DATEV Personal: Calendar for recording absences and hourly rates
Overview of the calendar function in DATEV Personal. Recording attendance and absence to the day, application to hourly wages, interaction with monthly data and distinction from eAU.
Introduction
The calendar function in DATEV Personal is designed to record attendance and absences on a day-by-day basis. It is primarily intended for employees on an hourly wage, for whom the days worked and days missed form the basis of their payslip. The structured recording process simplifies the preparation of monthly data.
A few clarifications first:
The calendar is not mandatory for every business – for permanent staff on a fixed salary, you generally do not need it. Nor does it replace a sick note in the legal sense: you must still retrieve the electronic certificate of incapacity for work separately \[Link zu einem Hilfsartikel\].
And it is not a complete time-recording system with a time clock, but rather a preliminary recording of days for payroll purposes.
What the calendar is intended for
For employees on an hourly wage, payroll depends on which days they have worked and which they have not. The calendar clearly displays these days, so you do not have to work with loose timesheets.
You mark absences – such as holiday, sickness or unpaid leave – directly in the calendar. The days present and the corresponding hours are calculated automatically, and the figures can be transferred more easily into the monthly data.
The practical benefit lies in the reduced likelihood of errors. When the days are organised in a structured way, you’re less likely to overlook a day of absence or accidentally count a holiday as a working day.
How to record attendance and absences
Recording takes place directly in the relevant employee’s calendar.
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Open the calendar
In DATEV Personal, open the calendar view and select the employee on an hourly wage.
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Mark the absences
Enter the days of absence and assign a type to them – for example, holiday, sickness or leave of absence.
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Record the days present
For the days worked, record the hours worked. Anything you do not enter will not be included in the payslip.
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Transfer the data to the monthly data
The days and hours recorded form the basis for the monthly data, which you then approve.
Interaction with the monthly data
The calendar and monthly data go hand in hand. In the calendar, you record which days were worked; the monthly data contains the figures derived from this, which we use for payroll.
Recording in the calendar is optional. You can also enter the hours directly into the monthly data. The calendar is particularly helpful when there are many individual days and varying periods of absence.
The figures are only sent to us once the monthly data has been approved. Simply entering data in the calendar does not transmit anything.
Common sources of error
- Calendar created for permanent staff: Where the monthly salary remains constant, recording hours down to the day adds no value and simply takes up time.
- Forgotten attendance hours: If only absences are marked but no attendance hours are recorded, there is no basis for payroll processing.
- Confusing a sick note with an eAU: Marking a sick day in the calendar does not replace the retrieval of the electronic certificate of incapacity for work.
- Forgetting to approve the monthly data: The days recorded in the calendar are only sent to us via the approved monthly data.
Frequently asked questions
Do I also need the calendar for permanent staff?
Generally speaking, no. For permanent staff on a fixed salary, day-by-day recording is usually unnecessary. The calendar is primarily intended for employees on an hourly wage.
What is the difference between this and the monthly data?
In the calendar, you record individual days and absences. The monthly data contains the figures derived from these, which we use for payroll processing. The calendar is the preliminary stage.
Does the calendar replace the sick note?
No. You mark a sick day in the calendar for payroll purposes. You still need to retrieve the electronic certificate of incapacity for work separately.
Is the calendar a time-recording system?
It is a preliminary recording of days and hours for payroll purposes, not a complete time and attendance system with automatic clocking in and out.
Do I have to use the calendar?
No. You can also enter the hours directly in the monthly data. The calendar is a feature that is particularly useful when there are many changes to your schedule.
How is the data sent to you?
Via the approved monthly data. Simply entering data in the calendar does not, in itself, transmit anything.
Legal notice
This article provides an overview and is not a substitute for individual advice. The range of functions and menu navigation in DATEV Personal may change as a result of updates; the current version is always the authoritative one.
If you have any questions about recording working hours in your organisation, please contact us directly.
As at: June 2026