Guide to Time Clocking

QuickBooks Time is a time-tracking software that enables small business owners to set up clock-in-clock-out systems and manage them on the go. With QuickBooks Time users are able to log shifts, track hours, and report overtime, all with an easy-to-use, intuitive interface.

What is Time Clocking?

Small business owners need to be able to record when an employee begins and ends a shift or a task. Tracking this in a timesheet is called time clocking.

Sometimes called a clock-in and clock-out system, the purpose of time clocking is to accurately record the hours worked by employees. Employers can then use this precise data for various other business processes.

For example, a small business owner needs an accurate timesheet to process payroll, including any overtime due to team members. Accurate time clocking will also help ensure that small business owners comply with Australian labour laws related to fair pay, overtime rules, and record-keeping requirements.

Employers can also utilise data from time clocking for other purposes. For instance, by keeping track of attendance, employers can plan and budget for staffing needs, use the data for performance evaluations and measure general productivity and efficiency in the workplace.

Types of Time Clocking

Using time tracking software such as QuickBooks Time delivers many benefits for users. The process of time clocking has evolved as new technology has helped to improve efficiency. Nowadays, many business owners use time tracking software, like QuickBooks Time, to automate their clock-in-clock-out systems. However, many employers still use manual systems to track timesheets.

Manual time clocking

In a manual time clocking system, employees use a time clocking device, usually a physical clock-in-clock-out machine located somewhere on the premises, to record their start and end times for each shift. Managers or employees then often record these times manually in some form of a logbook.

This system can be suitable for small businesses in physical locations. Yet, it can be time-consuming and prone to errors, especially if the manual process is not well-organised or managed with sufficient oversight.

A manual timesheet can also get messy if the workplace has complex scheduling requirements, many employees, or employees across different locations. Many businesses now utilise hybrid work models, making a physical clock even more redundant.

Using Time Tracking Software like QuickBooks Time

Electronic time and attendance systems offer greater efficiency, reliability, and flexibility to meet the demands of the modern work environment.

Time tracking software can be used by business owners to automate the recording and tracking of employee time and attendance. This allows employees to clock in and out from a computer, their mobile (via the QuickBooks Time mobile app called QuickBooks Workforce) or using the Time Clock Kiosk via an onsite tablet.

This gives businesses the ability to:

Implement complex scheduling
Help ensure that employers can pay employees what they deserve by linking to payroll
Analyse the data produced from automatic reports to help better manage productivity

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Benefits of Using Software for Time Clocking

There are several benefits to using software for time clocking including: improved scheduling, tracking and making it easier to manage teams and projects.

Software with time-clocking abilities, like QuickBooks Time, is more accurate than manual methods as it eliminates the risk of human error and can easily handle complex scheduling. This reliable automation makes payroll painless and ensures compliance with labour laws and regulations, such as minimum wage requirements, overtime rules, and record-keeping requirements. Essentially, once a business sets up the software, it’s one less thing to worry about. This frees up both managers’ and employees’ time and resources to focus on other, more pressing tasks, improving productivity in the workplace.

QuickBooks Time also has a GPS time tracking feature that provides real-time visibility into employee time and attendance information, allowing managers easy access to insightful analysis with the click of a button. A range of reports available through the software can help managers optimise workflow, saving the time it would take to create these themselves.

And finally, by avoiding manual time clocking and opting for software, businesses benefit from improved data security with secure storage of sensitive employee information.

QuickBooks Time Clock Kiosk

The QuickBooks Time employee time clock kiosk is designed to help companies manage their on-site employees' time and attendance information simply and efficiently, effectively modernising manual timesheets as a business’ digital punch clock.

Multiple workers in one place can clock in and out from a single tablet device. All business owners need to do is set up an internet-connected tablet kiosk at a premises, warehouse, event, or building site and let team members swipe and snap to clock in and out. They can even, automatically sync all recorded information with the QuickBooks accounting software. The video below details how this can be done.

Our employee time clock kiosk also provides features such as time tracking by project, task, or customer. It can also manage time off requests and automatically calculate pay based on hours worked and staff pay rates.

Setting up QuickBooks Time Kiosk

Follow these steps to set up a QuickBooks Time Kiosk:

Business owners need a QuickBooks Time account. There’s a 30-day free trial on the QuickBooks website. Follow the steps to set up company payroll, employees, and time-tracking information.
Download the QuickBooks Time Kiosk app: The QuickBooks Time Kiosk app is free from the App Store for iPads or the Google Play Store for Android tablet devices.
Connect the app to a QuickBooks Time account: To connect the app to a QuickBooks Time account, business owners will need their QuickBooks login information. Login credentials can be found by logging in to your QuickBooks Time account and selecting the user name displayed in the top right hand corner, followed by selecting profile. Once the profile information is shown, select manage user/ID to be taken to the account manager page where login details can be found.
Set up the time clock by defining the company's work week, overtime rules, and break policies. At this stage, managers can add or remove employees as needed.
Set the device in a convenient location where employees can clock in and out using the QuickBooks Time Kiosk app.
The business owner can check the QuickBooks Time account to review and approve the time recorded by employees using the QuickBooks Time Kiosk app. They can run reports, make changes, and process payroll using the same interface.

Start a QuickBooks Time free trial to make time clocking more efficient for your business.

Join the many small business owners who trust QuickBooks Time for their time tracking needs to accurately keep track of employee hours with just a few clicks.

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