Recording employee attendance the old-fashioned way feels like maneuvering a crane in a cramped space. It takes forever, and mistakes can spell disaster for your business’s bottom line.
This is when the employee attendance tracker comes in. It makes your life easier by automatically recording workers’ hours, generating attendance sheets, and preparing them for payroll–all with a few clicks.
Let’s examine the best solutions for transforming your rusty, clunky construction business into a well-oiled attendance-tracking machine.
Top Picks
EDITOR’S NOTE: We created Workyard – the first app reviewed here – to address issues we encountered while struggling to track and manage construction payrolls for over 700 workers in over 50 construction businesses. We built the Workyard app from the ground up to support construction companies like yours, with industry-essential features like the industry’s most accurate time clock app with GPS and geofencing, intuitive contractor scheduling, construction cost tracking tools, and more.
Learn more about how Workyard works on our main website, or sign up for a 14-day free trial today to see what Workyard can do for your business.
Scoring
Key Features
-
High-accuracy GPS time and location tracking
-
Automated task scheduler with drag-and-drop interface
-
Comprehensive job tracker and labor cost analysis
-
Customizable attendance reports available in PDF or CSV formats
-
Seamless payroll and accounting integrations
-
Simplified time off request and approval
Up-to-the-minute attendance tracking
Detailed attendance report
Attendance sheet bulk editing
Automatic clock-in at geofenced site
Offline-ready time clock
Available in Spanish
No SMS scheduling notifications
Privacy-conscious workers may not like location tracking
Lacks built-in invoicing
No forever-free plan
Highlights
Workyard tops our list of employee attendance trackers for its ease of use and GPS accuracy.
Its time-tracking software enables workers to clock in and out through their mobile phones, eliminating the need to form long queues or punch clocks at the head office for their attendance. Time entries also automatically sync with the attendance timesheet, giving managers a real-time view of who’s currently working, who’s not, and who can fill in for absent workers.
Workyard’s nifty automation tools help your team show up on time and complete projects as scheduled. Let’s dig into them…
Precise GPS Time Tracking
Workyard automates attendance tracking so workers can easily log their hours, whether they’re on-site or miles away from the headquarters.
It has a GPS time clock workers can use to clock in and out of work while on the fly. You can refine its settings so it can automatically clock your employees in when they arrive at the defined project location. In case they forget to clock out, the app can also automatically trim their time to the last geofenced site exited.
All recorded time entries instantly reflect on the timesheet, allowing managers to review the team’s attendance record in real time.
Workyard’s Time Cards section shows a quick view of all the team members, including the exact times they clocked in and out, their locations, travel hours, and mileage covered. Toggle between daily, weekly, or monthly, and the table will display the team’s attendance records for the period you selected.
If you want to examine an employee’s attendance more closely, simply click their entry on the timesheet. Workyard will display a more detailed view of the worker’s time cards, including the exact times they clocked in and out and their exact locations in between.
If workers forget to clock in or out on time, Workyard’s GPS logs can prove they’re in location during their shifts. This gives you the proof needed to adjust your employees’ time cards, ensuring they still get paid what they deserve.
Changing or updating multiple time cards at once is possible with Workyard’s bulk editing feature. Simply tick the boxes next to the time cards you want to edit, and you can quickly change their clock-in or clock-out times or add break times in a snap.
With so much control and detail over the team’s attendance record, you can be assured that no inconsistency is overlooked, and the payroll will be as accurate as it gets.
Workyard is also designed to work when offline. So when your workers are dispatched to a remote location with a very poor signal, they can still clock in, and Workyard will continue to record everything in the background.
As soon as the connection comes back, the data recorded will simply sync, ensuring that attendance tracking will work anytime and anywhere.
Effortless Team Scheduling
Attendance compliance starts with a clear-cut schedule. Thankfully, Workyard has contractor scheduling software with a digital team calendar. With this software, you can easily organize all the team’s pending tasks, assign them to specific members, and track the project’s progress all in one place.
