1<\/p>\n
Do you really need to track employee time?<\/p>\n
There is no blanket need to track employee time, and, in fact, tracking employee time can, in many instances, be pointless. Tracking time is a solution. If you don\u2019t have a problem, then you possibly don\u2019t need a solution.<\/span><\/p>\n The first step, thus, is to identify the problems you\u2019re having managing your employees. If KPIs are clear and adhered to, then tracking time may serve no benefit. However, the reality is that in most jobs having all KPIs that encompass all aspects of a job role and then setting reasonable KPIs is not nearly as easy as many think.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019ve decided to track my employee time but is time tracking software even necessary?<\/p>\n No, it\u2019s not at all necessary to use time clock software<\/a>, but using one could make life much easier and thus save costs and minimize mistakes, especially for larger organizations where managing time can become a nightmare.<\/span><\/p>\n Can you really get away with using a free time tracking app?<\/p>\n Yes. Agreed, the free option won\u2019t work for everyone, but they are absolutely a viable solution. For example, with Jibble, the vast majority of our users never pay a cent.<\/span><\/p>\n What is the difference between time tracking software and timesheet software?<\/p>\n There is essentially no difference between the two.<\/span><\/p>\n The former implies the software tracks time, while the latter implies the building of timesheets, but given nearly all time tracking software output time tracking data into timesheets, and nearly all timesheet software get their data from tracked time, in practice there is no difference between the two.<\/span><\/p>\n What is the difference between time tracking software and time and attendance software?<\/p>\n Time tracking software is a broad term for software that tracks time, and it could be used for desk-based employees as well as on-site ones. Time and attendance is a subset of time tracking, and given the word \u2018attendance\u2019 it implies it\u2019s for on-site employees \u2013 you wouldn\u2019t normally use time and attendance software<\/a> for desk-based employees.<\/span><\/p>\n Here are some questions and answers about time and attendance<\/a>.<\/p>\n Should I record my employees’ laptop screens?<\/p>\n That\u2019s not the best idea. Your employees will feel a lack of trust, no-one likes being constantly watched and so your best staff will just leave the company, and getting around screen recording is actually fairly easy and focusing on the recorded screen time instead of output means screen time becomes the KPI, not output. It thus makes a lot more sense to track broad activities, projects and\/or clients for transparency, and ensure effective management.<\/span><\/p>\n Can an employer require an employee to download a time tracking app on their personal mobile?<\/p>\n Generally speaking, no, an employer can\u2019t force an employee to use an app on the employee\u2019s mobile unless it\u2019s explicitly stated in the contract. However, in most cases an employer and employee need to have some level of give and take to have a good working relationship, and an employee answering their mobile or using it to track time if asked would normally be considered reasonable.<\/span><\/p>\n Doesn’t tracking employee time erode trust within teams?<\/p>\n Yes, if it becomes micro time tracking, no if its benefits are communicated well, and that communication means conveying to employees how it helps both employee and employer.<\/span><\/p>\n Is tracking time tantamount to spying on employees?<\/p>\n If you\u2019re recording your employees screen without even telling them, yes, that feels an awful lot like spying. But time tracking software is rarely used in this way, and time tracking done right should not have even an element of spying.<\/span><\/p>\n How do the 100% FREE time tracking apps make money?<\/p>\n There aren\u2019t many free timesheet apps, but every timesheet app<\/a> makes its money by charging for optional upgrades.<\/span><\/p>\n How do I explain to my staff that we\u2019re going to start tracking their time?<\/p>\n Communication is really important, as well as setting expectations. For staff paid hourly, you should explain that tracking time is as much to protect them as it is the company. Tracking time means employees being paid fairly, and employers paying fairly. For staff on fixed salaries, you should explain the need for accountability. Managers that aren\u2019t aware what their staff are working on tend not to get very far.<\/span><\/p>\n Should your desk-based employees track time?