What must be done before authorizing time punches during the store close?

Before authorizing time punches during the store close, it is essential to ensure that everyone is clocked out. This step is crucial for several reasons. First, it guarantees that the hours being recorded represent accurate working time for each employee. Allowing time punches to be authorized without confirming that all staff members are clocked out could lead to discrepancies in payroll, overpaying employees for hours not worked.

Additionally, this practice helps maintain accountability and ensures that employees are not working off the clock, which is important for compliance with labor laws. This step ensures that only the actual work hours are compensated, supporting a fair and ethical workplace environment.

In contrast, while performing a cashier audit, calculating daily sales, and checking inventory levels are all important tasks that may be performed during the closing process, they do not directly relate to the authorization of time punches. These activities can be conducted after confirming that all employees have correctly clocked out, illustrating that ensuring clocking out is the immediate priority before dealing with other closing tasks.