Is Time Tracking Necessary? | Addressing Employee Objections

Common Employee Objections

Here are some common employee objections and answers on how you can work together.

Tracking my time is ridiculous.

Time tracking might seem unnecessary at first, but it’s actually a game-changer for productivity. It helps businesses stay on budget, ensures fair pay, and gives employees visibility into their work habits. Plus, modern time tracking tools automate most of the process, so it’s not a burden — just a smart way to work smarter."

I don’t want an app on my phone tracking me and my location all the time.

OnTheClock is not a location-tracking app; it’s a time tracking app that helps log employees' work hours and automatically calculates the total hours worked. Once an employee punches in or out, OnTheClock may require a location to record the employee's punch location. Employees may be prompted at punch-in to allow GPS tracking throughout the duration they are clocked in and working. An employee does have the ability to deny consent to being tracked while they are working. If an employee allows GPS tracking, all location tracking immediately stops once the employee clocks out. A clock icon will be visible in the notification bar of the employee's phone at all times while GPS tracking is active.

I don’t want an app that watches my every move and spies on me.

OnTheClock is a time tracking app, not a spyware app. OnTheClock is solely a tool for employees that helps automatically calculate the number of hours the employee has worked.

I don't want the app to use up all my data.

Since OnTheClock is not continuously streaming anything or in constant communication with the server, this means a very small amount of data is loaded when a new page is opened. If the daily GPS tracking is enabled, it would consume approximately 6.6 MB per day, which is the equivalent of scrolling Facebook for 5 minutes. One typical 40-hour work week of GPS usage consumes approximately 26 MB, which is approximately the same as streaming one song on Spotify.

I don’t want the app to drain my phone battery.

Since OnTheClock is not continuously streaming anything or in constant communication with the server, its GPS tracking feature is optimized for low battery usage. It’s comparable to other industry-leading apps, like Uber and Lyft, so they don't have to worry about a phone dying in the middle of the day. If they’re using just the punch-in/-out feature, it has virtually zero impact on an employee's battery life.

How do I know the hours are calculated correctly?

The system automatically calculates hours worked and maintains a total. This way, employees can see a running total of the number of hours they worked each day and pay period. OnTheClock even handles multiple time categories, allowing users to easily distinguish regular time worked from overtime, holiday, sick time, personal time, vacation time, unpaid breaks, paid breaks, etc. Employees currently using OnTheClock have reviewed the system, pointing out that keeping track of the total hours worked, by day and period, has been helpful to them in understanding what to expect when payroll is processed. No more guessing how many hours worked will be on their pay stub to be paid out.

I want to write my hours because I don't want to forget and miss a punch time and lose out on hours worked.

OnTheClock allows employees to edit their timecards at any time, so if an employee misses a punch, he or she may update the time to reflect the correct time. If they don’t have permission to edit their timecards, head over to the chat section in the app. Employees can send their direct managers a quick message alerting them to the missed punch and the time it should reflect. Managers can update timecards to the correct punch time at their convenience so that all hours are accounted for.

I don’t want to be micromanaged.

OnTheClock is a tool that creates transparency between employers and their employees. Employees have easy access to all their time card information, so if at any time an employee has a concern to address about hours worked, both parties can reference OnTheClock. Employees can ensure their time cards are accurate with a reliable timekeeping solution, keeping everyone accountable.

Is there an additional cost to use a fingerprint reader with OnTheClock?

Yes. This is a premium service provided by OnTheClock and carries an additional cost of $0.50 per employee per month above standard pricing. Users will also have to purchase a fingerprint reader. Once ready, a user will need to download the software from us, which includes the driver. The software will only work on a Windows-based computer that has a free standard-sized USB port. We also recommend you download the Quick Install Guide and the Maintenance Guide, which are available in the Help section.

Punching and tracking my time feels dehumanizing.

Tracking hours worked is not meant to make an employee feel anything but empowered. With OnTheClock, employees can use this tool to ensure they are fairly compensated for their hours worked. OnTheClock can help aid in on-time and accurate paychecks by documenting hours worked. Gone are the days of inaccurate or late paychecks.

I’m older. I don’t understand all this fancy technology.

OnTheClock was designed at its core to be simple and easy for anyone to use, including older, less tech-savvy employees. There are different punching formats to fit everyone's punching preferences and needs!

It’s too complicated to punch in and out.

OnTheClock is designed to be incredibly simple for employees to track their time, and it is. OnTheClock is flexible, with many options for how employees can track their time. We offer different methods, such as a punch kiosk, fingerprint reader, computers, and mobile devices, all of which can be done on a website or mobile app.

This will make my job harder if I have to track my time.

While this is an added step to the start and end of the work day, we offer punch reminders that will go out 10 minutes before and after the scheduled day, making it easy to remember to punch in or out.

I am forgetful. I won’t remember to punch in or out.

We understand that sometimes a little reminder can be beneficial. That's why OnTheClock offers punch reminders. Employees will never forget to punch in and out of the work day with our handy email or text reminders sent 10 minutes before the work day's scheduled start or end.

I didn’t have to track my time before now. This feels unfair.

Tracking time is not meant to be unfair. It’s actually meant to be the opposite. Time tracking empowers employees. With a time tracking solution, like OnTheClock, hours worked are tracked more accurately and efficiently. Timecards are automatically calculated for employees and employers, which means when it comes time to do payroll, employees can be more confident that they are being paid for all their hours worked in a much more timely manner.

If I have to track my time, does this mean my employer views me as untrustworthy?

Tracking time shouldn't be viewed as a punishment. Tracking time with OnTheClock allows employers and employees to break down the walls of miscommunication. By utilizing a time tracking system, we give employees their power back to ensure that they are fairly compensated for every minute of time they spend on the job.

I don’t want to use my personal phone.

OnTheClock is web-based, which means there is lots of flexibility on how employees can punch in and out. They can use other devices to punch in, such as a computer or a tablet. We even offer an option for a fingerprint reader, so all employees have to do is place their fingers on the reader, and we’ll take care of the rest.

I can manage my time better than a system can because I know how much time it takes me to do my job.

Using a time tracking system like OnTheClock, employees can showcase how much time they’re spending on the job. It allows them to have tangible documentation that they can share, creating transparency between both parties.

I don’t have a smartphone, I’m not tech-savvy.

At its core, OnTheClock was designed to be simple and easy for anyone to use, including less tech-savvy employees. We offer various punch options other than cell phones, including computers, fingerprint readers, kiosk stations, tablets, and many more. There are many options, allowing you to find the one that best fits your needs.