Table of Contents
As cloud expansion is happening bringing in cross compatibility, cloud administrators are looking to integrate applications and workloads with the cloud using application programming interfaces or APIs. With new advancements in technology new use cases have been emerging to facilitate development of cloud APIs. Choice of selecting suitable cloud model and right API is a complex task.
In today’s topic we will learn about cloud labor API, what is the purpose for which cloud labor API is used?
About APIs
Before we learn about cloud labor API lets look in general what an API does and how they function. API is a collection of subroutines and communication protocols used by various applications for their communication. A programmer can make use of API tools to make its programs easier and simpler. API facilitates helps applications communicate with each other with necessary tools and functions. A typical API working is depicted in figure 1.
The request is initiated via an API URL (Uniform resource identifier). API makes a call to server post receiving the request. The server sends the response to API with the information and API transfers data to the client.
What is Cloud Labor API?
The cloud labor API is developed by Square. It is a timekeeping component for team management APIs used to integrate Square point of Sales timekeeping with applications for reporting of labor costs, worker overtime management and payroll. The labor API can be used to integrate time clock application with a Square account for labor reporting on seller dashboard or payroll.
Multiple paid or unpaid breaks per shift are supported by labor API. Team management tasks can be undertaken using labor API along with team API. Such as using labor API shifts can be created and job details are picked up from team API. The labor API can be used to record team member labor hours or to perform import and export of time data to applications. Shift records created which are visible in seller dashboard using labor API. The workday and labor & tips page show work day hours completed and recorded by API as depicted in figure below.
- Tracking labor hours – it records start, end and break time for a team member work shift. Sets an hourly wage rate for a shift based on job description that member is doing in the shift, sets break templates with human readable titles, default duration and payroll status for standardization of shifts team member working in.
- Import / export labor hours – Labor shift API search endpoint can be used to get labor hour data in a pay period to use in payroll system. Import shift data into Square account as shift records. Generate labor and sales reports in seller dashboard and pay team members. The labor API is available as server-side-development (set of REST endpoints)
Related: Top 10 Cloud APIs
API Requirements and Limitations
Applications using OAuth need below permissions
Retrieving team members and their wages: EMPLOYEES_READ
Managing configurations of workweek and types of breaks: TIMECARDS_SETTINGS_READ and TIMECARD_SETTINGS_WRITE
Creation, update, retrieving and deletion of shifts: TIMECARDS_WRITE and TIMECARDS_READ.Labor API uses information about team members and job assignments which is managed by team API such as job-based wage assignment to team member, creation of new team member and profile management.
Key Functions of Cloud Labor API
- Creation and update of shift using the CreateShift and UpdateShift endpoints
- Use the SearchShifts to get shift details
- For overtime calculations define a workweek
- Creation of break types to define – name, duration, and standard shift paid status