After logging into Begin for the first time, you need to configure a few key settings before your team can start tracking time. This guide walks you through the essential setup steps.
Step 1: Set up company contacts
Click your account name at the bottom of the sidebar and select Settings. Then go to Company Contacts.
Fill in your Company name, Invoice email, Contact person name, Contact person phone, and Contact person email.
Click Save changes.
This information appears on reports and exports.
Step 2: Configure working schedules
Go to Settings → Working Schedules.
Choose whether to use schedules (Yes with shift times, Yes, or No).
If enabled with shift times, select a default shift template.
Optionally toggle Exclude weekends, Exclude holidays, Check overlap, and Show overnight shifts on same line.
Click Save changes.
These settings control how schedules are displayed and managed across the platform.
Step 3: Set up overtime calculation
Go to Settings → Overtime Calculation.
Choose whether overtime is calculated on a monthly or daily basis.
Enter the Normal hours of a working day.
Set the Overtime multiplier (e.g., enter 0.5 for 1.5x pay).
Optionally enable evening, night, weekend, and national holiday hour tracking.
Click Save changes.
Step 4: Configure pause settings
Go to Settings → Pause.
Set the automatic pause duration that will be deducted from working time.
Set the minimum working time required before a pause is applied.
Choose whether to allow multiple pauses per shift.
Click Save changes.
Step 5: Create departments
Go to Organization from the left sidebar.
Click Add location to create your first location.
Then click Add department within that location.
Enter the department name and save. You can assign employees to departments when adding them.
What to do next
Once these basics are configured, you can start adding employees. See How to add your first employees for the next step.