Paper timesheets feel free, but they aren't. Somebody fills them in from memory. Somebody reads the handwriting. Somebody types it all up. And when there's a question six months later, you're digging through a box.
Federal law says your timekeeping has to be complete and accurate, and it doesn't care how you do it. Any method can work if it's kept up. But you'll have a hard time showing that a sheet filled in on Friday afternoon is either of those.
Here's how to make the switch without chaos. You can do this in two weeks, and most of the work is in talking to people.
Before you start: check your current cost
Spend one pay period timing it. How long does it take to collect, check, fix and enter the hours? Multiply that by your hourly cost, and you'll know what you're saving. It's also a useful number to have if your business partner or spouse asks why you're paying for software.
Week one: set up and test
Day 1: Choose how people will clock in
You've got three common options, and you can mix them:
- Their own phones. Costs nothing and suits most teams.
- A shared tablet. Good for kitchens and warehouses, or anyone who'd rather not use a personal phone.
- Automatic by location. Least effort for staff, but requires more trust. Read about what to tell them.
Day 2: Set your rules in one place
Decide these before you touch the software:
- When does your workweek start? Pick the actual day and time, and keep it.
- How are breaks handled? Who needs to clock out for them?
- Do you round? If you do, read this first. Our advice is not to round at all.
- When does the clock start? "When you begin working" is the usual answer, not when you walk in the door.
- What happens if someone forgets? They tell their manager, who fixes it with a note.
Write those down on one page.
Day 3: Add your people
Import a spreadsheet with names and phone numbers, rather than typing them. Add pay rates if you want to see costs. Set up each location, with a map circle if you're checking location.
Days 4 and 5: Try it with a few people
Pick your most helpful employee and your least technical one. If your least technical person can do it, everyone can. Have them clock in and out for a couple of days, alongside the paper. You're looking for confusion, not for perfection.
Week two: everyone, side by side
Day 6: Tell the team
Hold a five-minute talk at a shift meeting, and repeat it for each shift. Say three things:
- What's changing. "From Monday, we clock in on the app."
- Why. "So your hours are right the first time, and you can see them yourself."
- What they do. Show them, and do it on a phone in front of them.
Expect one question above all others: "Are you tracking me?" Answer directly. Tell them exactly when location is recorded.
Days 7 to 13: Run both
Keep the paper going for one full pay period. Yes, it's double the work. It's also how you find out whether the new system is right before it affects someone's paycheck.
Look at the differences each day for the first few days. Most will be forgotten punches or people still learning. Help them, and don't scold them. You want people to tell you when something's wrong.
Day 14: Compare and switch
At the end of the pay period, compare the two sets of hours person by person. Look into anything more than a few minutes off. Usually, you'll find the new records are more accurate, and that paper was rounding people up or down without anyone intending it.
Once they match, run payroll from the new system, and retire the paper. Don't keep both going. If you do, people will quietly go back to what they know.
What to do with the old records
Don't throw them away. Federal rules say to keep time cards for at least two years and payroll records for at least three. Some states ask for longer. Box up the paper with a date on it and store it where you can find it.
The first month's problems
Forgotten clock-outs. They'll happen. Set a daily limit so that one forgotten tap doesn't become a 20-hour shift, plus a reminder that goes out when a shift ends.
Someone without a smartphone. It's more common than you'd think, and a tablet takes care of it.
Poor signal. Choose a system that saves punches when there's no connection, and sends them later.
"My hours are wrong." Look together at the punches. Fix it if needed, with a note saying why. Your people are more likely to trust a system when they can see how an error got corrected.
Managers editing without a record. Require a reason for every change, and keep a log. That protects your team and you.
How we'd do this in PinkLinq
Import your team from a spreadsheet. Set up a store on the map. Share the app link, or pair a tablet as a kiosk. Punches land on a timesheet that you can review, fix with a reason and approve, and then you download a file for Gusto, ADP, QuickBooks, Paychex or Square. It's free for up to 10 people, and the 14-day trial is long enough to run your side-by-side test.
Prefer to stay on paper for now? Use our free timesheet template or the time card calculator.
Source
- Fact Sheet #21: Recordkeeping Requirements, US Department of Labor