Why Mobile Timekeeping Is No Longer Optional for Today’s Workforce

The job of shift scheduling and tracking is a perpetual balancing act for managers of small businesses and large organizations alike. The unique challenges of shift work demand an innovative approach to ease the burdens on managers and workers. Read on to consider how mobile timekeeping can help your business more easily manage your schedules. 

What Is Mobile Timekeeping?

Mobile timekeeping apps allow employees to clock in and clock out from any location using their smartphone or tablet instead of through a timeclock or paper cards at the office. Using technology that employees already have at their fingertips benefits those who start or end work in the field or work most or all of their hours remotely. It allows for timekeeping in unexpected situations where people are called away from the office. Mobile clocks provide flexibility, accuracy, and demonstrate trust in your employees.

Benefits of Mobile Timekeeping for Employers

There are plenty of benefits that come with mobile timekeeping. Here are a few that help employers:

Freedom from paper timekeeping

Keeping track of punches on paper means you do the work twice; once when you record and once when you enter into the payroll system. By passing off the punches to the employees via their device, you streamline the process and eliminate the risk of mistakes or lost data.

Automatic calculations

Mobile timekeepers do the calculations for you, helping you avoid costly errors and providing employees with their personal work data.

Prevents time theft

When your workforce is on-site, at home, or traveling, mobile timekeeping prevents time theft from those employees not directly supervised.

Remote clock in with GPS

With geofencing, you can record the employee’s location along with the clock in, ensuring accountability and honesty. This data could also be valuable in protecting both you and your employee from any compliance concerns.

Gain insight into trends and work patterns

With mobile timekeeping tools, you can produce reports that give you insight into trends and patterns among your employees. This data could help you see which employees are high performers and follow trends like tardiness. For project-based businesses, historical trends can inform estimates for future projects. Real-time data helps managers meet deadlines and make adjustments along the way.

Cost savings

By automating timekeeping and integrating it with payroll and PTO systems, you save money on labor costs associated with manual data entry. For a multi-location business, mobile systems eliminate the need for a timeclock at each location. It can be a cost-conscious choice even for businesses where employees are more centralized at the office.

Keeps you in compliance with labor laws

Many compliance issues can be traced back to poor timekeeping practices. Missed overtime, inadequate meal and rest breaks, and unpaid hours all put your company at risk of legal penalties or lawsuits. Mobile timekeeping produces an accurate record for any disputes that may arise, and it provides a real-time view into recurring patterns, such as unlogged meal breaks or missed punches.

Benefits of Mobile Timekeeping for Employees

Employees also benefit when mobile timekeeping is available. Here are a few examples:

• Flexibility. Mobile clocks support freelancers, gig workers, part-time employees, and workers with hybrid schedules. Traditional time clocks at the workplace or even timekeeping software that can only be accessed on a computer add a layer of logistics for employees on the move. Since a mobile device is nearly always in hand, workers with flexible schedules can clock in and clock out with ease.
• Accuracy. Mobile clocks ensure accuracy and eliminate the need for paper timesheets or manual entry by another person. Employees can feel confident their recorded hours are accurate.
• Fosters trust. Employees can trust the recorded work hours because they personally see them entered. It leaves no room for suspicion or doubt about proper timekeeping and guards against disputes. The visible record fosters fairness and transparency, which can contribute to a positive company culture and increase retention.
• Integrates with payroll. Employees have access to their work history and an accurate record of the hours for upcoming paychecks, along with available PTO. Mobile timekeeping promotes responsibility and awareness, helping employees feel more accountable for their shift commitments.

WorkforceHub Offers Streamlined Mobile Timekeeping

The modern workplace doesn’t just look like a group of employees filing in one by one and punching their card in the manual time clock. Hybrid schedules, remote work, on-site visits, part-time, and gig workers all present timekeeping challenges that a mobile system can solve. Both employers and employees will appreciate the accuracy and visibility of recorded hours, the integration with payroll systems, and ensuring compliance with local and federal labor laws. 

WorkforceHub makes it easy to track employees with their mobile devices. A mobile app is available with the platform, and it can pair seamless with geofencing functionality to track where punches occur. Explore how this tool can transform the way you manage your workforce by starting a free trial today.