Workyard’s versatile scheduler can be viewed either as a calendar or a task table list.
Choose the calendar view, and adding a new schedule is one click away. Just select any date, and a dialog box will appear where you can indicate the name of the task, the team members you want to assign it to, and the date and time when you want it to be completed.
You can also add color codes and assign a task watcher who will monitor the task’s progress. Once the schedule is created, the workers will be immediately notified.
Rescheduling the tasks has never been easier with Workyard. The scheduler has a drag-and-drop functionality, so all you have to do is drag the task card and drop it at any date and time you want. Workyard will instantly change the schedule without the need to recreate entries.
The built-in scheduling works for any kind of task. If it’s a recurring task, repeating it can save a lot of time. Set it as a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly task, and Workyard will instantly replicate it for you.
Dispatching is likewise effortless. Just create the task, choose the date, and set the time to “Now,” so the workers will be notified immediately to drive to their project location. In case of an unforeseen delay, you can easily go back to the task and set it to any date and any time in the future.
Ensure workers have everything they need to complete the task. You can add notes, checklists, photos, and more to the task card so workers know what to do, preventing endless back-and-forths.
Meticulous Job Progress Tracking
With Workyard, every little detail is accounted for to ensure workers don’t just show up at work on time but also get their jobs done.
Workyard’s tracking system records more than just when the workers clock in or out. Its GPS technology also tracks every location your workers visit during the shift.
This allows the flexibility to let workers travel anywhere outside of the defined project location and finish any unexpected but urgent tasks.
Workyard also automatically detects if the worker is in driving mode and instantly starts tracking the vehicle’s driving route, travel time, and mileage to make it easier to process mileage reimbursement later on.
Stop guessing what your workers are up to. For each task assigned, workers can easily send updates remotely in Workyard’s mobile app. They can send notes, photos, and receipts, making sure there’s progress and tasks are completed on time.
Workyard also makes it easier to measure the value of every hour logged to the employee’s time tracker.
In the Project Hub section, you can easily create cost codes to track against projects. Field workers can then tag their task to a project and its associated cost code before starting their time clock. This way, every hour logged has a corresponding cost value, helping the manager accurately track project costs.
Data are quickly available through Workyard’s Job Costing section, which generates the total labor costs for each project without the need for number crunching. This section also gives you a precise audit trail you can use to provide accurate estimates and invoices to clients.
Detailed Attendance Reporting
Workyard helps you drill into each worker’s time card and extract valuable information you can use to make critical business decisions.
Generating attendance reports only takes a few clicks. In the Time Cards section, you can click “Report” and customize the data you want to see.
You can ask Workyard to give a downloadable copy of the same report you see in the timesheet or its summarized version. Alternatively, you can set it to show an attendance sheet that focuses on the projects completed and their associated cost codes.
Reports can include the attendance data of a whole team or an individual worker. They can include the notes in each time card and the mileage covered by each worker. You can also set the date range covered by the report, hour format, and file type (PDF or CSV).
With an accurate attendance report in your hands, you can download, print, and review it anytime. It allows you to see trends and patterns in employee attendance and use that insight to improve team scheduling or change your company’s staffing strategy.
Seamless Integrations with the Best Business Apps
Integrating Workyard with your existing payroll or accounting system allows your data to flow smoothly between the two. Pair Workyard with one of the systems listed on its Integrations page, and the integration happens quickly.
Native integration is available if you want Workyard to sync with QuickBooks Desktop (and Online), ADP, and Gusto, among others. These integrations let you complete important business transactions as efficiently as possible, saving tons of manual data entry time.
For instance, your time card data can be quickly exported to QuickBooks with a few clicks, helping you effortlessly automate payroll and accounting.
Alternatively, you can connect Workyard with more business solutions using its developer API. This will give you more flexibility to choose which app to sync your Workyard account and ultimately improve your company’s workflows.
Reviews
Workyard eliminates the need for manual attendance recording, which requires workers to wait in line. With the convenience of clocking in/out using their mobile phones, iOS users like William save a lot of time.
