With an automated time clock, you can easily track your employee’s time to the second, guaranteeing smooth and accurate payroll. Here are some of the best time clocks for small businesses.
Even your small business can suffer from buddy punching and time theft.
When you have limited resources, every payroll inaccuracy takes a toll on your business. This is especially true when using dated methods, such as pen and paper. These leave way too much room for human error.
Fortunately, business owners and managers like yourself can reduce unnecessary payroll costs simply by implementing a time clock for small businesses. For this article, I did extensive research to find the best time clock software on the market at the moment so you can choose the best one for your business.
If you don’t have the time to read through our research, jump down to our quick comparison table.
Our Top Picks
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Best all-in-one time clock for small businesses
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Uses analytical reports to redirect project managers in a positive direction.
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Good for generating reports
Why trust us?
Our team of unbiased software reviewers follows strict editorial guidelines, and our methodology is clear and open to everyone.
See our complete methodology
37
Tools considered
25
Tools reviewed
10
Best tools
chosen
How I Chose the Best Time Clocks for Small Businesses
With so many employee checklist apps on the market, it took some time to test out the top contenders. This is what I looked for to select my top picks on the market:
Important core features:
- Mobile use: A mobile time clock is crucial for remote teams and field workers. This ensures that your staff can clock in and out of work from their phones.
- Accurate timekeeping: This is crucial for ensuring your employees are paid correctly.
- Integration with payroll software: Speaking of which, a mobile time clock should integrate seamlessly with your payroll software.
- Scheduling features: The app should have complete employee scheduling capabilities that integrate with the time clock.
- GPS tracking with geofencing: This is important to ensure that field workers are clocking in and out while they’re actually on site, preventing time theft.
- Tracks breaks and overtime: The time clock should automatically track breaks and overtime.
I also looked for usability features, like:
- One-touch clock in and out: Employees should be able to clock in and out with the tap of a button.
- Ease of use: The app should be easy to set up and use. Employees shouldn’t struggle to clock in and out of shifts.
- Customer support: I checked that the apps come with ample customer support and training so you can get the app up and running. You should be able to contact the vendor with any technical difficulties.
- Scalability: Consider a system that can grow with your business. If you plan to expand, choose a solution that can accommodate additional employees and locations.
The 10 Best Time Clocks for Small Businessess of 2024
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Connecteam — Best all-in-one time clock for small businesses
Key Features
Pros
Seamless time tracking
Short and sweet setup time
Intuitive and user-friendly interface
Highly responsive customer support
Cons
Needs internet or wifi access to work
Connecteam’s employee time clock app is my top pick of time clocks for small businesses. The software is incredibly customizable, easy to set up and use, and comes with all the tools you need to manage your business on the go.
It’s ideal for non-desk teams who require mobile workforce management. Whether you’re a company just starting out or looking to scale, Connecteam is for those looking for an online timekeeping solution that can grow alongside their company.
Why I chose Connecteam: Connecteam comes with a one-tap mobile time clock that creates automated timesheets and integrates seamlessly with payroll software, so you can ensure everyone is paid accurately.
Let’s take a look at some of the specific features:
One-touch clock in & out
With the employee time clock, your employees can easily clock in and out directly from the app on their mobile devices. Additionally, the app is linked directly with the employee scheduler, so you can attach notes, images, files, and even videos to leave extra information for employees when they’re clocking into their shifts.
Automated timesheets
Everyone’s work hours are automatically recorded onto timesheets for payroll, where you can easily review total daily work hours, the number of hours worked during a payroll period, overtime, breaks, and time off.
One feature I really love is that the app identifies any irregularities, preventing costly payroll mistakes.
GPS tracking
With multiple GPS tracking capabilities, you can ensure your employees are on their job sites while clocked in.
You can also capture where employees clock in or track their real-time location while on the clock. You also have the option to set up a geofence time clock, which sets a predefined border around worksites, restricting the area from which employees can clock in and out.
This allows you to prevent early clock-ins and time theft.
Job-specific time tracking options
I like how customizable Connecteam is. You have full control over what you want to track time for, like tasks, projects, certain jobs, locations, or clients. You can use this for billing and invoicing as it gives you valuable insights into how your resources are being allocated.
Time off management
Easily stay on top of time off management and set up your company’s time off policies for any type of absence – paid or unpaid – and manage employee time off requests accordingly.
This small business time clock app can automatically calculate and process all absences in line with your defined policies. Then, it will notify all relevant staff member of the status of their request, and document the process. This eliminates unnecessary back-and-forth, complicated manual calculation work, or scattered processes.
Payroll integrations
You can directly export your digital timesheets to your payroll software or use Connecteam’s payroll integrations with QuickBooks, Gusto, and Paychex. This allows you to bypass manually entering employee hours and save valuable time.
And so much more…
Connecteam is a complete employee management app that allows you to manage your entire business while on the go. Managers can create schedules and training materials, upload and store documents, manage all HR operations, and even communicate with your team with in-app chat and a social media-style news feed.
The paid plan starts at just $29 per month for up to 30 users, and small businesses with fewer than 10 users can access the app completely free.
Employees spend less time wondering what they should do and where, and more time actually just doing it.
Connecteam also offers a free for life plan – Try Connecteam here!
Pricing
Free-for-life plan availablePremium plans start at $29/month for 30 users
14-day free trial, no credit card required
Start your free trial -
Time Doctor — Good for monitoring employee workflow
Key Features
- Descriptive summary reports
- Automated time clock reminders for timely work
- Visible analytics from the dashboard
- Screenshot capabilities
Pros
- Real-time analytics results in increased productivity
- Supports a hybrid work environment
Cons
- Time is used not for attendance purposes but more so to gauge how successful workers are during the day
- Screenshots need to be manually turned on and workers can forget to do so
With Time Doctor, you can track time based on client, project workflow, or even the task itself, managers can find where inefficiencies are.
Why I chose Time Doctor: I like that this app shows employees where their strengths and weaknesses are, and provides full time keeping visibility for managers. Time Doctor is great because it integrates with 60+ other online applications, including payroll software, that users may already be using for task management.
Time Doctor is for hybrid workers or remote workers looking for online tools. This is for enterprises or even small to large businesses. This is for those who work heavily on projects and would like to compare, contrast, and improve on the clients and tasks they have already completed.
Learn more about Time DoctorPricing
Starts at $5.9/user/month Trial: No Free Plan: No
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Timecamp — Good for generating reports
Key Features
- Available for desktop and mobile devices
- Clear detailed project reports
- Budgeting chart graphs for profitability
- Tracks performance
Pros
- Can distinguish between billable and non-billable hours
- Eliminates distractions through complete automation
Cons
- Too dependent on third party integrations
- Costly when you upgrade
One of the TimeCamp’s best features is the detailed reporting feature.
Why I chose TimeCamp: This time clock for small business includes over 20 types of built-in reports to help you make better data-driven decisions. Time-specific reports are available and can be sorted by a variety of factors, including task, day, project, employee, and more.
By using TimeCamp, you can ensure projects are within budget and track their profitability. Monitor timesheets, handle billing and invoicing, and create employee schedules. And with TimeCamp’s many integrations, you’ll be able to use the app in sync with other apps you currently use for business.
Learn more about TimecampPricing
Starts at $2.99/user/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes
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Clockify — Good for monitoring projects
Key Features
- Time tracking
- Detailed project management solution
- Time clock kiosk
- Automated timesheets
Pros
- 24/7 online support
- Easy set up
Cons
- More expensive than other solutions
- Fewer features than competitors
If you’re looking for effective time clock software for small business that offers other helpful features like employee scheduling, invoicing, and task management, Clockify may be a good option.
Why I chose Clockify: Clockify allows employees to clock in and out directly from their phones, making it ideal for businesses of all sizes.
I love how the project management feature allows you to break down projects into individual tasks. You can also monitor employee progress with Clockify’s employee time tracking capabilities so you know exactly how long it takes to complete each task.
Clockify also has an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, making it simple to get it up and running on your team.
Learn more about ClockifyPricing
Starts at $3.99/user/month Trial: Yes — For PRO features Free Plan: Yes
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Tick — Good for tracking project budgets
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
Key Features
- Time clock
- Timesheet templates turned to invoicing
- Running timer that breaks up time within each task
- Single page view of all time reports
Pros
- From beginning to end oversight of projects
- Compatible on all devices
Cons
- Tedious to edit previous time entries
- Hard to personally connect with their outdated interface
Tick is a great option that’s easy to set up and has a simple user interface.
Why I chose Tick: Tick includes three main features: time tracking, project budget tracking, and reporting for better time management.
This versatile time clock app is designed to streamline employee management for small businesses. Its user-friendly interface allows employees to clock in and out effortlessly, promoting accurate time tracking.
With features like real-time attendance monitoring and automated timesheet generation, Tick simplifies payroll processing, saving businesses valuable time and resources. Additionally, its accessibility on various devices ensures convenience for both employers and employees.
Learn more about TickPricing
Starts at $19/month, for 2-10 projects Trial: Yes — 30-day Free Plan: Yes — For 1 project only
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Jibble — Good for tracking employees’ locations
Key Features
- AI verification for time clocking (i.e. facial recognition)
- Tablet setup as office kiosk
- Uses GPS for attendance of remote workers
- Alerts are detailed from the day, week, and month of everything
Pros
- Quickened check in/out process
- User friendly layout
Cons
- Pricing isn’t transparent (not even listed)
- Customization limitations with the free version that they promote
Jibble was made with both in-office and field workers in mind.
Why I chose Jibble: For office workers, a tablet can turned into a time clock kiosk for the entire workplace to clock in and out. With facial recognition and pin code options, not only does this time clock software speed processes up, but it also works to ensure each punch of the time clock is done by the right employee.
For employees out in the field, turn mobile phones into a pocket time punch clock. With geofencing and GPS capabilities, you can ensure there are proper restrictions in place to keep all your employees honest in terms of their hours. Lastly, everything is easy to monitor from afar; overtime, late arrivals to shifts, breaks, and overlapping scheduling.
Learn more about JibblePricing
Starts at $2.49/month + $2.49/user Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes
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Homebase — Good for ensuring compliance
Key Features
- Free and automated time clock
- Tracks vacation times, PTO, and overtime
- Uses GPS or photos to ensure trust
- Identifies and corrects errors for payroll purposes
Pros
- Free online time clock feature
- Easy to use interface
Cons
- According to customers: bugs with time clock when there are multiple locations
- Not compatible with all/many third party service providers
Homebase is a popular time clock for small businesses and is accessible on any mobile device, as well as on desktop computers.
Why I chose Homebase: Each employee gets a unique pin code to clock in and out, ensuring that no one can commit time theft or buddy bunching. Shifts are easy to manage from the field, and you can set automatic alerts for employees clocking in late.
You can also message late employees from the notification to find out why they were late to work. Clock-ins can also be verified through GPS or photos.
Learn more about HomebasePricing
Starts at $20/location/month Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: Yes — For a single location & up to 20 employees
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Deputy — Good for creating schedules
Key Features
- GPS tracking
- Geofencing feature
- Online timesheets
- Job scheduler
Pros
- Company newsfeed
- Easy-to-read reports
Cons
- App is prone to freezing
- No in-app chat
Deputy is a great small business time clock that helps you manage attendance, time off, breaks, and total hours worked.
Why I chose Deputy: This time clock app syncs with the job scheduling feature, making it easy for employees to clock in and out right from their schedules on their phones. Deputy also lets you set clock-in limits, restricting employees from clocking in and out too early or too late. This helps ensure you aren’t overpaying your employees and helps control labor costs.
