Operating a successful business is a difficult task. When you are a business owner, you do not just show up to work and go home when the day is done. Instead, your responsibilities are greatly multiplied from those of a regular employee. One part of running a business that can cause some stress is managing payroll. It does not have to be as difficult as you might think, though. It is overwhelming to sit down and write out everyone’s check if you do not have accurate and consistent information. However, when your employees are accurately tracking their time on the clock, sitting down at the end of the week to do payroll becomes much easier. For all business owners, it is important to understand why tracking employee time is necessary and how to do it most effectively.
1. Importance of Tracking Employee Time
If you pay hourly employees, you need to be sure that you are paying them correctly. This is for legal as well as practical purposes. Your employees need an easy way to clock in and out so that you can manage their schedules correctly. You can see when they are not getting enough hours in during the week or when they are having to work too much overtime.
If you are not tracking how many hours people work, you will have no idea how much to pay them. You will have to guess about the number of hours they worked, and this leaves room for dispute. Instead of going through this hassle, it is much easier to just use a time-clock software.
2. Best Method for Tracking Time
Gone are the times when employees stuck a time card into a clock on the wall. Cards can be misplaced, and the ink from the clock gets messy after a while. It is an antiquated system that needs replacing. Almost every person now has a smartphone or some type of device that downloads apps. A time card app is often the most simple thing for employers to use. This is especially true if each employee is issued a company phone. There are functions for clocking in and out and for going on a break. There is no time wasted waiting in line to punch a timecard. Instead, it is as simple as pulling out a phone and pressing a button. This helps you more accurately track actual time on the clock, and the results can be easily accessed on payroll day.
3. Training Employees on Time Tracking
One of the most important parts of integrating a mobile time card system into your business is making sure that your employees are trained on it. If you do not offer assistance with downloading and using the app, workers can be confused. It does not matter that the app is very simple to use; if they are not shown what they need to do, mistakes can be made. This can make payroll day a stressful event, so try to avoid this at all costs. It may take a couple weeks to get everyone acclimated to using the new system and remembering to clock in, but once you do, you will see how seamless and easy it is to use.
While there will always be some stress that comes with operating a successful enterprise, you can take steps to make certain aspects less taxing. When you commit to managing employee time more effectively, you can help eliminate some of the dread that comes with payday. Try an app-based system for tracking this important part of company operation, and see for yourself the benefits. Your employees will appreciate the ease of use and accuracy with which they can manage time, and you will enjoy these things as well. For business owners looking for one less thing to worry about, consider this solution for your time card needs.
