Keeping time is important to your business. The accurate and real-time record keeping of employee hours determines payroll, complies with tax laws, and budgets the labor burden. At the same time, it serves manager and employee self-interest.
Old school
Many remember the days when you checked in and out of work by greeting the boss who made a note on a piece of paper, a form, or a spreadsheet.
At bigger workplaces, you slid a time card into a clock on the wall that punched the time on the card. Supervisors would collect those cards and verify or change the record before sending a batch to the payroll clerk.
Both systems were prone to human errors, inaccuracies, and manipulation. Arriving late or leaving early, for example, you might have a buddy punch for you.
With payroll regulated by federal law, your business risked all sorts of fines and penalties if the numbers were not processed and reported correctly.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) explicitly states, “Every covered employer must keep certain records for each non-exempt worker. The Act requires no particular form for the records, but does require the records include certain identifying information about the employee and data about the hours worked and the wages earned. The law requires this information to be accurate.
New school
Today’s technology solves the problem with on line time sheets. There are many software programs that facilitate time reporting. Even Excel and Google.docs can work for the smallest businesses.
But, when your company grows, adds locations, or employs workers at home or in the field, reporting gets rough around the edges.
The best online timesheets programs let employees check in and out of work, report their breaks, and review their records on their own. And, they can do this from any location, at any time, on any device with internet access.
That system helps supervisors and managers with real-time reports and analysis. It lets them adjust work schedules, budget time, and reassign work if needed. And, it feeds directly to whoever has accountability for payroll.
Cloud-based online time clocks also let you download updates and add-ons automatically. Similarly, credit card processing for dentists is now made easier with online systems.
Keeping everyone happy
The old time clocks created a negative employee experience. As reported by SmallBusinessChron.com, “Employees who are required to punch a time clock are likely to believe their employers do not trust them to accurately report their hours, and consequently they may feel that they are not sufficiently valued.”
Working with online time sheets lets employees participate in their time reporting. It lets them review their time in summary and detail. They see what the supervisor sees, and they are prepared to correct errors or raise concerns.
Together, line supervisors, department managers, and human resources do not have to guess anymore. Online timesheets reduce the time spent on payroll, and run reports with a few clicks. It eliminates buddy clocking. With a built-in GPS, it lets you track employer users, add or remove job codes, and interface with other reporting needs. And, it requires only a brief learning curve.
Author’s Bio
Michael F. Carroll
Title: Freelance writer at OutreachMama
Mike Carroll is a freelance contributor to Towering SEO and Youth Noise NJ who helps businesses find their audience online through research, content copy, and white papers. He frequently writes about management, marketing, and sales with customized outreach for digital marketing channels and outreach plans depending on the industry and competition.