How great Workyard mobile app is ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
More convenient, sufficient, and less time-consuming. This new technology helps workers sign in and sign out in a more sufficient way as far as having to go to a machine, wait in line, and then sign up.
Having an efficient time-tracking system improves accountability within the workplace. As Android user Theodore shares below, Workyard gives workers the extra push needed to complete their attendance and stay productive during their shifts.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you for keeping me extra accountable for my time, which my work really likes. It helps prevent time slippage and adds to their bottom line.
Capterra reviews give Workyard users the ability to list down both the pros and cons of using the app. The user below offers constructive criticism, although the features she’s pointing out are already available through Woryard’s time clock rules.
Great product for our needs in construction time tracking ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I would like to have more options on being able to require certain projects to have lunch breaks each day or disallow them from having a certain amount of overtime without prior approval.
Pricing
Free Trial?
14-day trial with no credit card required
Time Tracking
Annual: $6 / mo. per user + $50 base fee
Monthly: $8 / mo. per user + $50 base fee
Workforce Management
Annual: $13 / mo. per user + $50 base fee
Monthly: $16 / mo. per user + $50 base fee
Stop payroll waste with Workyard’s automatic clock-in/clock-out app
Find Out MoreScoring
Key Features
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Geofencing-enabled time and location tracking
-
Detailed attendance timesheet
-
Drag-and-drop team scheduling
-
PTO management system
-
Integrations with accounting and payroll systems
Clock in or out anywhere
Kiosk available for on-site attendance
Simple and intuitive user interface
“Who’s Working” shows active workers in real time
Expensive pricing plans
Lacks in-app messaging
Customer support is available only on weekdays
Highlights
QuickBooks’ Workforce app (the mobile companion to QuickBooks Time) is equipped with a time tracker that allows mobile teams to automatically record their attendance even if they’re spread out geographically.
QuickBooks Time Kiosk is also available if you want an on-site digital punch clock for construction teams to clock in or out quickly. To use the kiosk, workers need to enter their four-digit PIN. Photo capture can also be enabled to add an extra layer of security.
The time tracker syncs with the timesheet, automatically populating the latter with each worker’s attendance records. Managers can also track each employee’s location and mileage, ensuring accurate payroll reports and reimbursement.
Scheduling is a breeze, and managers can easily edit the schedules on the spot and notify the team accordingly.
The Who’s Working feature adds a nice touch of transparency, helping you see in real time who’s actively working, where they are, and what they’re doing.
QuickBooks Time is part of the QuickBooks ecosystem (which includes Desktop, Online, and multiple more focused apps), making integration with other QuickBooks products incredibly easy—at least in theory.
This means your time-tracking data can smoothly flow into QuickBooks Desktop or Online, or straight into QuickBooks Payroll (which offers QuickBooks Time as a built-in feature on its higher-priced tier) for quick payroll processing and invoicing.
Reviews
QuickBooks Time (formerly TSheets) may live in the same ecosystem as QuickBooks’ payroll software, but that doesn’t mean it’s free from integration issues. The user below was so disappointed by how poorly the integration turned out he decided to ditch QuickBooks altogether.
Terrible support ⭐
The integration with QuickBooks desktop has failed many, many times, and each time, it takes days and dozens of phone calls before the issue is resolved. Finally, a few weeks ago, the syncing between the two crashed again. This time, there was no resolution.
(Click here for more QuickBooks Time iOS reviews)
A significant number of Android users complain of synching issues and other bug-related concerns. The user below is one of them, but QuickBooks Time always introduces a quick fix with each update.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Some quirks with the app displaying incorrect information, but this is generally resolved in a timely manner. Overall, the app is pretty good.
(Click here for more QuickBooks Time Android reviews)
While QuickBooks Time has a robust time-tracking system, its customer service is one of its weakest points, and the user below agrees.
