It’s essential to track time accurately in a way that grows your business, maintains profitability, and helps remain compliant. Traditional physical timesheets are replaced with employee hours tracker apps to achieve that. However, there are various methods available to track employee hours and automate your workflow.

The best way to track employee hours are unique for each business. Key factors to consider include field accessibility, user-friendliness, preventing time theft, seamless payroll integrations, and, naturally, cost.

The inability to track employee time accurately can escalate costs and downtime. Studies show that the United States loses 50 million hours of productivity each day due to unrecorded work activities.

Paper timesheets and punch cards are still the most common way of recording time at 38% of US companies. However, it isn’t a viable option for the long run. It requires manual entry of your employees’ hours in a spreadsheet or database, then schedule jobs.

If you want to make sure that your employees spend their time on productive operations, you’ll need a system in place. Thankfully there are several ways to track employee hours and there are several benefits of time tracking too.

3 Best Ways to Track Employee Hours for Your Field Workers

1. Time Tracking Apps

If you’ve ever tried to track employees’ time with a traditional timecard and paper timesheets, you know how much of an effort and how inaccurate it is.

Time tracking apps are a powerful method for structured monitoring of work hours. It can provide you with clear insights into field employees’ productivity and how resources are being utilized. Once employees are on the jobsite, they can simply clock-in via the app. The allGeo app offers forms as well for any other field data collection options. 

By adding automatic timekeeping features, you’ll be able to make better decisions about their productivity, job performance, and pay. Infact, 73% of organizations are highly satisfied with the returns they have received from automating their business tools and processes.

There are several benefits of a time tracking app. These include-

• Streamlined Operations: Eliminate the hassle of paperwork and the stack of timecards at the end of the month. With the allGeo time tracking system, you gain instant access to digital timesheets, enabling faster, more accurate payroll processing.
  
• Complex workflow management: Field operations often involve intricate tracking requirements such as shift differentials, overtime, and varying pay rates. Payroll automation simplifies these complexities, removing the manual effort and streamlining complicated payroll calculations.
  
• Exception Alerts: allGeo offers automation with a customizable “If This Then That” (IFTTT) rules engine. It is designed to trigger alerts for any exceptions related to employee activity, location, or time. This ensures immediate notifications for issues like late arrivals, extended breaks, or when employees leave designated job sites. 
  

2. GPS Clock in

When it comes to the field workforce, time cards, and manual timekeeping are out of the question, due to inaccuracy and a high chance of buddy punching. 

According to reports, time theft can cost businesses up to 20% of their revenue. That’s where GPS tracking comes into the picture. 

GPS-enabled time tracking records both the location and time. With this method, you can keep track of where your employees are working, what and when they’re doing their jobs.

• Ensure Accurate Time Tracking with Geofencing: Ensure employees can only clock in and out when they are physically present at designated job sites, reducing time theft and improving workforce management precision.
  
• Real-Time Visibility of Field Operations: Gain instant insights into your workforce’s location and activities, enabling you to monitor field operations in real-time and respond swiftly to any changes or issues.
  
• Automated Clock-In/Clock-Out with Zero Hassle: Manage field employees effortlessly with an automated geofencing time clock app. This “Zero Touch” solution tracks time and attendance without requiring any training, providing a low-maintenance approach to streamline time tracking.
  

3. Geotagged SMS & Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

Field service workers often operate in locations where internet access is limited. But, precise time and location tracking is essential for payroll accuracy and compliance. Here are two effective methods to track time efficiently without needing constant internet access or advanced mobile devices:

Geotagged Text Messages

Geotagging uses location-based data to track employee hours. When employees arrive at a job site, their location triggers a system response, such as sending a text message for punch-in or punch-out.

• Automatic Location-Based Alerts: The system automatically generates a time-stamped message, ensuring the exact time and place are captured, removing the need for manual input.
• No Internet Requirement: Employees only need basic SMS capabilities on their phones, making this an ideal solution in areas with limited or no internet access.
• Seamless Integration with Payroll Systems: Once the time is logged through geotagged text, the data can be transferred with payroll integrations.

IVR-Based Phone Calls

IVR allows employees to clock in or out by making a simple phone call. This is especially useful for employees without access to smartphones or internet-enabled devices.

• Cost-Effective and Easy to Deploy: IVR technology requires minimal setup and training, making it an affordable and efficient solution for businesses of any size.
• Accessible Across Devices: IVR works with any phone, including landlines and basic mobile phones, which is beneficial in remote or rural areas.
• Reduced Errors: IVR systems can reduce errors or delays in logging time, as the phone call serves as a real-time record of their activity. It removes the need for manual timesheets.
  

Conclusion

The most important aspect of tracking employee work hours is to find a system that works for your business and employees. 

There is no one-size-fits-all solution, so experiment with different solutions until you find the best fit. It could begin with a free trial to understand if it fits in your business. A good system should automate most of your time tracking workflow, and it doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated.