4 Ways Time Tracking Helps Me Manage My Team's Time

February 28, 2023 - By Samantha Kennerly

4 Ways Time Tracking Helps Me Manage My Team's Time

4 Ways Time Tracking Helps Me Manage My Team's Time

Managing a team is rewarding but comes with its challenges too. One of those challenges includes time tracking. Time tracking often gets overlooked as a lower priority for the day, but it's critical. You might say, "My team is small; time tracking isn't necessary." My team is also small. I manage a team of seven. We work in a hybrid model, which means some days are remote and others are in the office. Here are the top four reasons time tracking is beneficial to us.

Attendance

The number one fear with remote work is whether or not employees are genuinely working. My team is required to clock in and out and attend a short 10-minute morning meeting. You might say, "Isn't it confirmation enough that your team was present during the meeting?" Well, yes. That does confirm that they are physically present, but attendance is addressed in yearly reviews, and my word is not stronger than documentation. Implementing reminders and daily scheduled clock-in reports keeps timesheets filled in and attendance records accurate. I am on their side to ensure they get credit for their hours and recognition for their contributions at work

Documentation

I did state that documentation is better than my word. Handbook policies aren't all created equal, but many company handbooks are similar. One common thing is the request for a doctor's note. The last thing you want is to be stressed out because you went to the doctor and must turn in the letter. A time-tracking system allows employees to clock in and add attachments to a record. Management can log in, see the attached file, and handle it. Even better, no one's handing over crumpled papers to stash in a file. Instead, it's neatly logged into the software.

Attendance Notification
Notes and Audit Reports

Editing Hours

"I forgot to clock in this morning." If that isn't a statement you've heard, are you really managing a time clock? Forgetting to clock your time happens and should be easy to manage. Your team wants approval for a time card to be unlocked before 24 hours pass. They want instant gratification. Updating the error and having it reflect quickly is a mood boost. As an employee, the dread you feel even mentioning the mistake is bad enough. A worse feeling is staring at your incorrect time card, hoping someone will adjust it as requested. Online systems make it easy to push changes and have them reflect immediately.

Notes and Audit Reports

Refrain from getting carried away with editing power, however. Employees should be able to trust their employer. You really shouldn't be adjusting their time without reason. Remember, documentation is better than your word. An online system that allows an employee to send you a message or leave notes with their clock in and out helps create a log showing they requested a change. Most systems have built-in audit logs that will show the time and date of the adjustments made and who made them. Visible audit trails keep communication transparent between the employee and the person managing their timesheets.

Why You Should Make the Switch to Time-Tracking Software

Maybe you're skeptical and thinking, "I do just fine with Excel sheets." We handle plenty of Excel sheets ourselves, and you know what happens? A bunch gets created, named, renamed, shared, and ultimately forgotten and lost. I prefer not to remember what I called the timesheet file so I can email it to be filled out. I would rather log in to one spot where the brunt of the work is done for me. After all, the goal is for me to get a full pay period from my team so they can be paid. Time-tracking software does just that for you. It does the compiling part for you; you only need to review it and make necessary edits. If you're keeping time in a structured way, you will reduce stress later on. We believe in our employees, and they rely on us to be fair. This doesn't mean you won't ever be faced with an audit. Picture an auditor coming, and they need timesheets for the last year. How quickly can you hand over that information? Software that pulls up your data will save you time and headaches providing necessary information. The most significant value received is documentation of an employee's day recorded through time, notes, and even file attachments. You will be prepared for audits, internal questions, and even timecard adjustments when needed.

OnTheClock Can Help You Manage Your Team's Time

If you need help with attendance, documentation, audits, or time card edits, OnTheClock is your solution. Get a free to break you out of your pen-and-paper habit and instantly start collecting timesheets and managing employee time digitally. Be prepared with OnTheClock.

Run your payroll faster than ever
Manage your team in one place
Quickly adjust time card mistakes

Time Blocking Calendar

It's easy and free to get started with OnTheClock!

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