Review of QuickBooks Time ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pros: Utilizing QuickBooks Time is a fantastic program. for workers and seamlessly integrates with payroll. With the help of this software, we no longer need to manually update timesheets on paper or in Excel, which had a significant margin of error. Our team can now track time in real time, down to the second, and to any department or cost code they require with QuickBooks Time.
Cons: Although occasionally some features are not easily accessible, QuickBooks Time customer service is slow to respond.
(Click here for more QuickBooks Time Capterra reviews)
Pricing
Free Trial?
30 days (no credit card required)
Elite
$10/mo. per user + $40 base fee
Premium
$8/mo. per user + $20 base fee
Scoring
Key Features
-
Geofencing-capable time tracker with GPS location tracking
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Clock-in/out reminders and time clock restrictions
-
PTO management system
-
Data exports in XLS or CSV format
-
Integration with popular business tools
Driving routes are tracked
Easy timesheet entry editing
Automatic clock out
Assign activities to individuals or groups
Scheduling is too basic for the construction business
No way for workers to request time off
No native payroll integrations
Highlights
Jibble packs a punch despite being one of the more affordable attendance trackers.
Field workers can easily clock in or out through its mobile app, and every minute tracked will automatically sync to the cloud so managers at the office can monitor the team’s timesheet in real time.
Attendance can be recorded on-site with Jibble’s kiosk, which has advanced face recognition that prevents spoofing attempts by time thieves.
After integrating Jibble with Slack or Microsoft Teams, employees can also type a clock-in/clock-out code in these messaging apps, and they will be on the clock right away.
Even if the field workers are spread across multiple locations, Jibble gives managers plenty of ways to verify whether they are really working on schedule.
Its dashboard provides a quick overview of who among the workers is clocked in, who is on a break, and who is clocked out. There’s also a live map showing exactly where the workers are located.
Managers can drill into the timesheets to get valuable attendance insights. They can choose the date range and apply filters to show data according to tracked hours, groups, or schedules.
Reports can be downloaded in XLS or CSV format, and managers can choose to have Jibble email them daily attendance reports or weekly activity reports to help them analyze employee absences and tardiness.
Despite having cost-effective yet robust tools, Jibble doesn’t perfectly meet the needs of construction companies when it comes to more powerful scheduling.
Jibble allows users to assign activities to individual members under the same project, but there’s no drag-and-drop calendar scheduling tool that would have streamlined the whole process.
Reviews
The iOS user below appreciates Jibble’s responsive customer support, but the bugs negatively impacted the company’s experience using the software for its hybrid team.
Efficient way to monitor attendance ⭐⭐⭐⭐
We use a shared “kiosk” (iPad with the app installed) that uses facial recognition for in-person clock ins. Our remote team uses the mobile app to clock in. 4/5 stars because there are still some bugs they’re working out — but support is responsive. For example, our kiosk is supposed to automatically clock out all staff every night but it isn’t properly doing so. Another example is one of our managers received the entire team’s attendance reports instead of only their team’s.
(Click here for more Jibble iOS reviews)
The majority of Android users have had a pleasant experience using Jibble. However, there’s always room for improvement, and the user below provides specific suggestions.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Great time clock app, easy to use. My company was having issues with our old outdated time card system, after doing some research we decided to do the Free Trial and test it out. We have since made the decision to switch completely to Jibble, so far so good. My only complaint is that we can’t track weekly overtime and paid holidays simultaneously. Maybe in the future they will add this feature.
(Click here for more Jibble Android reviews)
The user below also presents valid points and suggestions. However, allowing users to edit their time entries manually is optional, and you can easily disallow it by going to Jibble’s Policies page.
A comprehensive user-friendly app ⭐⭐
Pros: – The User interface is easy to understand and work with and integrates with different application flawlessly. The Application allows the users to use the services remotely just not only from a computer but also from employee’s mobile phones making it more accessible. The reporting element of this app is also very helpful.
