You’re busy. Between patient care, staffing, and compliance, time disappears fast. If you don’t know exactly when your team clocks in, who’s staying late, or where overtime is building up, it’s easy to lose control.
Still, this is a common issue. Nearly 38% of healthcare companies, out of 2.9 million in the U.S, track time on paper. That leads to missed punches, payroll mistakes, and extra stress for your team.
This guide is for you, a healthcare professional looking for a better way to manage time without adding more to your plate. You’ll learn what to look for in a time tracking system, how to set it up, and how it can help you stay compliant, fully staffed, and focused on what matters most: patient care.
Time is limited, and wasting it on manual time tracking makes everything harder. Collecting handwritten timesheets and transcribing hours into spreadsheets isn’t just inefficient, it’s unreliable.
Especially when you consider that 80% of companies still use paper time tracking reports, and they have to correct 80% of the timesheets they receive. That’s hours spent each week double-checking what should have been right the first time.
A good time tracking system helps you avoid all of that. It saves time, cuts down on mistakes, and gives you the visibility you need to run your team more smoothly.
However, that’s not all. In healthcare, where staffing shortages are common and compliance is critical, tracking time correctly will allow you to:
Tracking time isn’t just about payroll. It’s about running a safer, smarter, and more responsive healthcare practice.
You’re responsible for keeping your team on track, your patients cared for, and your operations compliant. But without the right system, time tracking quickly becomes one more thing that slows you down.
Here are the problems you probably face or will if you're still tracking time manually or using outdated tools:
But the biggest problem? You don’t have real-time visibility. Without it, you’re stuck reacting instead of managing.
Switching to a time tracking system doesn’t have to be complicated. By following a clear process, you can avoid confusion, get buy-in from your team, and set everything up for long-term success. These steps will help you get started the right way:
Before you choose a time tracking system, you need to get clear on why you're doing it. Without clear goals, it’s easy to lose focus, waste time on the wrong features, or struggle to get your team on board.
Start by asking yourself what you want to fix or improve. Are you trying to reduce payroll errors? Cut down on overtime? Improve shift coverage or accountability?
Then, define how you'll measure success. Pick simple, trackable metrics that show real progress. For example:
Clear goals help you choose the right system for your practice.
You’ve seen the problems firsthand: missed punches, payroll headaches, and staff burnout. To fix them, you need more than just any software. You need a time tracking system built for healthcare, one that fits the way your practice actually runs. Here’s how to choose the right one.
The first thing you must check when evaluating a time tracking system is its features. These tools will directly impact how the system will work for your team. Without the right features, even the best-looking system will fall short.
Some of the most important features for healthcare providers are:
These features aren’t just helpful, they’re essential to running a healthcare practice that’s efficient, fair, and fully in control.
Besides the main features, there are a few key things you should consider before making a final decision.
Choosing a system that checks these boxes means fewer headaches, less double work, and more confidence in your day-to-day operations.
Once you’ve chosen a time tracking system, the next step is getting your team on board. How you introduce the change matters. If your staff feels blindsided or confused, it can lead to resistance, even if the tool is helpful.
Be clear and direct. Let your team know why you're making the switch and how it will benefit them. Here’s what your team will care about:
Take time to answer questions and address concerns. When your team understands how the system helps them, they’re more likely to use it consistently and correctly.
Before you roll out the system, make sure your team knows exactly what’s expected. Unclear rules lead to missed punches, inconsistent data, and frustration on both sides. Being upfront about what needs to be tracked helps everyone stay aligned and reduces errors from the start.
Let your team know:
Keep it simple. Create written guidelines or a quick reference sheet that they can use until it becomes routine.
Rolling out a new system all at once can overwhelm your team and create unnecessary stress. That’s why it’s smart to start with a small group first. Testing with a pilot team gives you a chance to catch problems early, gather real feedback, and make adjustments before going live across your entire organization.
Choose a group that represents different roles, clinical staff, admin, and anyone who works in multiple locations or shifts. This helps you see how the system performs in real situations.
During the test:
Use what you learn to fine-tune the process, adjust the settings, or update your training.
Even the best time tracking system won’t work if your team doesn’t know how to use it. Once your pilot team has tested the system, it’s time to train the rest of your staff. The goal is to make sure everyone feels confident, not confused.
Keep your training simple, clear, and easy to access. Everyone learns differently, so offer a few options:
Make sure your team knows where to go if something isn’t working or they need help. That could be a manager, a help desk, or a direct line to your provider’s support team.
Once you have your training program ready and your pilot test has shown positive results, it’s time to bring the rest of your team into the system. This step is where everything comes together. Use what you learned from the pilot to avoid confusion and make the rollout as smooth as possible.