Learn more about DeputyPricing
Starts at $4.5/user/month, for Scheduling or Time & Attendance Trial: Yes — 31-day Free Plan: No
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QuickBooks Time — Good for creating detailed reports
Key Features
- Geofencing and GPS tracking
- Capture images during each clock-in
- Reminders for clocking in and out
- Employee location tracking every 10 minutes
Pros
- Offers a kiosk, web dashboard, and mobile app
- Geofencing tools
Cons
- Reports of poor customer support
- Can’t simultaneously track multiple projects
QuickBooks Time offers lots of time clock features for small businesses, like automated timesheets and the ability to see who’s currently working and who’s not.
Why I chose QuickBooks Time: While QuickBooks Time can be rather complicated to set up, it’s a reliable time clock that also integrates with Quickbooks accounting software. So, if your business already uses Quickbooks for payroll, this time clock may be a good option.
The software is versatile, customizable, and very multifunctional. You can oversee team productivity, project status, and even adjust your team budget. I really like the reporting feature, too, which allows you to create tons of reports for areas like payroll, approvals, wages, time tracking, attendance, and more.
Learn more about QuickBooks Time📚 This Might Interest You:
Check out our list of the best QuickBooks time tracker apps for seamless integration between your time tracking and payroll software.
Pricing
Starts at $20/month + $10/user/month Trial: Yes — 30-day Free Plan: No
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ClockShark — Good for managing time off
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
Key Features
- Conversations feature allows you to chat within the app
- Billing and payments
- GPS and geofencing
- Scheduling
Pros
- Excellent customer service
- Clear, easy-to-use interface
Cons
- No way to contact entire company at once
- Mobile app can be buggy
Made specifically for field workers, ClockShark was designed to make remote work easier. Using the clock-in feature, your employees can clock in and out easily, and GPS tracking ensures you know where your workers are at all times.
Why I chose ClockShark: This time clock for small businesses offers scheduling and attendance tracking, as well as customer management capabilities, and tools for invoicing customers and collecting payments. It includes integrations with other popular business software, too, to simplify your business. It even comes with video setup tutorials to help managers and employees get the app up and running.
Learn more about ClockSharkPricing
Starts at $20/month + $8/user/month Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: No
Compare the Best Time Clocks for Small Businessess
| Topic |
Start for free
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| Reviews |
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| Pricing |
Starts at just $29/month for the first 30 users
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Starts at $5.9/user/month
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Starts at $2.99/user/month
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Starts at $3.99/user/month
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Starts at $19/month, for 2-10 projects
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Starts at $2.49/month + $2.49/user
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Starts at $20/location/month
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Starts at $4.5/user/month, for Scheduling or Time & Attendance
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Starts at $20/month + $10/user/month
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Starts at $20/month + $8/user/month
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| Free Trial |
yes
14-day
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no
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yes
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yes
For PRO features
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yes
30-day
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yes
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yes
14-day
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yes
31-day
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yes
30-day
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yes
14-day
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| Free Plan |
yes
Free Up to 10 users
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no
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yes
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yes
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yes
For 1 project only
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yes
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yes
For a single location & up to 20 employees
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no
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no
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no
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| Use cases |
Best all-in-one time clock for small businesses
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Good for monitoring employee workflow
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Good for generating reports
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Good for monitoring projects
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Good for tracking project budgets
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Good for tracking employees’ locations
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Good for ensuring compliance
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Good for creating schedules
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Good for creating detailed reports
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Good for managing time off
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| Available on |
Web, iOS, Android
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Web, iOS, Android
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What Are Small Business Time Clock Apps?
Small business time clock apps are designed to help businesses track their employees’ work hours and attendance digitally. These apps replace traditional paper-based or manual timekeeping methods, offering a more efficient and accurate way to monitor employees’ work schedules.
Employees can clock in and out using their smartphones, tablets, or computers, eliminating the need for physical time clocks. These apps often come with features such as real-time tracking, overtime calculation, and reporting capabilities, allowing employers to streamline payroll processes and ensure compliance with labor regulations. They’re also particularly useful for businesses with remote or flexible work arrangements, providing a convenient and reliable way to monitor employees’ working hours regardless of their location.
How Do Time Clocks for Small Businesses Work?
