Being able to track employee hours is very important for any business. See below to learn about the best ways to track employee hours.
According to surveys, 89% of employees claim to waste at least some time each day. Tracking employee hours is necessary for any business. Without timekeeping in the workplace, you may waste time, money, and resources. Scroll down to learn more about why time tracking is so important in the workplace, along with tips that will help you track employee hours.
Why You Should Be Tracking Employee Hours
There are many reasons to be keeping track of employee hours. One of the biggest reasons for tracking their time is to ensure payroll accuracy and proper invoicing. Keeping thorough records can also help settle disputes that arise. The Department of Labor says that in order to abide by the law, business owners must track all hours that an employee worked. Businesses should hold onto this employee information for at least three years.
Another advantage of properly monitoring employee hours is that you will be able to identify who is and is not working. Software and apps easily show you who is not attending their shifts or constantly calling in sick. Using hour tracking methods can also save you and your employees time. Most of these timekeeping programs allow employees to login to view paid time off that they have accrued, along with sick days.
Below are 7 tips and tricks that will help you track employee hours, to help save you time and money.
1. Use an App
There are phone applications for nearly every need you could imagine—including employee hours tracker apps. Using an app is easy for on the go or remote jobs. Employees can easily download an app that is associated with the company and clock in by simply logging into the app from their phone. These apps allow little room for error. They give employees all of the information that they may require, at least when it comes to their hours.
2. Pay Them According to Their Job
Not all jobs should be treated the same, nor should they pay the same. If your business involves projects and commission, it may make more sense to pay your staff by measuring productivity, rather than time. Many employees report that companies that offer commission give them the most money because of the number of projects that they complete. Paying employees based on their hours may not make sense for every job in the business.
3. Get a Software Program
There are many computer software programs that you can purchase that cover all of your employee time tracking needs. TimeFox is one of the highest recommended timekeeping programs that you can use. Like many other programs, it can help track and monitor employees’ due dates, progress, and improvements. Payroll systems are often Cloud-based, making it convenient for employees and management to access from anywhere. You can easily set security rules to block access to certain things for employees.
4. Track on Timeero
Timeero are one of the best ways to track employee hours, especially if you have a smaller business.
Pen and paper time tracking can run the risk of over or underpay. This way of tracking employee hours, however, is easy to learn and requires little training. Depending on your business, this may be the best solution for you. If you are looking for a low maintenance way of keeping track of everyone’s hours, you can easily train someone on this job.
5. Scan In
PIN and ID cards are another popular way of clocking in and out each day. These are convenient for employees to log-in to their timeclock and are personalized specifically to them. This is a preferred method for employees that don’t always have access to a computer, such as in restaurants. Scan cards also work well in the medical field because employees are constantly sharing computers and changing rooms.
6. Punch In
A punch-in clock is an excellent way of tracking employee hours. It is a cheap solution and prevents human error. With a punch-in machine, each employee has their own card that they insert into the machine when they arrive and leave work each day. This way of timekeeping is easy and doesn’t involve much room for error. These machines are popular among large businesses with shift changes throughout the day and night.
7. Make Information Visible to Employees
If you are trying to track employee hours, you may want to consider finding a way for your employees to view their time on the computer or phone. Employees typically feel more comfortable when they can see how much PTO or sick time they have. Being able to view their time off can help them schedule vacations and family events without having to ask HR. Allowing employees access to this information saves time and prevents them from overspending their paid time off.
8. Use timesheets
Spreadsheets are the traditional means of tracking hours spent at work. Luckily times are changing and many companies are going paperless, using the timesheet app instead of cards. More advanced tools are packed not only with time charts with a daily and weekly view, but also computer activity tracking that allows filling timesheets automatically with time entries based on daily user activity. They streamline this tedious process and allow us to save much time on these things that are truly important!
Tracking employee hours is extremely important if you don’t want to waste money or time in the workplace. Keeping track of employee hours is not only required by law but is also something that can help your business grow. You can easily view and evaluate the needs of your business based on the data that many of these software types and apps provide.
Small businesses may use written payroll sheets, while others have PIN numbers or punch-in clocks. There are many methods of tracking how much you and your employees have worked. Don’t be afraid to try a new method, if your current one isn’t meeting your needs. Be sure to check out our blog for more articles like this that will help you run your business more efficiently!