Cons: – The app doesn’t notify the users if the user login twice. – Any user can manually change the time. We feel that this feature should only sit with admin rights. Allowing any user to change the timings can create inaccuracies within the record keeping.
(Click here for more Jibble Capterra reviews)
Pricing
Free Trial?
14 days (no credit card required)
Premium
$2.49/mo. per user
Ultimate
$4.99/mo. per user
Enterprise
Available upon inquiry
Scoring
Key Features
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Basic time tracker
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Automatic timesheet syncing
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Drag-and-drop task scheduler
-
Basic GPS location tracking
-
PTO and vacation tracker
Basic attendance tracking, even on the free plan
Clock in/out using an app or kiosk
Detailed attendance sheet
Precise attendance report
Easily add expenses
Time tracker too simple for construction companies
GPS location tracking is not 100% accurate
No driving mileage tracker
Highlights
Clockify checks the boxes for businesses looking for a simple attendance tracker without all the extras.
Even on a free plan, you can create a project and start logging hours using its built-in timer right away. Every second tracked automatically syncs with Clockify’s timesheet, so managers can just sit back and watch as the numbers add up.
If you mistakenly let the time tracker run without choosing a project first, Clockify will keep recording to ensure no time is lost. You can then add the recorded time to the appropriate project at any point as if nothing happened.
To get a full view of the team’s attendance, Clockify offers a dedicated attendance sheet under Report on the dashboard. It will show an overview of all the team members, when they started working and when they finished.
Clockify’s attendance report also clearly shows who took overtime and whose recorded hours are below the required number.
However, Clockify’s time tracker falls short if compared to more intricate tracking tools like Workyard’s.
It doesn’t automatically clock in or out when inside or outside a defined project location. GPS location tracking is cool, but its accuracy depends on location, the height of the building, or even the phone’s operating system.
Driving mileage can be added as an expense, but Clockify isn’t sophisticated enough to track it, so they rely only on the workers’ honesty.
Reviews
Clockify is known for its simplicity, and the user below loves that it meets his needs perfectly. It may not be the best solution for businesses that require more precise time trackers, but Clockify definitely fits the bill for those who are only looking for a basic time clock.
Great product – even the free “basic” version ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I am quite pleased with the features and functionality – even in the “basic” version. It does what I need it to do and then some, and I’ve come to really enjoy how easy it is to use
(Click here for more Clockify iOS reviews)
Web and mobile apps with error-free synchronization are ideal if you want accurate time tracking across different devices. The Android user below reports synchronization issues with Clockify, which can seriously delay project completion.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Chrome extension is great, but the app suffers some issues. If I stop a task via the PC, the mobile widget doesn’t seem to realize it and will keep counting. This leads to double entries and incorrect task durations, which could get me in a bit of hot water as I use this for work.
(Click here for more Clockify Android reviews)
Clockify’s time-tracking capability may be simple, but it can’t do what other more advanced time trackers can. As the user below notes, it can’t track time unless you clock in, unlike other time clocks with an automatic clock in/out feature, which accurately tracks workers’ time even when they forget to use the time clock.
If you do projects, this tracking software really helps cost control ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pros: I like that it helps to define how many hours I spent on what client project, and I can assign a dollar number for some project hours, a total time allocated,etc. I must admit I don’t use these features nearly enough.
Cons: It cannot track when you forget to turn it on. Time Rescue does this. Okay, mostly this is ‘user error’ but it should reset when you go to see your project times weekly.
(Click here for more Clockify Capterra reviews)
Pricing
Free Trial?
7 days (no credit card required)
Basic
$4.99/mo. per user
Standard
$6.99/mo. per user
Pro
$9.99/mo. per user
Enterprise
$14.99/mo. per user
Scoring
Key Features
-
Real-time GPS location and mileage tracking
-
Drag-and-drop scheduling
-
Project budget monitoring
-
Integration with payroll and accounting software
Customizable dashboard
Tracks billable and non-billable hours
Easy timesheet approvals
Offline-capable time tracking
Geofencing is too basic
Slow to load
Confusing user interface
Highlights
TimeTracker (by eBillity) gives you the flexibility to choose from two types of time-tracking modes: time cards and timers.