Time clocks for small businesses operate by automating the process of tracking employees’ work hours and attendance. Employees use various methods, such as keying in a unique code, or even biometric scans like fingerprints, to clock in and out.
Times are then recorded digitally in the time clock system. Modern time clocks often sync with software applications, allowing real-time data updates and enabling employers to monitor employees’ attendance remotely. Additionally, these systems can calculate overtime, track breaks, and generate detailed reports, simplifying payroll management and ensuring accurate compensation for employees.
Benefits of Online Checklist Apps
There are lots of benefits to using checklist apps, including:
Accessibility from anywhere
Online checklist apps can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, allowing users to view, edit, and update their lists from various devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers.
Motivation and accountability
Checking off completed tasks in an online checklist provides a sense of accomplishment and motivation. It also creates a visual record of progress, fostering accountability and encouraging users to stay focused on their goals.
Real-time collaboration
Many online checklist apps enable real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to work on the same checklist simultaneously. This is particularly useful for team projects and shared tasks.
Task organization
Checklist software often comes with features like categorization, prioritization, and due dates, helping users organize tasks effectively. Some apps also offer tags and labels for further customization.
Automatic notifications and reminders
Team members can set up notifications and reminders for tasks, ensuring that important deadlines are not missed. These reminders can be sent via email, push notifications, or SMS.
Easy updates and edits
Online checklists can be easily updated or modified. Tasks can be added, edited, or deleted without the need for erasing or rewriting, promoting flexibility and adaptability.
Integration with other work software
Many online checklist apps integrate with other productivity tools and software, allowing seamless transfer of data and tasks. Integration with schedules, email, and project management tools enhances productivity.
Data Analysis and reporting
The best checklists apps provide analytics and insights based on employee activity. This data can be valuable for productivity tracking or for businesses to optimize their workflows.
Customization
Managers can often customize the appearance and functionality of the app to suit their preferences. This flexibility ensures that the app aligns with the user’s specific needs and workflow.
How Much Do Time Clocks for Small Businesses Cost?
The cost of time clock apps for small businesses can vary based on the features and functionalities they offer. Basic time clock apps with essential features might be available for free or at a low monthly cost, making them accessible to small businesses with limited budgets. However, for more advanced and comprehensive solutions, pricing can increase.
Connecteam is a competitive option for small businesses seeking efficient time clock apps. Businesses with up to 10 employees actually can access all features and functions entirely for free, and paid plans for companies with up to 30 employees start at $29/month.
The app includes features like an employee time clock, geolocation tracking, task assignments, and customizable reporting tools. The flexibility in pricing allows small businesses to choose a plan that aligns with their needs and budget constraints, making Connecteam an attractive and cost-effective choice for implementing time clock apps efficiently.
>>Get started with Connecteam for free today!<<
FAQs
What are the best time clock apps for small businesses?
‘Best’ is subjective depending on your business needs and budget, but my top pick is Connecteam. Connecteam is incredibly affordable, offers user-friendly features, including mobile clock-ins, GPS tracking, and automated timesheets, making it an excellent option for efficient workforce management.
Its intuitive interface and comprehensive functionalities make it a popular choice among small businesses seeking reliable time clock solutions.
Does my small business really need to worry about time theft?
Yes, even small businesses need to put processes in place to prevent time theft. Time theft can significantly impact productivity and profitability by leading to inaccurate payroll and inefficiency in your business. Implementing an effective employee time clock can help mitigate these risks, ensuring everyone is paid correctly. It also promotes a more accountable work environment.
Do companies still use time clocks?
Absolutely. However, instead of manually punching a time card, most businesses have moved to digital time clocks, streamlining all processes and making it possible for employees to clock in and out from their mobile devices.
The Bottom Line On Time Clocks for Small Businesses
By implementing digital time clocks, businesses can streamline their time-tracking processes, reduce errors, and enhance overall productivity. These apps also help employers focus on running their businesses instead of spending so much time monitoring employee time tracking. They also ensure that all employees are paid accurately by creating automated timesheets that can be sent directly to payroll.
You may also be interested in our article on GPS time tracking apps.