Timekeeping management systems have come a long way over the past 10 years, especially when you think back to how time worked used to be logged. It was so easy for employees to add extra time to their timecards each pay period when using a time clock, a sheet of paper or any other form of timekeeping.
Employees also used to have an easy go of it when punching the clock for their friends at the office, even if they were not present. Newer timekeeping management systems prevent a lot of these issues due to new features. Today, we will discuss the best features a timekeeping management system should have.
The Ability to Manage Payroll
One of the first features your new timekeeping management system should have is the ability to manage payroll. A new system should allow you to track how many hours an employee worked during the week, how long they took for breaks and plenty of other data. If you like employees clocking in for special company events, this can be tracked as well. All of this data will help you determine how much employees should be paid, especially if they are hourly workers.
A Guard on the Clock
These new PTO tracking software programs also allow for a guard on the timeclock installed on them. The guard will notify management, or whoever runs payroll, if an employee not scheduled to work is trying to clock in. There are also settings where the system will deny employees from clocking in if they are not logging in from the office based on IP address. To take this further; you can set limits to which computers in the office can be used for clocking in and out by employees. Alerts can also be sent if an employee is clocking out well in advance of their shift ending for the day.
Track Mileage
Many companies require travel out of their employees. Some will go as far as providing a company car, such as repairmen, plumbers or government employees. For those who have to travel using their personal vehicles, gas mileage reimbursement is typically done by employers. If this is the case, your timekeeping system should have the ability to track mileage and then calculate gas mileage in order to reimburse the employees.
Request for Time Change
Even though the system is automated mistakes can still occur. Because of this, your timekeeping software should have a request for time change sheet that can be completed and submitted by employees. Errors can occur on an employee’s electronic timesheet for various reasons. A request for time change sheet can be filled out by the employee and submitted to the manager in charge of the system. The manager can then review the requested change and approve or deny it.
Handling Employee Absences
Dealing with employee absences and scheduled time off is not an easy thing in today’s fast-paced world. Your new timekeeping program should have absence management software included. This will help keep track of when employees called out sick, left work early due to illness and when they missed work for any other reason. The software should also allow you to schedule them for time off in the future. All requests for time off should be submitted by employees via the new system.
A Functioning Dashboard
Isn’t it frustrating when you have to search for what you are looking for in a program? Well, your timekeeping software should have a functioning dashboard that has everything you need in one convenient spot. This includes payroll, scheduling, alerts and more. You should even be able to clock in and out from the dashboard without pressing too many buttons.
Separate Overtime Settings
The best time & attendance systems out there have separate overtime settings to better track the work performed by employees. Some companies pay overtime wages to both hourly and salaried employees, which is why separate settings are important. This setting will allow you to set the work week start and end day for overtime purposes. Then you will be able to calculate overtime for a 40-hour workweek, an 80-hour workweek and overtime paid out on individual work days.
Biometric Settings
Lastly, you will want to look for a program that has some biometric settings in it before making the switch in your timekeeping. This will make it easier for employees to clock in and out of work, prevent theft of company time, prevent buddy punching and save payroll employees a ton of time deciphering handwritten timesheets or spreadsheets.
The next time your company wants to switch its timekeeping program to an absence tracker, make sure the new program has a majority of the features listed in today’s post. These features will only make the switch to the new program easier and will make timekeeping and recordkeeping more fluid throughout the company.
