Time & Attendance
Tracking Software

To accurately track time and attendance, most companies rely on time and attendance software. A critical branch of HR technology, time tracking management software facilitates and collects data on numerous aspects of an employee’s daily routine that are crucial for a business to understand. Some examples include:

• Tracking when employees start and stop work
• Collecting employees’ working hours, late arrivals, and early departures
• Monitoring breaks and absenteeism

Time and attendance systems allow employees to clock in and out electronically via time clocks, computers, and mobile devices. When an employee makes a punch, the data instantly transfers throughout the HR software and seamlessly imports into the payroll solution.

A time and attendance software solution can improve both efficiency and accuracy in time reporting and management. By improving these HR functions and collecting all of the relevant critical data, time and attendance technology helps businesses:

• Analyze the data that is most important through customizable, detailed labor reports
• Control labor costs by eliminating human error, ensuring accurate data, and reducing over-payments

Headlined by saving time and money, there are countless reasons for outsourcing HR functions like time and attendance tracking, including:

• Increased efficiency (24%)
• Increasing expertise (18%)
• More flexibility (16%)
• More time to perform other tasks (15%)

Time and attendance management is essential for the modern workplace. Once the norm, analog time clocks and manual record-keeping are no longer sufficient. They require extra work to manage and are susceptible to errors—making things hard on HR and management, while also hindering the employee experience.

An HR-connected time and attendance solution is every business’ best option when combined with other HR processes. With true single-source technology, all time and attendance information is automatically connected with all connected HR technology solutions, most notably payroll.

With separate systems, it takes time to configure employee payment—scheduled hours vs. worked hours, overtime calculations, bonuses and tips, benefits deductions, etc. A combined time and attendance system saves significant administrative time and prevents overpaying or underpaying across the board.

Additionally, time and attendance software allows you to implement policies that will automatically take effect. User-friendly software also simplifies routine processes, allowing your workers more time to focus on more important tasks.

More than just fast and user-friendly, web-based time clocks improve accuracy and efficiency. Track the hours employees are actually working, not their daily breakroom routines. Remote teams can use the same timekeeping system from home.

Federal, state, and local standards may impact your overtime policy and maximum hours, and software can make it easier to adhere to those compliance standards. Get clear reporting for external audits and get automated alerts for conflicts as they arise, not days or weeks later.

Automatically collect the right data for employee reviews, including tardiness and time management. Reward the employees who spend their time more efficiently, comparing precise work hours to productivity.

With detailed timekeeping, you can get a better idea of employee efficiency. Kickstart a performance-based workplace culture by showing employees that you care how they spend their time. Use new time and attendance software data to set goals for future performance.

Some absences are beyond an employee’s control. Other employees simply choose to skip work because they don’t value the job or expect minimal consequences. Clearly, each workplace needs a set of HR policies to respond fairly to both legitimate and illegitimate causes for tardiness and absence.

Late and absent employees affect the morale and efficiency of the whole company. When it only happens once or twice, it’s tempting to ignore absenteeism. Unfortunately, you need to develop a consistent policy to prevent these negative side effects from piling up:

• Resentment from other employees
• Lower productivity and morale
• Increased expenses
• Disciplinary action

On a larger scale, the missed hours have a potentially huge financial impact. Just think about how much your company can save by investing in accurate and effective time and attendance tracking software:

Managing overtime is another crucial time and attendance-related topic for Human Resources and managers to plan for and address. Excessive overtime leads to overspending and an overworked staff—on top of various employment laws and labor regulations to consider.

Overtime issues are often the result of problems elsewhere in the company. The right human resources software can streamline changes to your scheduling and timekeeping policies, automatically tracking overtime pay for each week.

Leave requests must be managed fairly according to company policies and relevant laws. Human resources software avoids conflicts and overtime issues that would be easy to overlook with a simpler system. Effective leave management keeps shift schedules balanced by covering absences as early as possible.

To keep work productivity high and employees happy with leave management, consider when creating and implementing employment leave policies:

• You are legally obligated to provide leave for family emergencies, veteran caregivers, and jury duty.
• Extra holidays and paid parental leave allows your company to demonstrate a commitment to work-life balance.

• Create a policy governing PTO, including how it’s accrued and how employees submit requests to use leave.
• Policy must be consistent for managing those leave requests, preventing favoritism and potential liability.
• Develop a workplace culture where employees are encouraged to take leave appropriately without fear of retaliation or resentment.

• Develop a leave management strategy that prevents burnout and supports employee mental health. Employees shouldn’t be forced to choose between the company and their families.
• If concerned about the cost of additional PTO and flexible leave policies for your current workforce, consider the alternative costs of recruiting and training new employees.

Make schedules accessible to everyone as early as possible. That way there is more time for employees to make plans, request changes, and trade shifts. Communication goes both ways, so employees should be encouraged to notify managers about issues as soon as possible.

Regardless of the personal preferences of employees, conflicts are bound to happen. Make sure that everyone has enough time off, hours are divided as fairly as possible, and take extra care about scheduling shifts around vacation/holidays.

As much as you can, try to accommodate employee preferences. As long as it’s not putting an unfair burden on others, flexible scheduling can make your company a more satisfying workplace. It’s easier to find replacements two weeks ahead, rather than the morning of a shift.

Changes will always be required. Employee scheduling software makes it easier to stay flexible. Streamline your operations by allowing employees to:

• Check PTO
• Request time off, and
• Ask to swap shifts with colleagues after checking their schedules