Time Cards mode tracks workers’ clock-in/out times and breaks and calculates overtime or double time. It’s the best setting if you’re tracking time for payroll purposes. On the other hand, Timers mode allows you to log billable hours. You can start, stop, and pause it, as well as run multiple timers at once.
Workers can switch between two settings in one click, but you have to save the recorded time first otherwise, the data will be permanently lost.
Every second recorded by the timer automatically syncs with the timesheet. Managers can then review each employee’s attendance sheet in daily or weekly viewing mode, depending on how many details they want to verify.
To accurately record the workers’ attendance, TimeTracker is backed by a GPS system tracking the places the employees visited and the mileage covered by their vehicles. Geofencing is also available, but it only alerts the admins when the worker clocks in or out of the defined project location.
TimeTracker’s dashboard is simple but not exactly visually appealing. It is also slow to load–so slow that even a task as simple as scheduling a task may already test your patience.
Reviews
TimeTracker seems to be suffering from many bugs, but the iOS reviews indicate the developer doesn’t bother replying to the most recent reviews at all. The user below complains not just of the technical issue but also of TimeTracker’s poor customer service.
I think it’s terrible ⭐
Just such a pain to use on the phone. Have to constantly reset my password cause it logs me out after every update, and don’t remember the password. And even then, can’t even do that without calling ’cause they don’t ever send the temporary password through email.
(Click here for more TimeTracker by eBillity iOS reviews)
TimeTracker’s location tracking is built to help construction and field service companies track their workers’ whereabouts. It’s a cool feature, but the user below complains that it drains his phone’s battery life.
⭐⭐
The app says it only tracks your location while you’re clocked in, but the more important issue is that the constant location tracking will absolutely DESTROY your battery life. I used to be able to go two days at 60%, but now every night I have 10-15% maximum.
(Click here for more TimeTracker by eBillity Android reviews)
Besides TimeTracker’s not-so-intuitive user interface, TimeTracker also suffers from synchronization issues, which can cause users to be anxious as the threat of permanent data loss always looms.
A good inversion ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pros: The best thing is that everything is synchronized from your mobile phone too, which means you never forget to track your time, wherever you are. It is easy to implement and the learning curve is quite low.
Cons: The only thing that is less appropriate for me is that sometimes the synchronization between devices takes more seconds than desired, which means that I don’t have peace of mind until I see that everything is correct.
(Click here for more TimeTracker by eBillity Capterra reviews)
Pricing
Free Trial?
14 days (no credit card required)
Time Tracker
$9/mo. per user
Time Tracker Premium
$15/mo. per user
LawBillity
$30/mo. per user
Scoring
Key Features
-
Real-time attendance reports
-
Automatic timesheet approval for error-free payroll
-
Easy scheduling and shift creation
-
Performance alerts for absences and tardiness
-
Integrations with the best business tools
Offline-ready time tracking
Detailed attendance and productivity reports
Time tracking stops when not working
Manual timesheets adjustment
No GPS tracking
More suited for remote teams
Too expensive for small teams
Webcam use may be too intrusive
Phone support is not available
Highlights
Time Doctor is an employee productivity app you can count on for attendance tracking.
Employees can use both Time Doctor’s desktop and mobile apps to record their time at work.
Time clock entries automatically sync with the timesheets, so managers can quickly pinpoint who isn’t taking enough breaks, who is always absent, and who is taking on more tasks than he can handle.
When it comes to monitoring remote workers’ online activities and productivity, Time Doctor truly shines. But without any means to track the worker’s location and driving mileage, it doesn’t have much to offer for companies managing field workers, such as in construction.
Reviews
Time Doctor is a solid productivity tool if it works, but the lack of reliable phone support drives disappointed users (like the user below) to other apps. The issue is related to glitches on Time Doctor’s desktop app, but what could’ve been a golden opportunity to retain a customer was wasted because of Time Doctor’s lackluster support.
