Employees ‘forgetting’ to clock in or out – every business owner’s frustration. So, what’s the best way to handle it? Tracking work hours is crucial to the bottom line of the business but can only be done with an effective clock-in-and-out policy.
As a service business owner, it is imperative to evaluate current policies and share effective strategies when it comes to software to track employee hours. Learn real-world insights from season home service pros, this guide will cover the real cost of inaccurate time tracking, how to combat it, and how to ensure your team always clocks in or out on time.
Say Goodbye to Missed Clock-Ins with These Tips
- The Real Cost of Poor Time Tracking
- Use These Strategies to Ensure Employees Clock In and Out Responsibly
- How You Can Use HouseCall Pro To Track Your Employee Hours With Precision
- Legal and Ethical Considerations
- The Bigger Picture: Company Culture & Accountability
- Take Control of Employee Time Tracking Today
The Real Cost of Poor Time Tracking
“If an employee is not smart enough to clock in, he’s not smart enough to document his time to prove to a lawyer what he is doing is true.” – Nate Bethany Thomas.
Inaccurate time tracking might seem like a minor inconvenience, but it can silently drain your profits. When employees forget to clock in or out, you’re left with guesswork and payroll inconsistencies. This can lead to overpaying staff for unworked hours or underbilling clients for services rendered—both of which hurt your bottom line.
Beyond financial losses, poor time tracking creates administrative headaches. Constantly correcting timesheets takes valuable time away from running your business. Even worse, inconsistent records can lead to legal and compliance issues, especially if labor laws are violated due to inaccurate reporting.
Use These Strategies to Ensure Employees Clock In and Out Responsibly
So, as a service business owner, how can you combat issues when it comes to the clock in and out system for employees? There are a few simple strategies that can help to combat this issue, try these solutions to help keep your team accountable.
1. Performance-Based Pay & Incentives
“We switched to performance pay last year, and it’s been a night-and-day difference.” – Zach Dazell
Organizations are making changes to their payroll and their efforts to track work hours through performance-based pay. Utilizing an app for employee time tracking is just part of the battle. Linking pay to performance can be a key driver when it comes to accountability.
Without consequences, a time clock with job tracking can only do so much. When performance begins to be impacted by improper clock in/out practices, the only thing that registers is a hit to an employee’s paycheck. It might seem harsh, but sometimes accountability is necessary.
When employees see money missing from their paychecks, the reality sets in. The clock in and out system for employees can be taken with less than 100% seriousness. Missed pay for failing to follow protocol will get the attention of employees quickly, especially if there are regular occurrences.
2. Automation and GPS Tracking
“GPS…Your time starts when the truck rolls to the first job.” – Dave Bachman
Unfortunately, there will always be employees who don’t properly track their time. Even with a convenient mobile app, some can’t be bothered to take the necessary steps to ensure that time is reported consistently and accurately.
That’s where GPS tracking and automation become the best option. Making things as automatic as possible can help reduce the need for manual corrections, which can be both inconvenient and frustrating to both employees and employers.
With fleet tracking, automated reminders to employees, and hours logged with job tracking, these inefficiencies can be addressed. There will never be a 100% perfect system because of human nature, but you can make it easier and enjoyable for everyone.
3. Progressive Discipline for Repeat Offenders
“Verbal warning, written warning, final warning – then termination.” – Christina Werderman
Another reality is that some employees – some people – are just naturally hard-headed. Even with tools in place to make life easier, there is a bucking of the system that seems to come almost naturally. Those are the toughest situations to deal with.
Business owners need to remember that they are bosses, not friends. It might be uncomfortable, but setting clear policies and sticking to them is critical. When habitual offenders arise, the system is in place to help deal with them.
A common system involves warning. The first transgression is a verbal warning. The second comes with a written warning. Finally, if the behavior continues, a termination is the only choice. The goal isn’t to punish employees but to help them understand that there is a system in place that must be respected and adhered to.
4. Administrative Fees & Payroll Consequences
“You can legally charge an admin fee for correcting time for them. Put it in the handbook and have them sign it.” – Patton Plumbing Heating and AC
The very last solution is to issue fines for repeated behavior. Though a tool like a clock-in app for small businesses can be helpful, it ultimately won’t be a cure-all. There will still be transgressors who take advantage of your system.
In cases like those, it is completely within the rights of the business owner to charge things like administrative fees for correcting time cards. It is a good idea for any small business to create a handbook for employee conduct and requirements to cover those bases.
Failing to adhere to the guidelines laid out in the handbook leaves the employee open for corrective action. Whether that means reduced hours, fines, or termination depends on the aforementioned guidelines. It is important to provide leeway for employees, but repeated issues can’t be tolerated.
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How You Can Use HouseCall Pro To Track Your Employee Hours With Precision
Time is your most valuable resource, so you should be tracking every minute of it to ensure proper time allocation. Using Housecall Pros’ field service mobile app, your team can effortlessly track their time on the go – think start/stop times, breaks, travel time, and total time spent on jobs, all automatically.
One-Tap Clock In, Zero Hassle
Using Housecall Pro’s time tracker software for employees, team members can clock in and out without having to be on-site. With a simple tap of the screen, they can clock in from anywhere, at any time. That’s the ultimate convenience, especially for companies with busy and complex work schedules.
There’s no need for outdated paper timesheets that can be easily misplaced or forgotten. With one-tap clock-ins, your team will no longer have any more excuses for failing to clock in or out at each job site.
Track Employee Hours with GPS-Powered Accuracy
Keeping track of employee hours can be a constant struggle, especially when workers forget to clock in or out. That’s where GPS-powered time tracking comes in. With Housecall Pro, employees’ clock-ins are automatically tagged with their real-time location, giving you an accurate record of when and where they started their shift.
No more guessing or relying on memory—if an employee forgets to clock in, you can verify their location and job status with a few clicks. This not only ensures you’re paying for actual work hours but also protects your business from time theft. Plus, automated clock-out reminders reduce the chance of missed punches, keeping your records clean and your payroll accurate.
Job Tracking That Protects Profits
Missed clock-ins don’t just lead to payroll errors—they cut into your profits. When employees forget to track their hours, you risk underbilling clients or overpaying staff. Housecall Pro’s job progress tracking solves this by linking employee hours directly to the job being worked.
As soon as a tech arrives at a job site, Housecall Pro automatically records their time, ensuring that every billable hour is accounted for. This means no more missed time entries or lost revenue due to forgotten clock-ins. You’ll have a clear, detailed record of the time spent on each job, making it easy to create accurate invoices and prevent profit loss.
Payroll & Employee Benefits Made Easy
Manual payroll corrections from missed clock-ins are frustrating and time-consuming. With Housecall Pro, you can skip the back-and-forth of fixing inaccurate timesheets. Housecall Pro automatically records employee hours, making payroll a breeze.
Offering competitive employee benefits not only protects your team but also helps you attract and retain top talent. With access to health insurance, retirement plans, and workers’ compensation, you’ll create a more attractive workplace.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
“If you stop paying employees because they forget to clock in, that’s illegal in most states.” – Sandra Marie
Though the solutions may seem somewhat easy – you don’t clock in, you don’t get paid – there are ramifications to those actions. Employment law compliance is critical for any business, but it is ever-changing and evolving. There are also ethical considerations to tracking policies.
Though there is no perfect solution, it can help to take things on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes, it’s a matter of forgetfulness. We all get busy, and things can fall by the wayside. Those are more often than not forgivable so long as they don’t repeat. Those who display the same behavior frequently are the ones who need to be talked to on a personal level and shown the potential consequences of those actions.
The Bigger Picture: Company Culture & Accountability
“Kinda goes with the culture of the company…you can support your hard-working guys or fire the poor performers.” – Norma Gil
A business’s approach to time tracking is more than simple reporting. It can provide a reflection on the overall leadership style of the business and what expectations are for employees. Having a lax policy on time reporting will only lead to certain members of the team attempting to take advantage. On the flip side, rewarding those who follow the rules and put their best foot forward shows that it isn’t discipline for the sake of discipline.
Take Control of Employee Time Tracking Today
Whether you’re dealing with frequently missed clock-ins or struggling with inconsistent records, it’s worth exploring new solutions to simplify the process. From GPS-powered tracking to workflow automations, modern tools can help you eliminate errors and make payroll faster and more reliable.
Don’t be afraid to try new strategies—whether it’s employee time tracking software, refining your policies, or learning from industry experts who have successfully tackled this challenge. With the right approach, you’ll save time, reduce payroll mistakes, and keep your business running smoothly, no matter how busy things get
