Timesheets can either be the bane of a company’s existence or a valuable tool to make sure employees are working and paid accordingly. Unfortunately, most job clocks are prone to errors for various reasons, and businesses don’t know a reliable way to fix them. The truth is, old-fashioned timesheets are fading out, and there is a new way to track employee time and generate timesheets that aren’t full of errors.
Online time clock software can help you address the cause and effect of timesheet errors and make it so that you never have to deal with them again. Switching to an online system alone has plenty of benefits. Still, with the added features and integrations of a modern online employee time clock, you cannot only fix errors or stop them altogether but also improve the entire timekeeping process.
Cause #1: No Rules and Regulations
The first and foremost problem with manual team time tracking and paper timesheets is that employees are left to their own devices and have to deal with timesheet management without any clear guidelines or expectations. This lack of organization can lead to errors if every employee fills out the sheet differently.
An online employee time clock takes care of all the mess by ensuring the time tracking process is condensed into an automated system where employees just have to clock in and out appropriately for their time to be counted correctly. This system, along with guidelines about when to clock in or out, including breaks, will eliminate most errors.
Cause#2: No Review Process
When employees are forced to fill out their timesheets, it is often done in haste and with a bit of forethought, as the entire process is tedious and time-consuming. This also means that there is little chance that anyone, whether the employees or the managers, will review the timesheet for accuracy. In these cases, errors are common simply due to a lack of oversight by any parties involved.
An online employee time clock is not only automated, meaning employees generally don’t have to touch their timesheets; it is also much easier for both the employee and management to review.
Though errors are unlikely, in the event of a system glitch or time worked that wasn’t recorded, it is also much easier for management to alter existing timesheets. Simplifying the review and alteration process means that errors are not only less likely, but that in the event they happen, they are much easier to catch before the timesheets are sent to payroll.
Cause#3: Plain Employee Carelessness
In the series of events that happen in a day, it can be difficult for employees to remember everything they did, the hours they worked, or even to clock in and out correctly. This means that when it comes time to record their timesheets, they will likely be filled with errors due to the nature of the job and the way employees sometimes behave at the workplace.
An online employee time clock can eliminate this problem by ensuring that everything is tracked accurately and in real-time. Not only that, certain safety-net features ensure employees do not forget to clock in or out on time and correctly, such as notifications and reminders.
Managers can also track employees easier and be notified if an employee fails to clock out, doesn’t take a break, clocks in late, or forgets to clock in at all. Not only does this make timesheets more accurate, but it can also prevent potential problems with the workforce.