How To Keep Track of Construction Employee Hours
In this article we cover how keep track of Construction employee hours and the different tools you can use to do so.
Between planning projects, placing bids, and fixing other people’s mistakes, you’re probably one of the busiest people you know. On top of all that, you need to manage your employees’ time.
If you haven’t figured out how to keep track of construction employee hours in the most reliable or efficient way yet, you’re not alone.
Small construction companies often use a mix of paper timesheets and Excel spreadsheets. Sometimes, there isn’t even a consolidated record of hours, just back-and-forth emails and text messages. The best way to track construction employee hours is through a dedicated timekeeping app designed for on-site use in the construction industry.
Here’s a deeper look into how construction workers can keep track of their time and the best methods to do so.
How To Keep Track of Construction Employee Hours
Workyard is a mobile timekeeping app driven by GPS technology. In Workyard, you can automatically track construction employee hours based on where your employees have checked in. You can also update schedules, assign tasks, and manage your projects from anywhere.
Other timekeeping methods construction companies use include paper timesheets, text messages and email, computer spreadsheets, and generic payroll apps.
These older methods like paper timesheets, text and email, and spreadsheets are frequently inefficient, confusing, or simply inaccurate. Because many of them aren’t automated or don’t update data in real-time, they open the door for errors.
It’s better to use an app that has been designed for the construction industry and the construction worker.
How Do Construction Workers Keep Track of Time?
Many construction workers still use paper timesheets or spreadsheets to track their time—if they’re tracking their time at all. Workyard offers a better solution. As a mobile construction timekeeping app, Workyard automatically tracks and reports time via GPS.
For construction workers, Workyard:
- Automatically tracks and reports their time
- Gives them immediate updates on their schedule
- Lets them easily report progress on projects and tasks
Construction workers don’t want to worry about their time—they want to worry about the job. Workyard puts the focus back on the project.
Save costs with Workyard’s automatic clock-in/clock-out
See How it Works
How Do Construction Workers Clock In and Out?
If your construction workers are still using paper timesheets or spreadsheets, there’s a better way. Workyard’s mobile time tracking solution doesn’t require employees to manually record their hours. Once they’ve opened the app and clocked in, GPS automatically tracks their locations and hours.
Construction companies can discover several benefits with construction GPS technology:
- Accurately tracked time leads to fewer mistakes.
- Team member locations can be viewed at a glance.
- On-site documentation is consolidated and categorized by project in a single app.
GPS technology that allows you to see your team’s location in real-time makes it easier to manage across multiple sites while gaining advantages in efficiency, productivity, and deployment.
What Apps Do Construction Workers Use?
Many construction workers use generic timekeeping apps, such as QuickBooks Time. Unfortunately, these apps don’t adequately address the needs of the construction industry. Workyard is a timekeeping app that has been designed from the ground up for on-site construction.
Generic payroll apps can help you manage your payroll. But they can’t help you:
- Get precise arrival and departure times from every site visited
- Get accurate mileage reporting and driving time
- See project and task level labor costs in real-time
- Organize, categorize, and prioritize work
Most payroll apps aren’t designed for the construction industry. Without Workyard’s GPS tracking, you may have your hours tracked, but they won’t be automatically categorized by worksite.
Tools and Tips for Accurate Construction Time Tracking.
Accurately tracking construction employee hours is vital for managing payroll, project costs, and productivity. To improve time-tracking practices, businesses can benefit from implementing time-tracking devices designed for construction. These devices enhance accuracy by automatically logging work hours, reducing manual entry errors, and helping track job site locations.
One of the main challenges in construction is reducing time-tracking errors. Paper timesheets, spreadsheets, and generic payroll apps often lead to inaccuracies in hours logged, which can affect payroll and project costing. Switching to a construction-specific app like Workyard helps minimize these common mistakes.
An efficient time reporting system is crucial for tracking work hours in real time and provides an organized record for every project and task. Such systems make it easier to manage project costs and labor allocation across multiple job sites, giving construction businesses better insights into their workforce’s productivity.
Payroll automation is another essential component of time tracking. Businesses can automate payroll by integrating a construction-focused time-tracking app directly with their payroll systems, reducing manual data entry and ensuring accurate payments.
Tracking employee hours is also a powerful way to measure employee productivity. With real-time location data and job-level insights, managers can identify which teams are most efficient and understand how time is spent across various tasks, helping to optimize resource allocation.
For those using QuickBooks, adopting a time-tracking app for QuickBooks enables seamless integration, ensuring that all hours logged are accurately reflected in payroll and job costing, providing a comprehensive view of labor expenses.
Furthermore, managing a mobile workforce can be challenging, so geofencing technology adds another layer of precision. It helps ensure that employees are at the correct location when clocking in or out, providing employers with confidence in their workforce’s time tracking and minimizing discrepancies.
Keep Track of Construction Employee Hours With Workyard.
Workyard provides the best solution for construction time tracking because it’s mobile, in real-time, and automated. It takes the work and guesswork out of managing your employees’ time.
| Built for Construction | Powered by GPS | Integrated With Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Workyard categorizes time by project, task, and cost code for better client billing, improved operational efficiency, and detailed internal reporting. | Workyard is the most accurate time tracking, making it easier to get accurate hours from your employees. Know when and where your workers are—from anywhere. | Workyard integrates directly with popular payroll applications such as ADP, Gusto, and QuickBooks, automatically calculating hours and generating payroll reports. |
Tracking construction employee productivity goes beyond hours worked. It includes monitoring completed tasks, the quality of work, and adherence to timelines. Use project management software to assign and track tasks, enabling visibility over progress. Pair this with GPS time-tracking tools to capture accurate location-based work times. Daily check-ins, either digitally or on-site, help assess issues impacting productivity, such as material delays. Implementing regular performance reviews based on tracked data can provide feedback and identify areas for improvement, ensuring a consistent productivity boost.
Accurate hour tracking ensures fair pay for employees and protects the business from wage disputes. It also allows for precise job costing and budgeting, making it easier to estimate project timelines and allocate resources. Furthermore, precise tracking helps identify overtime trends, ensuring compliance with labor laws. For businesses, it can uncover productivity patterns, helping pinpoint where processes can be improved to maximize efficiency and reduce costs, ultimately contributing to better project profitability.
Construction companies should use reliable time-tracking software that complies with labor laws, such as recording break times, overtime, and work hours accurately. It’s also important to stay updated on local labor regulations as they differ by state and region. Regular audits of time-tracking practices help ensure records are accurate and compliant. Maintaining transparency with employees about how their work hours are tracked and paid fosters trust and reduces disputes. Proper recordkeeping is crucial, as it provides legal protection and simplifies reporting for payroll and compliance checks.
A good time-tracking app should offer GPS functionality to verify location, offline access for areas without internet, and an easy-to-use interface suitable for field workers. The app should integrate seamlessly with payroll systems and project management tools to simplify invoicing and job costing. Real-time updates and the ability to categorize time entries by project or task are essential for effective tracking and management. Look for apps that can handle multiple job sites simultaneously and provide analytics for a clear overview of labor distribution and efficiency.
Time theft can be reduced by implementing robust time-tracking software that uses biometric verification or GPS location data to confirm work hours and locations. Encourage a culture of honesty by educating employees on the impact of time theft on project budgets and team workloads. Regularly reviewing time logs and comparing them against project progress helps identify discrepancies. Establishing clear policies regarding breaks, clock-in/clock-out procedures, and task-specific tracking can also minimize opportunities for time theft and enhance accountability on job sites.
