Employee Time Tracking- The Benefits in Keeping Track of Time

employee time tracking January 10, 2023

Priyanka Bhadani

Writer

What is employee time tracking ?

Employee time tracking is the practice of keeping track of how much time employees spend on different activities and projects. It helps managers determine how employees are spending their time and whether they're meeting company goals. There are a number of tools available to help you track your employees' work. While some are more accurate than others, they all have one thing in common- they help you understand how employees are spending their time. If you're new to the world of employee time tracking, you'll see that it can seem a little daunting at first. However, it doesn't have to be difficult. With a little research and some time management tips, you can track employee time without spending your time or theirs.

What is Employee Time Tracking Software?

Time management is essential in an organization and it is equally important to monitor employees to check that they are working according to company policies. The best way to monitor employees and their work are through time tracking. Employee time tracking refers to how a business records the working hours of hourly employees and makes sure that employees are compensated properly for their time.
Time tracking has three essential components time entries, approvals, and reporting. Time entries are the daily process by which an employer records employees' clocking in and out and any breaks not included in the contract. These time entries are then sent for approval to ensure accuracy in compensation. A manager will verify that the time entries are correct, at which point the tracking software will calculate the total hours worked and overtime. The reporting function of time tracking software is a way to submit approved and verified hours to payroll for processing. Time tracking reports can also help a business perform budget analysis or identify any payroll discrepancies.
The best way for employee monitoring is using employee time tracking software. A time tracking software monitors how employees spend their time and record their work hours in an easy and efficient manner. A tracking software is also known as employee time management software.

What are the Benefits of Employee Time Tracking?

Tracking employee time is an effective way to improve workplace efficiency and productivity. Let us now look at the benefits of opting for a time tracking software like ZipSchedules-

No fraud- There are times when an employee may not mark their work hours properly or mark more hours than they have worked. By using employee time tracking software, a business can get real-time updates on how much time an employee spent on any task and how engaged they are in the workplace. Time tracking helps filter out any unethical behavior and employees become more focused on work.
Rectify errors- Time tracking apps or software also helps track employee work progress on a particular project in real-time. There can be mistakes made due to miscommunication. With real-time tracking, a manager is able to rectify any errors instantly. A manager can send employees reminders about deadlines, check their work and make sure that they are on the right track in real-time. An employee time tracking system can help rectify any errors in the early stages.
Remote work- A time tracking app or software can also benefit the remote work culture. A time tracking app can help employers track employee performance and attendance even in remote work as the authentication and accountability of employees can be set easily. Hence it is a win for the management when employees can work remotely as they are working in the office. A time tracking app provides employee monitoring so that a business can also track the work done by remote employees as easily as in-house staff.
Time off requests- If an employee is able to get time off in an emergency without any hassle it is a great way to boost the morale of employees. A time tracking software allows employees to track down their leave history and request leave and also saves superiors time as they can take a look at the employee's work progress and leave history and grant time off with just one tap of a finger.
Tracking performance- A time tracking app helps track time spent by an employee on a project and it also tracks an employee's creativity, decision making, and communication skills. Tracking apps help management closely monitor employees in different situations. It also helps to present the big picture and understand which employee can efficiently handle a particular task. The tracking software helps present an employee's strengths which helps the company inefficient resource allocation and assign the Best Employee needed for a particular task.
Accurate feedback- A tracking app helps managers and owners provide real-time, tangible, and correct performance analysis to the employees. A time tracking software has real time statistics related to the employee's attendance, leaves, and project management, which helps provide correct feedback to employees. The accurate employee time data also doesn't leave room for excuses over their mistakes. Accurate feedback can help an employee be more productive.
Legal Evidence- If there is any conflict related to the wages or salaries, then time tracking data can serve as evidence. A time tracking software maintains accurate time and attendance record of employee's working hours and time-off which can help solve disputes.

Tracking employee time is a hassle.

