At the lowest resolution, Time Clock software is a system that requires employees to clock in and out of shifts manually. Businesses use it to optimize the hours their employees work and pay them more accurately.
What is Time Clock Software: Is it micromanaging?
It is reasonable to assume that requiring workers to manually clock in and out of shifts and breaks can send the message that their manager doesn’t trust them enough to accurately report the hours they work.
Some managers hesitate to use Time Clock software because they fear their employees will resent them. In industries like hospitality and retail, where turnover is especially high, managers don’t want to give their employees another reason to leave. Ironically, it’s in these industries where workers are paid hourly that Time Clock software would prove most useful.
The fact is Time Clock software is so much more than just a system for employees to clock in and out of shifts, and the successful implementation of it lies in managers making this clear to employees.
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Benefits to managers
Time Clock software ensures staff only get paid for the time they work, by recording when they clock in and out of shifts, thereby eliminating the guesswork and grey areas associated with using manual time sheets. Additionally, managers get real-time alerts when staff are late or have not taken required breaks.
The reporting capabilities of Time Clock software allow managers to see which of their employees work the most overtime and which are routinely late to start their shifts.
Managers also have visibility of early clock-ins and late clock-outs, instances of over & under schedule, and which employees have taken more than their allocated breaks. Time Clock software gives managers the insight they can use to iron out inefficiencies in their business.
Compliance
Given that managers know when their staff clock in and out, Time Clock software allows employers to set compliance rules to protect their businesses and themselves from workplace legislation.
Compliance rulesets can be set up to ensure staff doesn’t work too much overtime, take their legally required breaks, and get paid accordingly for working overtime, weekends, and public holidays. Managers have visibility over their compliance warnings to stop them before they happen and stay out of legal trouble.
How employees can get in on the action
The benefits of Time Clock software are certainly not lost on employees. As the reporting aspect of Time Clock software gives managers complete visibility of their labor force in real time, punctual employees are more likely to be recognized and rewarded for it.
In this same way, Time Clock software also guards against employees being over and under-scheduled, as employers will be able to see if this is the case and work to fix it.
Another foreseeable benefit to employees is the potential for data collected by Time Clock software to be used to create a resume, which benefits people moving between jobs that require similar skills.
Time Clock software offers detailed reports of employee punctuality and experience in a given role down to the minute. Job seekers can use these reports to prove their experience and value to future employers in a concrete, verifiable way instead of relying on the vagueness and inherent unreliability of a resume like others.
Final words on the system to manually clock in
There are a lot of Time Clock apps out there, and picking the right one can be tough but the benefits for employers and employees are clear. It is, however, important that employees see it as a welcome addition, and this can be achieved by managers taking a little time to explain to them what it is and how it will benefit the business before introducing it.
