Suppose you’ve ever felt like your boss doesn’t trust you. Does punching in and out daily feel like a waste of time to you? Then this article is for you. It will examine the evolution of employee time-tracking devices.
Employers use these employee time-tracking devices to track their hours worked to determine how much they should be paid. They come in different forms, but each one has its distinct advantages. Let’s take a look.
Hand-Written Timesheets
Initially, timekeeping by hand was the way to go. Employees would bring a sheet of paper and write down their work hours at the end of their shift. In addition, most hourly employees had a similar timesheet that they could use for breaks or lunches.
These paper timesheets made it easy for employers to pay employees. All they had to do was look at a number on a piece of paper and then write a check.
Early Punch Cards
The early punch cards were quite interesting. They required some skill since you had to know how to operate the machine to record your time. In addition, some of the devices required a key on a chain.
It was easy for an employee to forget or lose their key, requiring a replacement from the company, which could take several days to arrive!
Electronic punch cards were great because they eliminated lost keys and increased accuracy over early punch cards’ predecessors. Employees had to insert them into machines at the beginning of their shift and remove them at the end.
The device would do all the work for them, tracking when they started and stopped working so that management automatically calculated their hours.
Time-Tracking Apps
The next generation of time-tracking devices was to input and track your hours via a computer or mobile device. This meant there was no need for management to provide or maintain expensive equipment.
Employees provided their own, and they could easily track their hours through an easy-to-use application on their phones or computers.
The good thing about mobile apps is that they are intuitive and accurate in capturing working hours. These days, software developers tailor clock-in and clock-out apps for small businesses.
Managers find using business tools significant in achieving proper accountability and better payroll management.
The downside of this type of technology is that it can be expensive, especially in high-turnover situations where the company might have to provide devices for every new employee.
Excel Timesheets
These timesheets are also relevant these days. They are ideal for both large and small businesses.
Managers use them to simplify the payroll calculation process. At the same time, employees can quickly track their hours in spreadsheets to share with management when it’s time to distribute paychecks.
The downside is that if you don’t know how to use Excel or have an older version of the program, it might not work for you. Also, if your company has many hourly workers who need this technology, you could find yourself paying top dollar to get everyone on board.
Web-Based Software
This is a better option for larger companies because it allows them to provide the technology to their employees without worrying about the cost.
Employees can easily track their hours through a web-based application, and junior employees will operate the system after only a brief training period. In addition, this type of software is highly accurate when calculating payroll.
Since years back, the need to achieve better time management among employees has increased. Businesses have evolved their techniques and tools, from hand-written timesheets to everyday apps. Software usage is gaining more popularity these days.