The wasted potential here is depressing ⭐
The app is inaccessible. I tried six times, but no luck. I’m not even upset with the company (other than the meeting no-show…but it is what it is at the end of the day). Instead, I’m simply disappointed with the potential that they are wasting. They’ve built a solid chassis, but that’s it. No engine, no body, no wheels.
(Click here for more Time Doctor iOS reviews)
Time Doctor is designed to monitor an employee’s productivity on their computers, so it’s no surprise the user below finds the desktop app better performing than its Android counterpart. It would have been better if Time Doctor had an equally robust mobile app for field workers who are always on the move, but it’s obviously not the company’s priority.
⭐
It’s unclear what this app tracks if anything at all, totally inferior to the desktop version. If all it tracks is a hypothetical work start and end time and no activity… Then it’s no different from a stopwatch.
(Click here for more Time Doctor Android reviews)
While Time Doctor suffers from occasional bugs, it remains a reliable productivity tool for the companies it’s designed for. The user below lists some of the app’s strengths, which may be effective for specific types of workers, but definitely not for construction companies.
Time Doctor Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pros: The good thing with Time Doctor is that it efficiently tracks time, mouse clicks, and keyboard clicks. It also has a screenshot feature to make sure the employee is using his/her time wisely.
Cons: As far as and as long as I have used Time Doctor, the only issue that I know is there are times that where the time doesn’t sync however, they are constantly working on it, so the issues are taken cared of right away.
(Click here for more Time Doctor Capterra reviews)
Pricing
Free Trial?
14 days (no credit card required)
Basic
$7/mo. per user
Standard
$10/mo. per user
Premium
$20/mo. per user
Enterprise
Available upon inquiry
Scoring
Key Features
-
Clock-in/out with mobile app
-
Real-time attendance tracking
-
Categorize days by type (remote work, holiday, etc.)
-
Comprehensive attendance reports
-
Integration with payroll tools
Dedicated attendance sheet
Geofencing-capable location tracking
Quick timesheet editing and approval
No built-in scheduling feature
Chatbot customer support
Integrations are not available on the free plan
Highlights
TimeCamp is a time-tracking tool with features to meet the needs of both remote and field workers. Its timesheet with a built-in timer is accessible through any device, so workers can record their time entries through the mobile app if they’re always on the go or the kiosk for seamless on-site attendance.
A dedicated attendance sheet breaks down each worker’s time entries. You can toggle between daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly reporting to help you analyze the employee’s attendance record from every angle.
You can also apply a search filter to display results according to day type–regular working day, absent, holiday, remote work, business trip, and many more.
Attendance reports can be generated and exported instantly so your team can review the company’s overall attendance trends and adjust your staffing or scheduling strategies accordingly.
Although TimeCamp allows you to create projects and assign them to team members, it doesn’t have an internal scheduling system that would have made project management easier.
TimeCamp provides a decent attendance tool, but it definitely needs integrations to meet your company’s needs beyond simple time tracking.
Reviews
TimeCamp works on both desktop and mobile apps, but its desktop version is more popular among remote workers like the user below. He suggests optimizing the interface to make switching between different projects easier.
Nice job ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I enjoy the ease of use and convenience. I use a computer and phone all day; it’s so helpful. I wish the projects were listed on the left as a dropdown on the Windows version so I can start the next task without having to stop the last one.
(Click here for more TimeCamp iOS reviews)
The Android user below loves how simple and intuitive TimeCamp’s mobile app is but points out technical issues that negatively affect user experience.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Great app, simple and intuitive to use. Starting to get buggy on login, and it freezes when I try to do a custom report now.
(Click here for more TimeCamp Android reviews)
Capterra reviews of TimeCamp are mostly positive. The user below loves its free version but finds it lacking in flexibility to accomplish the things she wants.
