Documentation
User Manual – Fintime 2026
Fintime 2026
v1.0
March 2026
1. Introduction
Fintime 2026 is a Microsoft Excel-based solution for time recording and payroll calculation. Based on the entered employee data, absences, and company structure, the program automatically calculates the daily working hours for each employee and presents them in clear print views (weekly and monthly view).
Data Flow:
EMPLOYEES ───┐
├──► FLEX ──► PRINT WEEK / PRINT MONTH
ABSENCES ────┘The program works entirely within Microsoft Excel and does not require any additional software.
2. System Requirements
Minimum Requirements
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 10 (64-bit), Version 1903 or later |
| Microsoft Office | Microsoft Excel 2019 (Standalone) or Microsoft 365 |
| Processor | Intel Core i3 (4th Gen) or AMD Ryzen 3, min. 2.0 GHz |
| Memory (RAM) | 4 GB |
| Disk Space | 500 MB free storage |
| Screen Resolution | 1366 × 768 pixels |
| Macro Security | Macros must be enabled (*.xlsm) |
| Fonts | Standard Windows fonts (Calibri, Arial) |
| Network | Required (at startup) |
Recommended Requirements
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit), fully patched |
| Microsoft Office | Microsoft 365 Business (monthly update channel) |
| Processor | Intel Core i5/i7 (8th Gen+) or AMD Ryzen 5/7, min. 2.5 GHz |
| Memory (RAM) | 8 GB or more |
| Disk Space | SSD with at least 1 GB free |
| Screen Resolution | 1920 × 1080 (Full HD) or higher |
| Macro Security | Trusted location configured in Excel Trust Center |
| Network | Optional (LAN recommended for central file storage) |
Software Requirements
- Excel Version: Excel 2019 or Microsoft 365 for Windows (Excel for Mac is NOT supported)
- VBA (Macros): Must be enabled on opening, or pre-authorized via the Excel Trust Center
- File Format: *.xlsm (Macro-enabled Excel Workbook)
- Language / Region: German (Switzerland or Germany) recommended – date formats and decimal separators
- Additional Software: No external software required
Important: Excel for Mac is not supported (checkboxes / Form Controls behave differently on Mac). When running from a network drive, calculation speed may be significantly reduced — local execution is recommended. Regular backups are strongly recommended.
3. Installation and Initial Setup
Step 1 – Save the File
Save the file Fintime2026.xlsm in a local folder (e.g. C:\Fintime2026\). Avoid network drives for daily use.
Step 2 – Enable Macros
When opening the file for the first time, a yellow security warning will appear:
⚠ Macros have been disabled. → Click Enable Content
The program will not function without macros.
Step 3 – Set Up a Trusted Location (recommended)
To permanently avoid the security warning:
- Open Excel Options (File → Options)
- Trust Center → Trust Center Settings
- Trusted Locations → Add new location
- Select the folder where
Fintime2026.xlsmis saved - Confirm with OK
Step 4 – Initial Configuration
On first launch, configure the following areas:
- SETTINGS worksheet: Year, time factor, random factor
- COMPANY STRUCTURE worksheet: Enter operating hours
- EMPLOYEES worksheet: Enter employee master data
- ABSENCES worksheet: Define absence types
Step 5 – Set Up Checkboxes
To correctly assign the checkboxes for days off, run the macro SetupCheckboxen once:
- Press
Alt + F8(open macro dialog) - Select
SetupCheckboxen - Click Run
4. Program Overview – Worksheets
| Worksheet | Function |
|---|---|
| EMPLOYEES (MITARBEITER) | Enter master data for all employees |
| ABSENCES (FEHLTAGE) | Manage absence types and absences |
| SETTINGS (EINSTELLUNGEN) | Global configuration (year, factors, types) |
| COMPANY STRUCTURE | Operating hours and weekly structure |
| FLEX (FLEXIBEL) | Calculation results (filled automatically) |
| PRINT WEEK (DRUCKWOCHE) | Weekly view for printing |
| PRINT MONTH (DRUCKMONAT) | Monthly view for printing |
Note: The FLEX worksheet is filled automatically by the program and should not be edited manually.
5. Recording Employee Master Data (EMPLOYEES)
The EMPLOYEES worksheet contains all relevant master data. The first data row begins at row 6.
Column Overview
| Column | Field |
|---|---|
| D | Weekly hours (mandatory) |
| E | Base start time |
| F | Break from |
| G | Break until |
| J | Employment start date |
| K | Employment end date |
| L | Holiday start date |
| M | Holiday end date |
| N–T | Days off Mon–Sun (Checkbox: ✓ = day off) |
| U | Random minimum start time |
| V | Random maximum start time |
| W | Random minimum end time |
| X | Random maximum end time |
Adding an Employee
- Insert a new row from row 6 onwards (or use the next empty row)
- Enter weekly hours in column D (mandatory)
- Enter working hours, breaks, and employment dates
- Mark days off using checkboxes (see Chapter 6)
- Leave the worksheet → calculation starts automatically
Removing an Employee
- Clear or delete the employee’s row
- Leave the worksheet → outdated data in FLEX is cleaned up automatically
Important: The Weekly hours field (column D) must contain a numeric value greater than 0. Empty or invalid entries will be skipped.
6. Days Off (Checkboxes)
The days off for each employee are set using checkboxes in columns N to T (Monday to Sunday).
- ✓ (checked) = day off (not counted as a working day)
- □ (empty) = working day
Example: An employee works Monday to Friday:
| Mon (N) | Tue (O) | Wed (P) | Thu (Q) | Fri (R) | Sat (S) | Sun (T) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| □ | □ | □ | □ | □ | ✓ | ✓ |
Setting Up Checkboxes
On first use, run: Alt + F8 → Macro SetupCheckboxen → Run
After setup, changes to the checkboxes are automatically applied when leaving the EMPLOYEES worksheet.
