⏱ Set up Prevailing Wage Job & Classifications in Your Time System
Accurate time capture is the foundation of prevailing wage compliance. Your time system should record facts only – which job, which classification, and how many hours – without embedding pay rates or wage logic.
This page explains how to set up prevailing wage jobs and classifications correctly across common time systems, so downstream payroll and certified payroll reporting stay clean.
The Correct Model (Regardless of System)
Your time system should:
- Track job or project number
- Track classification worked (not pay rate)
- Capture hours only
Your time system should not:
- Store prevailing wage rates
- Calculate fringe
- Encode compliance logic
Those belong in payroll or compliance systems – not time capture.
Paychex Time & Attendance
In Paychex, prevailing wage time is typically captured by:
- Creating a job or project for the PW job
- Using labor codes or job costing fields to represent classifications
- Requiring employees to select the correct job and classification when clocking time
Avoid using separate earning codes for each classification in time – classification should be a time attribute, not a pay rule.
Inova
In Inova, set up:
- A dedicated job or cost center for the prevailing wage project
- Position or labor categories that align to wage classifications
- Time entry that requires both job and classification selection
The goal is clean exports that show who worked, where, and in what role – nothing more.
Paylocity
With Paylocity, prevailing wage time is usually handled through:
- Job codes tied to the project
- Labor categories or positions for classifications
- Enforced selection at time entry
Do not rely on free-text notes to capture classifications – those will not survive audits.
Workday
Workday supports prevailing wage time when configured to:
- Track projects or cost centers
- Use job profiles or positions to represent classifications
- Capture time against both dimensions
Workday users should ensure classifications are structured fields, not inferred from pay rates.
Paycor
In Paycor, prevailing wage setups commonly use:
- Job or labor allocation fields
- Classification-specific labor codes
- Required job + classification entry for time punches
Be cautious of workflows that mix time capture and pay logic – keep them separate.
ADP
ADP time systems support prevailing wage when:
- Jobs are set up as projects or cost objects
- Classifications are captured via labor codes
- Time entry requires both fields
Avoid using multiple pay rates at the time level – rates should be applied later.
UKG & Dayforce
Both UKG and Dayforce handle prevailing wage time best when:
- Jobs/projects are first-class tracking objects
- Classifications are captured explicitly
- Time exports clearly show job, classification, and hours
These systems are flexible – but only if classification is modeled intentionally.
Construction-Specific Time Systems
For field-focused tools like:
- TSheets (QuickBooks Time)
- WorkMax
- ClockShark
- ExakTime
- HeavyJob
- TCR
- TCP
- FieldClix
Best practice is to:
- Use cost codes or job phases to represent classifications
- Enforce job + classification selection at clock-in
- Export raw time data without rates
These tools work well for PW if discipline is enforced at entry.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Encoding prevailing wages as pay rates in time
- Using free-text fields for classifications
- Letting foremen “fix it later”
- Tracking jobs but not classifications
These shortcuts always surface later – in payroll, reporting, or audits.
Key Takeaway
Time systems should capture facts, not rules.
If your time data clearly shows job, classification, and hours, everything else becomes easier – whether you stay manual or move toward automation later.