Zipschedules suggests employee time tracking software that simplifies the process of tracking, recording, and reporting on employee time.

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1. Keep Track of Employee Time and Attendance

We have already discussed some benefits of opting for employee time tracking software. Now let us look at how a time clock in a time tracking software helps any large or Small Business organization keep track of the time and attendance of employees.
Time and attendance tracking is used to record employee work hours and overtime and plan and allocate their off times. The main objective of time tracking software is to keep an accurate record of the time and attendance.
A tracking app like ZipSchedules has a time clock to keep check of the many factors involved in an employee's attendance start time, arrival time, leaves, break times off time and so on. A time tracking software also keeps track of the hourly attendance to analyze an employee's performance.
Time and attendance tracking becomes important when different supervisors for different departments have to record attendance of employees across locations. In order to ensure that time and attendance is recorded properly by the tracking software and there is no discrepancy for payroll, here are a few tips that can help-

Make employees aware of the company policies on attendance and off times during the induction and reinforce it through the company policies.
Keep track of attendance records to see if there is a pattern of time off requests. For example, employees who seem to always be off on a Monday or around a public holiday.
Have a clear procedure in place for being absent so that the tracking software is able to keep track properly.
Inform the employees of the consequences of not following the company time and attendance policy such as disciplinary action if proper procedure is not followed.

2. Track Employee Work Progress

A time tracker helps a business track time an employee has spent working on a particular task or project. Tracking time an employee spends on a task during the day helps you get accurate hours from your employees which helps with payroll.

As discussed, a time tracker can help businesses understand how an employee went about completing the task. It is said that watching an employee deal with a task will tell you more about that employee's performance than any written feedback. A time tracking app is your eyes on an employee's performance.
Time tracking software requires an employee to keep an account of the work done during the work day. This helps you hold a person accountable for his actions. A time tracking software makes employee monitoring easy and routine.
A time tracking app also offers employee monitoring tools like project plans, checklists, and activity logs to track their performance. Tracking software enables an employee to check if they are meeting goals and deadlines.
By continuously tracking employee performance and time spent on tasks during the day, a time tracking app makes it very easy to review work in progress. This also helps rectify any errors in real-time so that the task is error-free.

3. Increase Employee Productivity

Employee monitoring ensures that employees are aware that they are being tracked and hence they waste less time and focus more on work. A manager can track every employee time and performance by using a time tracking software like ZipSchedules.

A time tracking software also helps balance the workload as employee monitoring gives you an accurate idea of employees' capacity. A time tracking app is helpful in identifying who can be given a big project, who needs more training or who should be scheduled for off time. Time tracking helps in effective employee scheduling and fair distribution of work.
Tracking time also highlights the problems faced by an employee or during a project. Some hurdles include pointless meetings or routine admin tasks. Time tracking helps you identify your biggest time drains and helps improve productivity.
Time tracking also shows where employees lose time in distractions which can help introduce effective change and increase productivity.
A time tracking software helps you keep your priorities in check by helping you identify where you focus your time. Once you see the time patterns and works schedule, you can prioritize the most valuable work and improve your productivity.
Time tracking also lets you use time more productively as the visual progress bar of your daily tasks creates pressure to be more productive.

Tracking time can be a hassle.

Zipschedules suggests that employee time tracking software makes it easy to track employee hours and what they’re spending their time on, so you know how much they should be getting paid.

Schedule an Appointment Now

4.Streamline Payroll Process

As we have already discussed, time tracking software makes payroll calculations easy as it will effectively track employee clock in and out and provide hourly data and adherence level. This helps reduce inaccuracies and discrepancies in payroll calculations and integrate worked hours data seamlessly with payroll applications.