Note: Checkboxes must be set up using the macro to ensure correct cell linking. Manually moved checkboxes may result in incorrect assignments.
7. Managing Absences
The ABSENCES worksheet contains employee absences (illness, holiday, public holidays, etc.).
Absence Types (SETTINGS P4:S55)
Available absence types are defined in the SETTINGS worksheet, columns P to S (rows 4–55):
- Column P: Key (type code)
- Column Q: Start time factor
Recording an Absence
Each employee has a 6-column block:
| Offset | Column (example) | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | F, L, … | Flag (1 = absence present) |
| 1 | G, M, … | Type code (from Settings) |
| 2 | H, N, … | Description (auto-filled via lookup) |
- Set the flag (offset 0) to
1for the relevant day - Enter the type code (offset 1) from the defined absence types
- Description is filled in automatically
8. Configuring Settings
The SETTINGS worksheet contains the global configuration.
Important Cells
| Cell | Purpose |
|---|---|
| A1 | Time factor (faktorA1) – affects working hours calculation per day |
| A2 | Random factor (faktorA2) – controls random variation of working times |
| B23 | Calculation year (e.g. 2026) |
Defining Absence Types (P4:S55)
Up to 52 absence types can be defined:
- Column P: Unique key / code
- Column Q: Start time factor (0 = no work start)
Note: Columns E to K in row 4 (days off in Settings) are no longer used. Days off are read exclusively from the EMPLOYEES worksheet (columns N–T).
9. Company Structure
The COMPANY STRUCTURE worksheet defines the operating framework of the company.
Relevant Area: J4:K42 (39 rows) – Operating hours and structural data
This worksheet is used as a reference during calculation. Changes will affect all subsequent calculations.
10. Automatic Calculation (FLEX)
How the Calculation Works
The program automatically calculates working hours for all employees and writes results to the FLEX worksheet.
Calculation is triggered by:
- Leaving the EMPLOYEES worksheet (switching sheets)
- Changes in other worksheets (delayed, after 1–2 seconds)
- When opening the workbook (once)
Calculated Results
For each employee, the following values are calculated per day:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Flag | 1 = working day, 0 = day off / absence |
| Start | Work start time (with random variation) |
| End | Work end time (calculated) |
| Break | Break duration |
| Difference | Net working time |
| K | Manually adjustable correction factor (not overwritten) |
Important: The K column (correction factor) is not overwritten by the program and can be adjusted manually.
Preventing Ghost Employees
When the number of employees is reduced, the program automatically clears all outdated data in FLEX.
Manual Recalculation
If immediate recalculation is required: Alt + F8 → Macro BerechneAlles → Run
Or: briefly leave the EMPLOYEES sheet and return to it.
11. Print Views
Print Week (Weekly View)
Shows working hours of the current week for all employees. Contains per day: work start, work end, break, net working time.
Print Month (Monthly View)
Shows working hours of the current month for all employees. Contains all working days with calculated times.
Printing
- Select the desired print sheet (PRINT WEEK or PRINT MONTH)
- File → Print (or
Ctrl + P) - The print area is predefined – no further settings required
Notes: Non-working days appear as empty rows (intentional). Zero values (0:00) are displayed as empty cells. Print views draw data exclusively from the FLEX worksheet.
12. Multi-Language Support
The program supports multiple languages, selectable in the SETTINGS worksheet.
Changing the Language
- Open the SETTINGS worksheet
- Select the desired language (cell B1 or language selection dropdown)
- Restart the calculation (switch sheets or run macro
BerechneAlles)
Translations are loaded from the LANGUAGE worksheet and automatically applied to all relevant labels.
13. Column Width Adjustment
The program automatically adjusts column widths:
- When opening the workbook: All sheets are adjusted once
- When switching sheets: The newly activated sheet is adjusted automatically
Manual adjustment: Alt + F8 → Macro AlleSpaltenAnpassen → Run
14. Data Backup
Since the program writes data directly into the Excel file, regular backups are strongly recommended.
Recommended Backup Strategy
- Daily: Copy of the *.xlsm file with the date in the filename (e.g.
Fintime2026_Backup_20260302.xlsm) - Weekly: Copy to external storage or cloud
- Before major changes: Always create a backup first
Creating a Backup
- Close or save the file
- Open File Explorer
- Copy the file and rename it with the current date
- Store in a safe location (external drive, cloud, network)
Warning: Changes made after the last backup will be permanently lost in the event of data loss.
15. FAQ and Troubleshooting
Macros are not running / calculation does not start : Enable macros (yellow warning bar → Enable Content), or move the file to a trusted location.
Checkboxes not working / incorrect assignment
: Run the macro SetupCheckboxen again (Alt + F8).
Calculation results are outdated
: Leave the EMPLOYEES sheet and return, or run BerechneAlles manually.
FLEX shows employees that no longer exist
: Restart the calculation – the program cleans up automatically. If the problem persists, run BerechneAlles.
Print view shows 0:00 instead of empty cells : Trigger a recalculation. If the problem persists, contact support.
Translation does not change when switching language
: Restart the calculation (switch sheets or run BerechneAlles).
Program is very slow : Save the file locally (not on a network drive), close other Excel files, and check available memory (recommended: 8 GB).
Error when opening the file : Enable macros, check Excel version (minimum Excel 2019 for Windows), or use a backup copy.
Excel for Mac – checkboxes not working : This program is not designed for Excel for Mac. Please use Windows with Excel 2019 or Microsoft 365.
Technical Support: For issues not resolved by this manual, contact your administrator or the program developer.
Developer: FININ | Version: Fintime 2026, v1.0 | March 2026