Reward vs Penalty - The Rise of Time and Attendance Tracking

Time and attendance tracking is a common practice. For businesses that rely on contractors and shift workers, it can reduce one major, expensive issue; employee time theft.

‘Stealing time’ costs billions each year in pounds and productivity. Yet if the solution is to tighten the reins and be seemingly less trusting of our employees, does this not therefore impact motivation further?Some could argue that workforce time and attendance solutions have a detrimental effect on employee engagement. However there is a strong case that, when implemented correctly, there is more to this solution than catching time thieves red handed.

Here we look at the rewards of employee time attendance tracking software.

Time and attendance solutions are not solely for reducing time theft

Since the 1980’s, time and attendance systems have been introduced to address the issue of absenteeism and cultivate an efficient workforce. But in recent years, this technology has evolved to more than a simple oversight of what your employees are up to.

Modern workforce management systems now incorporate time and attendance features into their scheduling solutions that not only reduce time theft but benefit the entire workforce.

Time and attendance tracking benefits both you and your employees

For businesses who are solely interested in capturing time thieves, time and attendance tracking is a zero-tolerance solution. However they are just as beneficial for rewarding your employees.

Real-time data means problems can be dealt with immediately and employees gain autonomy through a self-service solution. Workers can access their schedules directly on their smartphone - providing a fuss-free approach to requesting absence or shift swapping.

Push notifications also keep employees in-the-know of upcoming hours, new rotas and as soon as request statuses change. By empowering your workforce to own their schedule, you can simultaneously increase employee engagement.

Below are a further selection of proven benefits that time and attendance tracking has on your business and your employees.

Employee attendance logs: safety as a priority

In regards to health and safety, and security issues, time and attendance tracking is a reassuring necessity.

In the event of an emergency, you no longer have to rely on clipboards and lined up employees to be sure that everyone is safe. Time and attendance technology allows managers to gain a real-time view of who’s on the clock, at any location, at any given moment.

Rotageek’s mobile app is a prime example that uses geofencing to ensure workers are onsite. Employees clock in and out for their shifts from their smartphone, avoiding the need for additional hardware installation. Within seconds you can gain an oversight of those on shift - a much more efficient practice for peace of mind.

Eliminate payroll errors with workforce time attendance solutions

Incorrect payroll is a headache for both you and your employees. Flexible working is on the increase and combined with employees working different length shifts at various times, this produces hours of complex administration for your payroll team. But with a modern scheduling solution, you can erase all future payment mistakes - and hours of laborious work - by eliminating manual entry processes.

Rounding rules within time and attendance tracking automatically account for early and late clock ins and outs at the end of your chosen period. Automatic timesheets are therefore produced, drastically reducing the time required for data collection. This is not only beneficial for contracted and shift-based employees; overtime rates no longer become a stressful consideration.

The main concern for many is heightened security of personal data. Time and attendance solutions are fully GDPR compliant. Rotageek’s rota software technology, for example, is built on trust. Computer, physical and procedural safeguards are implemented to protect employees’ personal data at all times. This means stored confidential information is kept to a minimum and only authorised personnel have access.

Rotageek also requires a 2-step approval before paycode data is available for viewing. With this innovative digital solution, your payroll team can maintain tight control of all systems.

Compliance and fairness in the workplace

Businesses that introduce time and attendance technology can not only gain an oversight of employee time theft. It also directly benefits your hard working, honest staff too.

Workers who put in the hours don’t appreciate those who try to beat the clock. It impacts their workload and their motivation if not dealt with. By introducing a modern approach to time and attendance, organisations can eliminate unjust treatment and show their appreciation for committed employees.

Innovative technology such as Rotageek’s automatic scheduling software, also eases the fairness towards overtime, shift scheduling and diversity. Managers can gain an oversight of timesheets by department, job role or even gender - which can aid investigations into suspected favouritism.

Employees are also able to directly input their shift preferences, availability and leave requests into the Rotageek app. This balances the consideration for control and autonomy that time and attendance technology can be seen to effect.

Each of these digital features are created with compliance in mind. Business-specific rule-based scheduling is created in line with your organisation’s parameters. This means rotas can be safely generated without the risk of being non-compliant - the Rotageek app will automatically alert you if you are breaching a legal, business, or availability rule inclusive of EWTD Working Time Directive.

As a leading provider of time and attendance software, Rotageek promises to not only eliminate time theft but to reward your employees too. Trusted by both large and small enterprises worldwide, Rotageek provides a seamless user experience that saves both time and business costs.

Take your first step to smarter scheduling and find out more about how Rotageek can empower your workforce.