<\/p>\n Generally, it doesn\u2019t really make sense to track attendance for your desk-based employees, i.e. to track how many hours they have been at their desk as it achieves little. However, what is often worth tracking is where any hours are going i.e. the activities, projects and\/or clients. Without such basic accountability, it\u2019s nearly impossible to effectively manage most desk-based staff.<\/span><\/p>\n Aren\u2019t all time tracking software solutions essentially the same?<\/p>\n Most are indeed trying to solve the same problem, i.e. to track employee time. However, each has its own focus, different software integrations, strengths, price and, perhaps most importantly, each has varying levels of execution \u2013 a time tracking app that makes it difficult for employees to actually track time is ultimately going to cause a lot more problems than it solves.<\/span><\/p>\n What are the 5 key things to look for in a time tracking solution?<\/p>\n Isn\u2019t tracking your employees\u2019 time illegal?<\/p>\n Tracking employee time is not illegal in any jurisdiction in the world. In fact, in many, perhaps even most, developed countries time tracking has become required by law in some way, shape or form, to protect employees from being overworked and to ensure they are paid any overtime due, but lack of awareness means such laws are rarely enforced.<\/span><\/p>\n Isn\u2019t tracking time a form of micromanagement?<\/p>\n It can be, but doesn\u2019t have to be. If you\u2019re tracking attendance it\u2019s necessary to ensure employees are on time or to get payroll payment correct. If you\u2019re tracking desk-workers\u2019 time recording screens is verging on the side of micromanagement. Recording broad based activities is just about being aware of where your human resources are deployed and is typically essential for management.<\/span><\/p>\n Which time tracking software does Tesla use?<\/p>\n Since 2022, Tesla has been using Jibble to track employee time.<\/span><\/p>\n Isn\u2019t time tracking so old school?<\/p>\n Micromanaging employees to the point their screens are recorded isn\u2019t old school because it\u2019s a relatively recent innovation, but the concept of knowing exactly every detail of what your staff are doing is indeed old school. That just doesn\u2019t fly any more. However, using an employee attendance app<\/a>\u00a0or time tracker to broadly understand where your employees\u2019 hours are going is an essential part of effective management.<\/span><\/p>\n How can time tracking software become a positive experience for employees?<\/p>\n Employers should convince their employees of the importance of using a work hours tracker<\/a>. It isn\u2019t so you could micromanage or spy on them but it is to ensure adequate workload is distributed and to identify and prevent severe burnout cases. For example, managers would be able to notice that their employee is struggling to complete tasks or spending more time but with little to no progress, then they may want to have a talk with them or offer them some time off to recover.<\/span><\/p>\n Why doesn’t Google build an employee time tracking software and take the market?<\/p>\n Time tracking is indeed big business. We estimate that the current value of all the time tracking software businesses is in the region of $100B, it\u2019d be absolutely worth it for Google Alphabet if it could grab 1\/3 of that.<\/p>\n But time tracking is not part of Google\u2019s focus, it would not fit well within its current product offering, and time tracking is actually a very broad space that is best served by niche players targeting various segments. Google can\u2019t do it all, and so ultimately it\u2019d be very difficult for Google to gain that 1\/3 market share or even close to it, and they have what they would consider more interesting things to focus on.<\/p>\n What is PTO?<\/p>\n PTO stands for Paid Time Off, most of the world outside the US calls it \u2018leave\u2019. And so a PTO tracking software<\/a> is the same thing as a leave tracking software.<\/p>\n Is there really a 100% free time tracking software?<\/p>\n Yes, there is, and it\u2019s called Jibble. Jibble is 100% FREE for the vast majority of the businesses that use it, they never pay a cent, never need to enter any credit card details, and they can cancel anytime.<\/p>\n Is time tracking software the simplest time tracking solution?<\/p>\n Not necessarily, for small teams with very basic needs a work hours calculator<\/a> is possibly all you need.<\/p>\n You\u2019d track your own hours and use the calculator to work out the total number of payroll hours. There is no need to even create an account.<\/p>\n\n