The benefits of using a clocking in app

The working hours of your staff quite literally keep your business ‘ticking over’. If your staff are consistently early or late, it can have a negative impact on the rest of the day, affecting professionalism, causing morale problems, and limiting the amount of work completed.

Keeping track of when you employees start and finish work will not only ensure that you are compliant with the Working Time Regulations, but a system for clocking in and out can also help you tackle lateness, enhance your absence management and staff shifts and rotas.

That’s where clocking in apps come in. While you may want to read about what a clocking in system is, or the types of clock in systems your business can use, this guide will explain the benefits of using a clocking in app for your organisation.

How do clocking in apps work?

Unlike traditional clocking in systems, such as time cards or punch in machines, clocking in apps work by giving your employees the freedom to clock in, indicating the start of the working day or shift, by simply using their mobile or tablet device.

By simply downloading a mobile app, staff can clock in from anywhere. It's the ideal clocking in and out solution for remote and field workers, giving you even greater oversight of your entire team's working hours. Apps may even allow staff to log their working breaks, so not only can you see that they have started work but they have taken their legally required break too. A great way to enhance employee tracking but also employee engagement and wellbeing.

Why do businesses choose clocking in apps?

Opting for a contemporary clocking in system, like a clocking in app, can really simplify and improve how you manage time and your team. By selecting an app, like Blip by BrightHR, you're not just making it easier for your staff to clock in and out; you're also unlocking a range of additional features and tools that other, more traditional, systems might lack.

The benefits of which include:

Accurate attendance information

Clock in systems for employees help you track time. Giving you an idea of when your staff are working. This information is important for identifying trends that might be costing you, such as:

• Lateness

• Absenteeism

• Presenteeism

• Sick days

• Poor time keeping on lunch breaks

This data can highlight company-wide issues or individual timekeeping problems. It's also particularly useful for tracking the hours of shift workers, making it easier to keep on top of who is working and when.

Save time and improve payroll processes

Attendance data helps with more than just keeping an eye on lateness. Using time clock records for payroll prevents mistakes and makes sure your staff are paid correctly each payday. This is particularly useful for shift workers and those on zero-hour contracts. A digital clocking in system, like an app, can sync attendance records with your payroll software, making the process even easier.

Simplify management of flexible working arrangements

Due to the increase in the number of flexible working arrangements in the UK, it becomes harder to not only keep track of the unique hours of each employee, but their preferred working locations as well. Mobile apps allow even your remote workers to clock-in from anywhere. And with additional technical features such as geo-fencing, you can see where employees are clocking in from.

Key features of a clocking in app

While there are a variety of clocking in systems available, the best choice for most UK businesses is a clocking in app.

An app offers all the benefits of a standard time clock system, but with added enhancements and extra perks. Plus, digital technology that traditional techniques such as old-school punch cards and paper options would never be able to provide.

The key features include:

Real-time monitoring and geolocation tracking

The best clocking in apps will offer real-time monitoring, allowing employers to see who is clocked in at any given moment. This feature is particularly useful for managing remote teams.

Additionally, some apps provide geolocation tracking, verifying employee clock in locations when they clock in or out, which is essential information for businesses with remote or field-based staff.

Apps with geofence features balance privacy concerns with usability by only tracking employees in a radius of the expected work premises for the day. This is great for uptake, as it respects the autonomy and privacy of your team.

Integration with payroll systems

Some advanced clocking-in apps can easily connect with payroll systems, making the whole process smoother and less hassle. This connection is crucial because it ensures all the hours worked are accurately recorded in payroll, reducing mistakes and making sure everyone gets paid on time. This not only enhances your HR and payroll processes, but helps to keep employees happy, boosting engagement and morale with your staff. In turn, improving your overall company culture and staff retention rates. By investing in the right technology not only do you benefit, but your staff do too!

For software which offers a smooth integration, discover integrated HR and payroll software with BrightHR.

Compliance with employment laws

Using a clocking in app helps businesses comply with UK employment laws and regulations by accurately recording work hours. This Is ideal for ensuring that you are compliant with the Working Time Regulations 1998, without you needing to keep physical records.

Cost-effective solution

Using clocking-in apps can cut costs when compared with traditional timekeeping methods, which often come with errors from manual recording. Regular clock-in systems often need pricey hardware, but apps can work on almost any smartphone.

This cost-effectiveness makes it an attractive option for small business owners, (SMEs). It also reduces manual input from the employee, so they aren’t fiddling around with systems too much on their own time.

Improve Employee Accountability

Clocking in apps can improve employee accountability by providing transparent records of work hours. This transparency helps in building trust and ensuring that employees are adhering to their schedules. Apps also put ownership of hours in the hands of the employee, which can be a positive for everyone. It may even remove the need for so many different timesheets, particularly if, in the past, you have required your staff to track their weekly working hours.

Keep track of overtime hours

An additional benefit of a clock in app, or any clocking in system, for that matter, is the ability it provides to keep track of overtime. If an employee is working over their usual working hours, you can easily see this with your clocking in app data. Making it easier to not only get their overtime pay correct but to ensure their wellbeing. If an employee is regularly working overtime, without an ask, it may be a good idea to check in with them, to make sure they are managing their workload and taking the breaks they need from work.

If overtime is a common occurrence for your employees, you may also wish to consider an overtime tracker.

Choose a clocking in app with BrightHR

Keeping track of employees’ working hours has never been an easy task, and the rise in hybrid and flexible working models has made it even more complicated. Though keeping accurate attendance figures is essential not only for compliance, but for keeping productivity high and making sure your payroll runs like clockwork.

Using a clock-in app like Blip can help ensure your attendance records are precise—whether your team are working remotely or on-site. Blip by BrightHR is one of the best clocking in apps for business owners, as it makes it easy for employees to log their hours from anywhere, anytime, using just their phone.

It’s loaded with features that address the challenges faced by both small business owners and their teams, making it the ultimate clocking-in app.

Plus, did we mention that Blip is also available on our web-based platform? So, if an employee’s phone dies, they can still clock in and out on their computer.

Ready to discover Blip and even more of our digital HR solutions for contemporary people management? Book a free demo with the BrightHR team today!