Geofencing. Many of us have seen or heard this word, but how many actually know what it means or how it works?

Let's break it down. The first part of this word is short for geographic. Now, imagine a backyard confined by a fence. When you put the two together, you get geofencing, a geographical location within a specific boundary or invisible perimeter. A geofence is created as GPS satellites establish detailed locations using longitude and latitude coordinates. Once a boundary is established, the GPS data collected can confine the actions of a specific subject (person or thing) within that perimeter.

Benefits of Geofencing

Depending on your specific needs, a geofenced tracking service may help improve certain aspects of your company. Below is a list of benefits an employer may experience while using this feature.

• Peace of mind knowing employees are where they’re supposed to be;
• Allowing the employee to know they're at the correct location;
• Prevents paying employees for time that was not spent at a specified job site;
• Cost-effective; and
• Easy to set up and start tracking.

Some Possible Concerns

Some may have questions or concerns regarding the security of geofencing. One thing to keep in mind is that it requires smartphone users to allow permission for location services. Think of when you download an app on your smartphone and it asks permission to access your location. The majority of people do not hesitate to click the allow button and continue on with their daily tasks. However, some people refuse to share their locations. If a location is not shared, geofencing cannot be enforced.

Geofencing & Mobile Employee Time Clocks

Now that you have an idea about what geofencing and mobile punch clocks are, it’s time to talk about how their union can benefit your company. This feature prevents fraudulent time tracking and allows an employer to have better peace of mind. If you're using a web-based time clock with a downloadable app that offers employee punching from the use of their mobile device(s), chances are you want to make sure they're being honest.

Many mobile time clocks offer a geofencing service for employers to set up a specific perimeter and locations that allow employees to punch in and out using the features available on their smartphones. For example, if you have a radius set for 100 meters, this means the person trying to punch in has to be inside the geofencing radius to complete the process. When the geofencing and mobile employee punch clock are combined, it prevents employees from punching in and out elsewhere. This feature is great because it helps keep employees on the job site. In addition, reminders can be set up and sent via email and text message, which reminds employees to punch in. After all, we are humans and forget sometimes, right? 

What Is a Mobile Time Clock?

So, a mobile time clock is a cloud-based app that can be downloaded onto your phone through the Apple Store or Google Play. It serves as a function where an employee can punch in and out. Being cloud-based, the employer will have an online login to the time clock system. Here, the employer has the luxury of editing timecards and then easily submitting them to payroll. Employees can use this feature to view their timecards as well. 

Solve Your Problems with OnTheClock

OnTheClock is a modern web-based time clock that uses geofencing and a mobile punch clock app together. The employer can set up multiple geofenced locations where employees are allowed to clock in and out. If the user blocks (disables) geolocation, the employer has the option to disable the ability to punch in or out.