Accurate time tracking eliminates timesheet rounding. This reduces the problem of over- or under-paying as you pay for exactly the number of hours they work.
An employee time tracking software tracks an employee's time during particular projects or tasks, which ensures you don't pay for unauthorized breaks. Due to employee monitoring. staff are more likely to focus on the job, which increases accountability. Hence you pay for more productive employees.
Employee time tracking software helps identify outdated policies or procedures as it tracks the time spent on a task by an employee. So, if an outstanding employee starts underperforming, it could be because they are working with a program that needs to be replaced or repaired.
An automated time tracking software linked to payroll application reduces hours spent on processing payroll and also the risk of errors.
As employees know they are being monitored by a time tracking app and hence focus more on work which ensures that the tasks assigned for a day are completed on time, which also reduces overtime.
Automated time tracking also allows you to integrate with employee scheduling so that you can review hours worked and make schedule changes accordingly. This helps you cut down on unintended overtime wages.

5. Save Time and Money

Time tracking helps a business manage the workplace effectively and also provides in-depth insights into time spent and tasks completed. This also results in a reduction of unnecessary tasks. Time tracking helps in efficient time management which can be linked to favorable financial results.

A time tracking software allows employees to examine their work habits and improve their productivity and performance as it provides the numbers and graphical representation of their output. This helps employees better their performance as they eliminate procrastination, time waste, and unproductive activities.
A time tracking app also provides the managers with insights into the productivity of every team member, time spent on tasks and task handling skills. It also helps them recognize parts of the process that may slow down projects which helps in successful project management.
A time tracking app also provides insights for planning future projects in terms of allocating resources and complying with time requirements which leads to getting the best financial results. A time tracking software gives access to accurate and reliable information on billable time which has a significant impact on the revenue.
Time tracking
A time tracking software provides a clear image of where you stand with the budget and at what pace it is being spent.

Best Employee Time Tracking Software

As we have discussed, opting for a time tracking software or app can benefit a business. Let us now look at the best time tracking solutions available in the market that can streamline your daily operations and have a positive impact on your revenue.
1. Zipschedules is an employee scheduling software that allows the creation of employee schedules and shares them with staff across channels. The easy to use employee scheduling app also has tools for time and attendance like time clocks which allows a business to see the employee time schedule. It also has tools to calculate employee productivity and reminders about labor laws. It also offers a free mobile app that works on Android and iOS platforms. The app can also be integrated with Zip Clock which allows employees to record their time and provides operators with notifications to make sure that the employee is compliant with labor laws.
2. Connecteam- The time tracking app addresses four problems faced by business operation oversight, payroll execution, time-off management, and invoicing. It allows businesses to scale up their operations without making them pay more every time as it is not user-based. The app offers time tracking tools like report types, GPS, and also payroll software integration. It tracks time using a mobile app, a tablet kiosk, or a computer.
3. When I work- The time tracking desktop and mobile app is best for small businesses with less than 20 employees. It is extremely affordable with an attractive user interface. The app sends notifications to the employees an hour before their shifts. The app also provides tools for employee scheduling. The time tracking tool tracks time and attendance and helps you improve communication and boost accountability among your staff.
4. Harvest- The web based time tracking software can generate visual reports that show how much time is being spent on each task or project. The app offers time tracking, invoicing, expense tracking, and time-based reporting. Users can send automated payment reminders. Employees can use the app to track their time or input it manually. It is also possible to use it is as a personal time tracker.
5. Timesheets.com- The time clock app can be used by salaried and hourly employees to track their billable hours. The app simplifies time tracking by providing an easy to use online timesheet. It provides a dashboard to see what time people got in, who's on leave, and view other real time information. It can also track employee time, mileage and expenses on the road via its mobile app. The time tracking app also has HR tools such as standardized documents.

Employees not keeping track of their time and not working efficiently.

Zipschedules suggests employee time tracking software to keep track of their time, so they can work efficiently and the company can be more efficient with its money.

Try It Now

Employee time clock app

A Comprehensive Guide on How to Choose an Employee Time Clock App

Priyanka BhadaniJan 10, 2023

Frequently Asked Questions

Is TSheets free with QuickBooks?