Start by clearly explaining when the new system will go live and what each employee needs to do. Walk them through the basics. Keep your messaging consistent, supportive, and focused on how the system will help them, not just the organization.
Now that your system is in place, your focus shifts to consistency. Time tracking has to become part of how your team operates every day, not something they forget or put off.
If you're using a system like OnTheClock, you’ve got tools that make this easier. Features like automatic punch-ins and reminders, as well as built-in messaging, help your team stay on track without you having to remind your staff every time.
Once everything is up and running, your job isn’t done. You need to check in regularly to make sure the system is working the way you expected.
Start by reviewing your time data every week or pay period. Look for patterns: Are staff clocking in late? Are breaks being missed? Is someone consistently hitting overtime? These insights can help you make better scheduling decisions and catch problems early.
Talk to your team, too. Ask what’s working and what’s not. If they’re confused about how to use a feature or need more training, it’s better to fix it now than deal with repeated mistakes later.
Getting started with OnTheClock is quick and straightforward. In just a few steps, you can set up your account, add your team, and start tracking time with confidence. Here’s how to get your practice up and running:
You know your workplace isn't like every other healthcare facility. Whether you run a clinic, manage a team of caregivers, or handle scheduling at a busy dental office, your time tracking needs are unique. The system you choose should reflect how your team actually works day to day.
Here’s how time tracking can look different depending on your setting:
In a dental office, your team is constantly on the move. Assistants, hygienists, and front desk staff often work staggered shifts with limited downtime. You need a time tracking system that supports fast-paced schedules without interrupting workflow.
What to look for:
Recommended Read: Time Tracking for Dental Offices: A Complete Guide
In a medical clinic, staff may work across multiple departments or switch roles during the day. You need a system that helps you track time accurately without confusion, even as schedules change.
What to look for:
Vision centers often blend clinical services and retail, which means your staff might move between exam rooms and sales areas. You need a flexible system that tracks time across multiple roles without slowing your team down.
What to look for:
Chiropractic practices often run with lean teams and flexible hours. You need a system that makes it easy to manage a small staff while keeping everything accurate and compliant.
What to look for:
Mental health professionals often work rotating schedules, evenings, and weekends. Your system should support varied hours, program-specific time tracking, and full transparency for reporting and compliance.
What to look for:
With your team working in the field, you need a system that tracks time accurately, wherever they are. Manual logs don’t cut it. You need mobile tools that provide visibility and accountability in real time.
What to look for:
As someone responsible for keeping your healthcare team running smoothly, you already know how much time and energy go into managing schedules, covering shifts, and staying compliant, which is why you understand the importance of having a reliable time tracking system.
The right system will help you be more efficient and give you the visibility and control you need to manage your practice with confidence.
If you’re ready to stop chasing down timesheets and start focusing on what really matters, give OnTheClock a try. It’s simple to use, healthcare-ready, and built to support the way you work.
OnTheClock enables you to assign employees to specific jobs, locations, and departments when building schedules. With built-in tagging (roles, skills, certifications), you’ll only assign qualified individuals to the appropriate shifts ontheclock.com.
The drag-and-drop schedule builder lets you see availability, assigned hours, and potential conflicts in real time. The system automatically flags overtime risks or double-bookings before you finalize the schedule ontheclock.com.
While OnTheClock doesn’t auto-fill shifts via coworker claims, you can use alerts and company-wide communications (announcements and alerts features) to notify employees immediately when a shift becomes available ontheclock.com.
Use Location & Punch Controls: GPS punch recording, breadcrumb trails, geofencing, device or Wi-Fi restrictions, and location maps help verify clock-ins and track employee routes ontheclock.com.
The “Who’s In” dashboard shows real-time clock-ins, locations, and active shifts, while alerts notify managers instantly when an employee clocks in or near overtime ontheclock.com.
OnTheClock helps you address common issues like buddy-punching, unauthorized breaks, early clock-ins, and undocumented overtime through GPS controls, punch restrictions, photo attachments, and audit logs ontheclock.com.
With built-in overtime calculations, alerts, and scheduled hours estimators, the system helps monitor shift length and total hours worked—so you can intervene early and prevent fatigue and burnout ontheclock.com.
Timesheets and time data can be kept secure. OnTheClock supports admin and manager-level permissions, audit logging, and locked timecard approvals—only authorized staff can access or edit entries.
Yes. Employees or managers can adjust entries, but every change is tracked in the timecard audit log—with details on who edited what, and when ontheclock.com.
Set overtime rules within OnTheClock, and get automatic alerts when someone is nearing limits. From there, you can reassign shifts, approve overtime proactively, or offer time off—all before costs spiral ontheclock.com.
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