The old-fashioned time clock is dead. Or is it? Like everything in life, the humble time clock has evolved over time. The time clock has come a long way from “dunk-and-thunk” punch cards to fingerprint readers and GPS recognition.

And, as a result of the global pandemic, the employee time clock is undergoing yet another major evolutionary change. 

Calculating Work Hours In Age Of Change

Everybody’s working from home, prompting business owners to find new ways to monitor employee productivity. According to a recent study, having an employee work from home half the time can save an employer $11,000 a year in increased productivity, lower real estate costs, and reduced absenteeism. Additionally, University of Chicago economists estimated that 37% of U.S. jobs could be done entirely from home.

Employers do like to understand how much time their employees are actually working while being remote. To accomplish this, thousands of small businesses have incorporated modern web-based time calculating software. Simple timekeeping software has become an essential tool for managing a remote workforce. Almost any device you authorize can be used as a time clock, allowing employees to clock in from their phones, computers, and tablets while providing the necessary timekeeping data. 

In a time when proper social distancing is essential, don’t you want to provide your employees with a safe alternative when punching the clock?

Plus, you don’t want employees waiting in line to punch in every day, as you have to keep those social distancing guidelines in place! Switch to a time-tracking system that will allow employees to punch into work from the safety of their device -- it’s time to step into the work of the future. 

In addition to increasing employee safety, modern time tracking software offers data analysis designed to help you make better, more informed decisions in the workplace.

What Does Time Tracking Data Tell Us?

Your time tracking data is essential for accurate billing and payroll. Automated calculations eliminate human error and keep everything within your company budget. You might be surprised by how streamlined your accounting department becomes once freed from all those manual payroll calculations. Be courteous and save them the headache; use a time tracking software to track employee hours worked. 

More than that, if you're still using paper in your payroll, then switching to a modern time tracking system will be a total game changer for you. Did you know you can go completely paperless with software like OnTheClock and stop spending money on anything related to paper and printing? Yes, you can (you can even sell your surplus toner to make some extra money for your business). Plus, you’ll help the environment by printing less, or not printing at all, and using less paper.

Additionally, clear, accurate billing builds customer trust. If customers see, in detail, what they’re being billed for, everyone feels more comfortable with the transaction. This transparency builds trust with customers as well as employees. 

You will earn your staff’s loyalty and trust (which is priceless) if they know they’re being paid fairly for the hours they worked. The time required for some types of work can significantly vary, so it’s not always clear if the work is billed correctly or not. This sort of uncertainty can lead to uncomfortable situations that may negatively affect trust and comfort levels between employers, customers, and employees. With modern time tracking software, everything’s above board -- no secrets, no deceptions. 

Did you know, according to Workforce, 75% of employees around the world say they trust their employer to do what is right? 

Many benefits come with employees who trust their employers:

• Improved working productivity
• Decreased employee turnover rate
• Increased morale between staff and employees

Once you collect a few months of time tracking data, you will begin to see how your employees spend their time. This information can help you reallocate resources to where they’re most useful, upping your business’s overall efficiency and productivity.

Time clock reports can shape your decisions on staffing, billing, payroll, and future work estimates. Accurate time sheet analysis helps project managers planned workflow and predict target dates. Use your data to justify cost expenses and reallocate resources.

Why You Need A Time Clock Calculator

A modern time clock calculator is a more efficient and cost-saving way of tracking employee hours. Everybody from employers and employees appreciates the impartiality and accuracy of a modern time clock. It eliminates the human factor from the act of calculating payroll manually. 

For convenience, mobile time clock applications allow you to punch in anytime, from anywhere, allowing extra hours of productivity for your employees. Feel like putting in a couple of hours in the middle of the night or early morning? No problem, conveniently punch in and get to work.

A time clock calculator will tabulate the hours each employee worked over a set period (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.). Whether you purchase a software-based time clock calculator or start a 30-day free trial, this valuable tool will make tabulating payroll and tracking hours much more manageable.

The Modern Time Clock Helps Small Business

According to Business.com, the modern time clock can help small businesses save thousands of dollars in lost wages. Small businesses are also able to eliminate buddy punching and time theft. Buddy punching is estimated to cost U.S. employers more than $373 million every year. 

Advanced features, such as GPS and time card calculation, help ensure employees are honest and productive while working from home.

Time Tracking For All

Making the switch to time tracking software doesn’t need to be painful or disruptive. It’s about learning new habits and reaping the benefits.

Lead by example. If you want all of your employees to follow the same time tracking routine, make sure you follow it yourself. Not only will this set a good example for your staff, but it may also teach you something about your time management.

Time tracking software isn’t only for remote workers. 

Ditch that rusty old time clock and allow your in-house employees to punch in using modern time tracking calculating software. 

This way, all of your employees — both remote and in-house — are responsible for their own timecards.

Best Time Keeping Practices

A timekeeping application alone is not enough. You need to use it properly. It’s not a tool to intimidate and threaten employees. It’s a tool to measure how long it takes for project completion, time card accuracy, improved payroll, and much more.

Consider these steps when setting up a time tracking system and calculating employee hours in the modern workplace:

Make it easy and automatic. Keep the punch-in and punch-out process as simple as possible so that it’s easier to incorporate it into your routine. There will be mistakes, especially at the beginning. Be patient.

Make it detailed. While this may seem counterintuitive to “make it easy,” it doesn’t have to be. Whether you’re an accountant or independent contractor, you need to tie your hours worked to as many specific clients and projects as possible. This makes your time tracking more efficient. 

Productivity Boost

Many employers have seen a productivity boost from their remote workers, especially since the pandemic. No one was sure if the “work from home” revolution would work, but it appears beneficial to both employees and business owners. 

BCG’s recent report backs this up about an increase in employee productivity during the pandemic. Did your business see a boost in productivity during the pandemic? How would you know for sure? 

Measure it with time clock software. 

A time tracking system is doubly important for small businesses. Software like OnTheClock helps improve small business operations by streamlining the employee punching process, improving payroll operations, and securing time clock data.

It’s said the internet has helped us all gain time. If that’s true, then there should be an accurate, unbiased way to measure it, even if your workforce is working remotely or scattered across the globe. Time tracking software is a tool for accurate, reliable time clock calculations.