I delete a session type with historical data?
Yes. Deleting a session type hides it from future break pickers. Historical sessions tagged with that type are preserved on reports and audit trails.