Geofencing allows you to automatically register employee attendance based on their location.
By defining a workplace area (for example, an office, warehouse, or other work location), Calamari can automatically clock employees in and out when they enter or leave the configured area.
Geofencing works through the Calamari mobile app and uses the employee’s device location to determine whether they are inside or outside the defined location.
Examples of use
controlling the presence of employees in the designated zone/workplace according to the working time schedule,
countering buddy punching,
monitoring the presence of employees in specific locations/zones, such as construction sites/customer premises.
How does automatic geofencing work?
When automatic geofencing is enabled, Calamari automatically records attendance based on the employee’s location:
Entering the geofence area → automatic clock-in
Leaving the geofence area → automatic clock-out
If an employee leaves the location during an active work session, Calamari stops counting their working time. When they return, a new work session starts automatically.
Breaks are an exception: if an employee is already on a break, leaving the geofence area does not clock them out. The break continues until it ends according to the configured settings.
Example:
8:00 — employee enters the office → clock-in
12:00 — employee leaves the office → clock-out
13:00 — employee returns → clock-in
How to set up geofencing in Calamari?
Navigate to the Calamari admin panel.
Select: Configuration → Time & Attendance → Methods → Mobile app → Configure.
Add a new terminal, specify the exact location on the map, and set a radius (from 100 to 1000 meters) within which employees can register their working hours.
You can choose to set automatic or manual clock-in/clock-out.
You can assign the terminal to the entire organization or to selected users.
An administrator can configure multiple terminals, each allowing clock-in/clock-out, and assign them to the entire organization or selected users.
Note: If an employee has access to another mobile terminal without geofencing enabled, the location feature will not function.
Employee Time Registration
What is needed for automatic geofencing to work?
The employee uses the Calamari mobile app to register their working hours.
The system uses GPS, cellular network, or Wi-Fi to monitor whether the device is within the designated zone.
If the device is within the zone, the employee can start or stop work using the START/STOP button.This can also happen automatically if automatic geofencing is enabled.
Important: The app must have the appropriate location permissions granted.
The feature requires location permissions set to "always" and precise location access. The app must be active (logged-in user, permissions granted).
To set this up, go to your mobile device Settings → Apps → Calamari → Location.
In addition, the employee needs to turn on Automatic time tracking in the Calamari mobile app under Methods → Locations.
Push Notifications
The Calamari app sends push notifications to the employee's phone when entering a zone where they can register their working hours.
To receive notifications, the app must have the appropriate background activity permissions granted.
Troubleshooting
If automatic clock-in or clock-out does not work, check these steps:
Ensure the Calamari app has the correct location permissions
The app needs permission to access the device's location services for geofencing to work properly.If you want the geofencing to work automatically, make sure the employee turned on Automatic time tracking in the Calamari mobile app under Methods → Locations.
Verify whether the employee uses the latest version of the Calamari mobile app.
Check if the device is within the geofencing zone or whether the employee is assigned to the correct mobile terminal.
If the employee is not within the defined radius, the clock-in/out function will not work.If the problem persists, contact Calamari’s technical support.
They will assist you with troubleshooting and resolving any issues related to geofencing.
How does Calamari use device location?
Automatic geofencing requires location access because Calamari needs to know when an employee enters or leaves the configured work area and register the start or end of their working time.
Calamari does not monitor or store the employee’s location outside the designated geofence area.
Android: The device’s operating system tracks the location. The Calamari app does not monitor the employee’s location outside the geofenced area. Instead, it receives notifications from Android when the user enters or leaves the designated area, and uses this information to register the start or end of the user’s work. The employee’s location outside the designated area is not stored anywhere in the Calamari system.
iOS: The process works in a similar way, with one difference — when the Calamari app is launched, it independently checks the current location to determine whether the user is within the designated area. Even in this case, the location is not stored anywhere in the Calamari application.
Learn more here: Does Calamari track your location?
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