Time tracking in clinics and medical centers

The sector no one sees coming

When people talk about mandatory time tracking, everyone thinks of offices, factories, or restaurants. But there’s a sector with over 22,000 centers in dentistry alone, and tens of thousands more among physiotherapy practices, medical offices, aesthetic clinics, and laboratories: the private healthcare sector.

And yes, all these clinics are required to track their employees’ working hours. No exceptions.

The problem is that many don’t know it, or believe that being “small” exempts them. That’s not the case. Article 34.9 of the Workers’ Statute doesn’t distinguish by size or sector: if you have employees on a labor contract, you need a time tracking system.

Which clinics are required to track hours?

All of them. Any private healthcare center with contracted staff:

• Dental clinics — dentists, hygienists, assistants, receptionists
• Physiotherapy and rehabilitation centers
• Private medical offices — general practitioners, specialists
• Aesthetic and dermatology clinics
• Podiatry, optician, and speech therapy centers
• Clinical analysis laboratories
• Veterinary clinics (yes, them too)

It doesn’t matter if you have 2 employees or 200. It doesn’t matter if they work full-time or part-time. The obligation is the same.

What about self-employed professionals working at the clinic? If they’re genuinely self-employed (running their own business, invoicing for services), they don’t need to clock in on your system. But if they’re “false self-employed” with a fixed schedule and economic dependence, the Labor Inspectorate could consider them disguised employees, with everything that entails.

The 5 specific challenges of the healthcare sector

Clocking in at a clinic isn’t like clocking in at an office. There are particularities that complicate things:

1. Fragmented and variable schedules

A physiotherapist might work from 9:00 to 13:00, take a two-hour break, and return from 16:00 to 20:00. A dental hygienist might have different hours each day depending on scheduled appointments. Tracking this with a spreadsheet is chaos.

Solution: A digital system that allows multiple clock-in and clock-out entries on the same day, with automatic break tracking.

2. Multiple work locations

It’s common for a healthcare professional to work at more than one clinic. A dentist might be at one practice on Mondays and Wednesdays and at another on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The records must reflect which center was worked at each day.

Solution: A system with multiple customizable schedules that lets you configure different locations and assign employees to each one.

3. On-call shifts and emergencies

At centers offering emergency care (especially clinics with inpatient services or veterinary centers), there may be on-call shifts outside regular hours. These hours must be recorded correctly.

Solution: Mobile clocking, available 24/7, allowing clock-in and clock-out from any location.

4. High staff turnover

Clinic assistants, receptionists, cleaning staff… the healthcare sector has significant turnover in support roles. Each hire and departure means configuring and updating the time tracking system.

Solution: A system where onboarding or offboarding an employee takes minutes, not a call to the software provider.

5. Lack of awareness of the regulations

Many owners of small clinics — especially healthcare professionals running their own practice — aren’t aware that time tracking applies to them. It’s not bad faith: simply no one ever told them.

If that’s your case, know that a labor inspection can show up at any time. And the fine for not having time records ranges from €751 to €7,500 per violation (Article 7.5 of the LISOS).

What the law requires (and what the new Royal Decree will require)

Right now (Art. 34.9 Workers’ Statute)

• Daily record of each employee’s working hours
• Must include start and end times
• Records must be kept for 4 years
• Accessible to employees, legal representatives, and the Labor Inspectorate

With the new Royal Decree (in progress)

• Mandatory digital records — paper timesheets will no longer be valid
• Non-tamperable timestamps
• Remote access for the Inspectorate — they’ll be able to check without physically visiting the clinic
• Recording of breaks, overtime, and type of working day (regular, supplementary, etc.)

If your clinic still uses a notebook or a spreadsheet, it’s time to switch. If you want to learn more about the new decree’s requirements, we have a step-by-step guide.

How to implement time tracking at your clinic (step by step)

Step 1: Identify who it affects

Make a list of all staff on labor contracts: healthcare workers, administrative staff, cleaning, maintenance. Remember to include part-time and temporary workers.

Step 2: Choose a digital system

Don’t overcomplicate it. You don’t need hospital management software for a 5-employee clinic. You need something simple, digital, and legally compliant.

Cleverfy is designed exactly for this: clinics and small businesses that want to comply without spending a fortune or wasting time. Web clocking, mobile app, kiosk mode if you want a fixed point at reception, and from €1.50/employee/month.

Step 3: Define the clocking protocol

The new Royal Decree will require a documented protocol. Decide:

• When to clock in: at the start and end of each work period (not just at the beginning and end of the day)
• How to clock in: mobile app, web, reception kiosk
• Who handles incidents: forgotten entries, corrections, absences

Step 4: Communicate and train your team

Explain to staff why it’s being implemented (it’s a legal obligation, not a surveillance measure), how it works, and what’s expected of them. Remember that under the new Royal Decree, training time counts as working hours.

Step 5: Review periodically

Check that records are being generated correctly, that there aren’t systematically forgotten clock-ins, and that the system adapts to staff schedule changes.

The cost of non-compliance

The penalties for not maintaining adequate time records are the same for a dental clinic as for a construction company:

• Serious: From €751 to €7,500 (no records or incomplete records — Art. 7.5 LISOS)
• Very serious: Up to €225,018 (overtime fraud, affecting workers’ rights)

For a small clinic with 3-4 employees, a fine of several thousand euros is a serious blow. Far more than what a digital time tracking system costs per year.

If you want to see the full breakdown of penalties, check our complete guide to penalties.

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Frequently asked questions

Does a dental clinic with only 2 employees need to track hours?

Yes. The time tracking obligation applies to all companies with employees, regardless of size. There is no exemption based on number of employees.

Do self-employed healthcare collaborators need to clock in?

If they’re genuinely self-employed (they invoice their services, have schedule freedom), no. But if they work with a fixed schedule imposed by the clinic and economic dependence, they could be considered false self-employed, and would then be subject to time tracking requirements.

How do I record on-call shifts?

On-call shifts (the professional is available but not necessarily at the center) are a gray area. The safest approach is to record the start and end time of availability, and separately the hours actually worked if the on-call is activated. Consult your labor advisor for the best approach in your case.

Can I use the same time tracking system for multiple clinics?

Yes, as long as the system identifies which center each employee clocked in at. Cleverfy lets you manage multiple work locations from a single account, with customized schedules for each one.

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Sources: Workers’ Statute (Art. 34.9), LISOS, Consalud.es (dental clinic data).