TSheets is a time tracking application that allows you to manage your work hours and time spent on different projects. The application is very useful as it helps you keep track of the time you spend on different tasks. The best part is that the application is compatible with QuickBooks so you don't have to manually enter your time spent on different tasks. In this article, we will discuss the differences between TSheets and QuickBooks time tracking software and the if the two are compatible with each other.TSheets is a time tracking application that allows you to manage your work hours and time spent on different projects. The application is very useful as it helps you keep track of the time you spend on different tasks. The best part is that the application is compatible with QuickBooks so you don't have to manually enter your time spent on different tasks. In this article, we will discuss the differences between TSheets and QuickBooks time tracking software and the if the two are compatible with each other.TSheets is a time tracking application that allows you to manage your work hours and time spent on different projects. The application is very useful as it helps you keep track of the time you spend on different tasks. The best part is that the application is compatible with QuickBooks so you don't have to manually enter your time spent on different tasks. In this article, we will discuss the differences between TSheets and QuickBooks time tracking software and the if the two are compatible with each other.TSheets is a time tracking application that allows you to manage your work hours and time spent on different projects. The application is very useful as it helps you keep track of the time you spend on different tasks. The best part is that the application is compatible with QuickBooks so you don't have to manually enter your time spent on different tasks. In this article, we will discuss the differences between TSheets and QuickBooks time tracking software and the if the two are compatible with each other.

Is TSheets the same as QuickBooks Time?

If you're the type of person who likes things simple, you might be wondering, Is TSheets the same as QuickBooks Time? The answer is a big Yes! TSheets and QuickBooks Time are both a time-tracking service. In other words, they are apps to help you track your time. But that's where the similarities end. TSheets is a paid app while QuickBooks Time is a free web app.If you're the type of person who likes things simple, you might be wondering, Is TSheets the same as QuickBooks Time? The answer is a big Yes! TSheets and QuickBooks Time are both a time-tracking service. In other words, they are apps to help you track your time. But that's where the similarities end. TSheets is a paid app while QuickBooks Time is a free web app.If you're the type of person who likes things simple, you might be wondering, Is TSheets the same as QuickBooks Time? The answer is a big Yes! TSheets and QuickBooks Time are both a time-tracking service. In other words, they are apps to help you track your time. But that's where the similarities end. TSheets is a paid app while QuickBooks Time is a free web app.If you're the type of person who likes things simple, you might be wondering, Is TSheets the same as QuickBooks Time? The answer is a big Yes! TSheets and QuickBooks Time are both a time-tracking service. In other words, they are apps to help you track your time. But that's where the similarities end. TSheets is a paid app while QuickBooks Time is a free web app.

What is TSheets used for?

TSheets is an online task management tool that allows you to manage your day and stay organized. With TSheets, you can easily organize your tasks, track your activities, and stay on top of your responsibilities. Tasks can be anything that can be done. Tasks can be related to a specific activity, or can be part of a bigger project. Whether you need to manage your personal or professional tasks, TSheets can help you stay on track.TSheets is an online task management tool that allows you to manage your day and stay organized. With TSheets, you can easily organize your tasks, track your activities, and stay on top of your responsibilities. Tasks can be anything that can be done. Tasks can be related to a specific activity, or can be part of a bigger project. Whether you need to manage your personal or professional tasks, TSheets can help you stay on track.TSheets is an online task management tool that allows you to manage your day and stay organized. With TSheets, you can easily organize your tasks, track your activities, and stay on top of your responsibilities. Tasks can be anything that can be done. Tasks can be related to a specific activity, or can be part of a bigger project. Whether you need to manage your personal or professional tasks, TSheets can help you stay on track.TSheets is an online task management tool that allows you to manage your day and stay organized. With TSheets, you can easily organize your tasks, track your activities, and stay on top of your responsibilities. Tasks can be anything that can be done. Tasks can be related to a specific activity, or can be part of a bigger project. Whether you need to manage your personal or professional tasks, TSheets can help you stay on track.