Work from home has become the norm around the world. And it’s driving business owners, like me, crazy.
My main problem is how do I ensure that my employees are doing what they are supposed to be doing. I know I have to trust my employees, and I feel bad about feeling this way.
I just need that tool that will give me peace of mind. How do business owners maintain attendance, punctuality, and productivity when employees are working remotely? The answer I found after doing some research is a time clock software.
What is time clock software?
This is where time clock apps or software can relieve a lot of anxiety of business owners and office managers. Time clock software allows employees to log in their attendance remotely. The app admin can easily try various scheduling options with the visual representation of data. Since employees log in and out wherever they are, productivity can be easily tracked and reported. If an employee has not yet logged out, the overtime can be easily approved.
How time clock software works
Unlike workplace Bundy clocks where mistaken time cards or buddy punching is prevalent, time clock software is installed in smartphones and can be accessed by the admin through the cloud.
Most time clock apps require the employee to take a selfie to log in their time and start their workday. The facial recognition technology verifies the face with the name. This secure way of logging prevents buddy punching and places the responsibility of timing in with the employee.
Time clock apps integrate with popular HR and payroll software like QuickBooks. The meticulous and time-consuming tasks of payroll are automated. You don’t have to transfer spreadsheets or alt-tab from one software to another.
Time clock apps synch through all devices. A worker can log in using their smartphone, tablet, or laptop as long as the app is installed. The admin dashboard pulls in data from across authorized devices in the organization so that everything is accurate.
HR and payroll managers can access the dashboard in the cloud. This is very convenient in the era of work-from-home. You don’t have to log in to the office computer. The software provides insight into your workers’ behaviors and productivity.
Time clock apps track where workers work if this option is turned on. This feature is useful for businesses that have work to do in a certain geographical area. You can ensure that your workers are onsite when they login to start their day. Employees cannot log-in or their time-in will be flagged as outside the designated area.
The benefits of a time clock app?
- The benefits of automated and remote time clock software are obvious. To accounting and HR people, a time clock app greatly reduces manual and time-intensive HR functions. It minimizes human error and can easily rectify any issues. No more excuses of forgetting to time-in because the responsibility lies with the employee. If an employee has not yet log-in during office hours, a notification can be automatically sent to find out any problems.
- Another issue that exasperates business owners is break management. This has been a concern before the pandemic and even more of a problem with telecommuting. A time clock software automatically sends alerts for break time and notifies when it is over. If a worker has not yet returned from break and log-in, a notification is sent both to the worker and the admin.
- The one problem that time clock apps were made for is buddy punching. Facial recognition has now advanced to the point that it can distinguish individuals in a crowd. Your employee cannot ask someone to log in for them since the software will not let them. It will also trigger an attempted fraud violation that will place the worker in even more trouble.
- Time clock app helps minimize absenteeism. Employees cannot make excuses that they are sick when they are really out playing golf. Working from home can be a challenge for people who need to have certain stimuli to be in focus. A time clock app can provide that on/off switch that simulates office conditions.
- Simplifies labor law compliance. A time clock app is easily customizable to take into account local calculations for overtime, leaves, night differentials, and hazard pay. All of these are automatically added to the final salary that the worker will receive. Your HR and accounting staff will love you for this.
Who should use time clock apps?
Almost all businesses can benefit from the use of time clock apps. Although there are particular industries that can be transformed.
Construction firms that operate on several sites and time in/out should be done on-site. Trade companies that have sales agents fanning out in different directions and it’s always better to go directly to the client instead of swinging by the office to punch in or out.
There are also medical facilities, hospitals, and retail stores where employee activities go on 24-hours. These apps will help cleaning and janitorial services firms to ensure no tardiness and staff show up in-person on location.
Security and logistics companies where location backed timesheets are used. Plus, services firms with varied sites, services, and rates can use time clock apps to keep their employees and clients happy.
What are the best time clock apps?
So the question is what are the best time clock apps out there? There are several you can choose from. Some are free up to a certain number of employees or free to one location with an unlimited number of workers. Others offer a simple no-fuss flat fee while there are those more premium features depending on the plan that you choose.
| Brand | Mobile app | Selfie time in | GPS tracking | Offline mode | Price/mon |
1. BundyPlus Now | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | $20 for 10 employees |
2.ClockinEasy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 14 days free$0 one employee$4 per employee |
3.Homebased | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free for one location, unlimited employees |
4.Ontheclock | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | $0 for two employees$9 for 3> employees |
5.Time Clock Wizard | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $0 for basic plan$14.95 simple plan. |
6.Jibble | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $0 unlimited employees$1.50 for premium plan |
7.Payroll Hero | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 30days free$3.50 per employee |
8.ActiTime | Yes | No | Yes | No | $0 for <3 employees, basic functions$6 for 1-40 employees |
9.Clockify | Yes | No | No | Yes | Free$9.99 flat fee for upgrades |
10.Open Time Clock | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free$25flat-fee w/ reports |
Conclusion
Time app software is a tool for business productivity. It is vital to communicate to employees that these kinds of software create a win-win situation for all. They allow employees to be more productive, thus have a more rewarding experience and opportunities for advancement. The business in turn can afford to be more flexible and increase profitability by eliminating inefficiencies. Workers must not feel that they are being policed and business owners must not use the tool to get the better of their workers.