It’s never been the sexiest area of business management, but tracking time and attendance is a critical cornerstone of good workforce management.
Yet, many businesses still track time on a piece of paper or a spreadsheet, which is prone to human error and can account for significant duplication and manual effort. For many small businesses, sub-optimal timekeeping can be an unfortunate time sink. Without real-time data, these businesses lack visibility into which employees are on time, late or absent at any given moment. This makes it difficult to respond quickly when necessary and to provide additional coverage where it’s needed.
Fortunately, software can solve many of these issues. Here are three advantages for using software to manage your time-tracking and attendance in your business.
Streamlined timekeeping
Fully automated time and attendance platforms in the cloud allow you to easily track when and where your people work, and give you real-time access to the data, any time, any place. The platform collects attendance information which you can analyze to gain insights into better ways to increase productivity.
In addition, automated time and attendance systems are equally beneficial for employers and employees. These systems remove the need to fill out manual time sheets, which can be time-consuming and cumbersome. Of course, accurate data tracking will also improve the accuracy of their wages and offer total transparency. Your employees can view what they earned and when they earned it.
It’s the same with “on-leave” requests. Instead of having to hand in a form and negotiate times and dates with managers, employees can use automated systems and book their annual leave with ease without having to take up their manager’s time.
For managers, dealing with unforeseen absences and finding cover is much easier when you can see at a glance who’s available to take on an extra shift.
Fast track
In addition, the reporting from fully automated programs is also far superior than anything you can conjure up with cumbersome spreadsheets. With real time data, you can track your scheduling budgets, actual timesheet costs, sales transactions and other employee variables to keep your business on the fast track.
Managing your workforce time and attendance in an efficient, fast and smart way can significantly improve your business in terms of your efficiency, reduced administration costs and your employees’ productivity. All of which, can significantly improve your business’s profitability.
Compliance
Of course, keeping an accurate record of people on-site or in your office building at any given time not only increases the safety of your staff and your ability to act should an incident occur, but it serves to help you comply with your Work Health and Safety obligations. Remember, as a business owner or manager, it is your responsibility to provide all your workers with a safe place of work.
As an employer in the United States, you are required to maintain records about your employees for three years. Timecard records used for wage computation must be kept for at least two years. Furthermore, these records must be open for inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division’s representatives, who may ask you to make extensions, computations, or transcriptions. Having software manage these compliance-related issues frees you up to focus on running your business.
Ready to streamline time tracking for your business? Explore our guide featuring the best time tracking apps tailored to your needs!
