Time Away from System (TAFS)
What is Time Away from System (TAFS)?
Time Away from System (TAFS) refers to any period during which an employee is not actively using their workstation. The Desktop Agent records this idle time automatically.
When an employee returns to their workstation, a pop-up is displayed if the TAFS permission is enabled in their work policy. The pop-up prompts the employee to select an activity type from a configured list. Each activity type carries a classification of Productive, Unproductive, or Neutral, which is set by the administrator. The selected activity type determines how that timeslot is recorded and reported in the system.
Away Type Classifications
Away types are created and managed by your system administrator. Each Away type activity is assigned a classification of Productive, Unproductive, or Neutral. When you select an activity type from the pop-up, the corresponding classification is applied to your timeslot and reflected in your activity reports.
Productive
Away types classified as Productive cover work-related activities conducted away from the workstation, such as client meetings, conferences, training sessions, and team collaborations. Timeslots marked as Productive are counted as work time in productivity reports.
Unproductive
Away types classified as Unproductive cover excessive or unjustified periods of inactivity. Timeslots marked as Unproductive are highlighted in the activity timeline. If the accumulated duration exceeds the threshold defined, the system sends an automatic notification to the reporting manager.
Neutral
Away types classified as Neutral cover expected, policy-compliant time away, including scheduled breaks and approved rest periods. Timeslots marked as Neutral are recorded without alerts and do not affect performance metrics.
Keep as Idle
If you choose not to select an away type, you may close the pop-up without making a selection or selecting the option 'keep as idle'. The timeslot will remain recorded as Idle and will not be assigned a Productive, Unproductive, or Neutral classification. Please note that if the total idle time exceeds the threshold defined in your work policy, your manager will be notified.
Scenarios and Impact on the Desktop Agent
The table below outlines common scenarios across each away type classification and describes how the Desktop Agent records and responds to each situation.
Type | Activity Type | Example Scenario | Impact on Desktop Agent/Reports |
|---|---|---|---|
Productive | Conference or Offline Meeting | An employee attends a client conference at an off-site venue. | Idle is recorded automatically. The TAFS pop-up appears on return. The employee selects Conference, a Productive activity type. The timeslot is classified as Productive. |
Productive | Internal Team Meeting | A team holds a stand-up or sprint review in a meeting room, away from their workstations. | A team holds a stand-up or sprint review in a meeting room, away from their workstations. Idle is recorded automatically. The TAFS pop-up appears on return. The employee selects Team Meeting, a Productive activity type. The timeslot is classified as Productive. |
Productive | Training or L&D Session | An employee attends a two-hour compliance training or a skills development workshop. | Idle is recorded automatically. The TAFS pop-up appears on return. The employee selects Training, a Productive activity type. The timeslot is classified as Productive. |
Productive | Client Call or Video Conference | An employee joins a client video call from a shared meeting room, away from their primary workstation. | Idle is recorded automatically. The TAFS pop-up appears on return. The employee selects Client Call, a Productive activity type. The timeslot is classified as Productive. |
Productive | Whiteboard or Collaboration Session | A team conducts a planning session on a physical whiteboard in a collaboration space. | A team conducts a planning session on a physical whiteboard in a collaboration space. Idle is recorded automatically. The TAFS pop-up appears on return. The employee selects Collaborative Work, a Productive activity type. The timeslot is classified as Productive. |
Unproductive | Extended Personal Break | An employee takes a 90-minute personal break that exceeds the allowance defined in the HR policy. Idle is recorded automatically. The TAFS pop-up appears on return. The employee selects Personal Break, an Unproductive activity type. The timeslot is classified as Unproductive. A manager notification is triggered if the policy threshold of unproductive hrs is exceeded. | Idle is recorded automatically. The TAFS pop-up appears on return. The employee selects Personal Break, an Unproductive activity type. The timeslot is classified as Unproductive. |
Unproductive | Social or Non-Work Activity | An employee steps out for a non-work errand or extended personal conversation during core hours. | An employee steps out for a non-work errand or extended personal conversation during core hours. Idle is recorded automatically. The TAFS pop-up appears on return. The employee selects Personal Activity, an Unproductive activity type. The timeslot is classified as Unproductive. |
Neutral | Scheduled Lunch Break | An employee steps away during the designated lunch window as defined in their work schedule. | Idle is recorded automatically. The TAFS pop-up appears on return. The employee selects 'Lunch Break', a Neutral activity type. The timeslot is classified as Neutral. |
Neutral | Short Rest or Tea Break | An employee takes a 10-minute refreshment break within the allowable policy duration. | Idle is recorded automatically. The TAFS pop-up appears on return. The employee selects 'Short Break', a Neutral activity type. The timeslot is classified as Neutral. |
Neutral | System Downtime | A network outage prevents an employee from accessing their workstation for 45 minutes. | Idle is recorded automatically. The TAFS pop-up appears on return. The employee selects 'System Downtime', a Neutral activity type. The timeslot is classified as Neutral. |
Neutral | Planned Maintenance Window | The IT team takes a workstation offline for a scheduled system update during an active shift. | Idle is recorded automatically. The TAFS pop-up appears on return. The employee selects 'Planned Maintenance Window', a Neutral activity type. The timeslot is classified as Neutral. |
Neutral | Medical or Wellness Break | An employee takes a short approved wellness break as permitted under the organisation's HR policy. | Idle is recorded automatically. The TAFS pop-up appears on return. The employee selects 'Medical or Wellness Break', a Neutral activity type. The timeslot is classified as Neutral. |
Idle | Repeated Unclassified Absences | An employee steps away multiple times during a shift and does not select an activity type on return, even after multiple attempts/tries. | Idle time is recorded automatically for each absence. The TAFS pop-up appears, but the employee does not select an activity type. Accumulated idle time remains idle across the timeline and reports. |
Idle | Yes, Keep Idle | An employee steps away and submits the TAFS response as 'keep as idle' | Idle is recorded automatically. The TAFS pop-up appears on return. The employee selects 'Yes, Keep as Idle'. The timeslot is classified as Idle. |
How the TAFS Popup Works
The following steps describe how the TAFS recording and classification process works from the moment your workstation becomes inactive through to the point at which your timeslot is classified.
- Idle is recorded: As soon as the workstation becomes inactive, the Desktop Agent logs the absence automatically. No action is required from the employee at this stage.
- Popup is displayed on return: When the employee returns and an activity is detected, a pop-up appears if the TAFS permission is enabled in the work policy. The pop-up presents a list of configured activity types.
- Select an away-type activity : Select the away-type activity that best represents what you were doing during the absence. Each away type activity is pre-configured with a classification of Productive, Unproductive, or Neutral, which will be applied to the timeslot.
- Confirm or dismiss: Click Confirm to apply the selected activity type. If you do not wish to classify the timeslot, close the pop-up. The period will remain recorded as Idle.
How TAFS Data Is Used
• Timeslots classified as Productive are counted as work time and reflected positively in productivity reports.
• Timeslots classified as Unproductive are flagged in the activity timeline. If accumulated Unproductive time exceeds the configured policy threshold, the system sends an automatic notification to the reporting manager, as per the custom alerts set.
• Timeslots classified as Neutral are recorded as expected time away and have no major impact on performance metrics.
• Timeslots left as Idle are recorded without a classification. If the total unclassified idle time exceeds the policy threshold, the manager receives an automatic notification, as per the custom alerts set
• Managers can view a full breakdown of timeslots across all classifications to identify trends, address scheduling gaps, and manage team workloads.
Updated on: 19/03/2026
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