Incredibly useful time and task management tool ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pros: It’s the automatic timetracking that I like the best. Finding the crucial phrases that will correctly monitor time took some time, but now that I’ve got it functioning it’s fantastic. Compared to rivals, Timecamp’s high bandwidth is the second most popular aspect of the service.
Cons: Time entries can’t be moved or deleted from one activity to another or deleted from the system. To better organize and comprehend the data, I’d like to be able to sort the reports table. Personalization of invoices is another something I’d like to see.
(Click here for more TimeCamp Capterra reviews)
Pricing
Free Trial?
14 days (no credit card required)
Starter
$3.99/mo. per user
Premium
$6.99/mo. per user
Ultimate
$9.99/mo. per user
Enterprise
$14.99/mo. per user
Final Thoughts
The best employee attendance tracker churns out data to paint a clearer picture of who’s overworked, who’s lagging behind, and who’s not showing up at all. It helps managers fix scheduling inefficiencies, prevent employee burnout, and ensure error-free timesheets for easier payroll processing.
The employee attendance trackers listed above should give you a good head start. But to get the best results, choose the tool specifically designed for your business type.
Workyard, for instance, has a precise time tracking system for construction, field service, and property management businesses. Not only does it provide a detail-by-detail account of how each worker spends his time at work, but it also comes with robust reporting and scheduling tools to ensure all workers are bringing their A-game every single time.
Learn more about Workyard and how it can help you track employee attendance and more. You can also sign up for the 14-day free trial to start testing its features at no cost.
Our Scoring System Explained
Our 8-part scoring system was created to help you understand the potential value of any software we review simply and fairly.
We created it after reviewing dozens of software products, which we covered in depth, but without providing a direct and simple way for readers to compare products on their merits – without spending a lot of time looking through our articles for the information they needed to make an informed decision.
Every app we review will include Customer Support and Company scores, which we’ll explain in more detail below. Many of the factors reviewed in this article will also be consistent across most (or all) of our software reviews, with some differences:
The 8 factors assessed and their contribution to a product’s overall score may differ slightly from product to product based on various factors, such as the use case we’re reviewing for, the type of business these products are tailored to, and other considerations. However, all reviews will feature an 8-part score, weighted and combined to calculate each product’s overall score.
How We Score Software
All factors in our reviews are scored on a 10-point scale – technically 11 points – from 0-10. However, we only give products a score of 0 if it does not include an essential feature at all, and we try to avoid giving out 0 scores if a product can demonstrate any functionality in line with the specific factor being reviewed.
In general, the 0-10 range translates as:
- 9.0 – 10 – One of the absolute best in its category (amazing).
- 7.5 – 8.9 – Very good, but with some minor issues (very good).
- 6.0 – 7.4 – Mediocre performance with notable shortcomings (average).
- 3.0 – 5.9 – This feature is not ready for prime time (borderline).
- 1.0 – 2.9 – This feature actually makes its product worse (unacceptable).
- 0 – The product doesn’t include this important feature at all.
How We Calculate Overall Scores
The 8 factors reviewed are weighted based on an overall total of 100%:
- Ease of Use: 20%
- Time Tracking Accuracy: 20%
- Scheduling Features: 15%
- Job Tracking: 15%
- Integrations: 10%
- Customer Support: 15%
- Company: 5%
Methodology for Each Factor
Ease of Use
We evaluate a product’s ease of use based on three main considerations:
- How easy is it to set up this app?
- How easy is it for managers to use the backend dashboard?
- How easy is it for frontline workers to use the (mobile) app?
These three considerations cover the main ways you and your team would use the software being reviewed – when you first obtain it, when someone (a manager, executive, team leader, or similar role) needs to use it to manage people, money, data, and other things, and when workers you’re tracking use the app (usually a mobile version of the software designed for frontline and/or field team members) to clock in, clock out, record time worked, or address other day-to-day needs.
Time Tracking Accuracy
Every minute matters when you’re trying to control payroll costs. This factor accounts for various features and common needs in time-tracking apps, such as…
- How accurate or precise is its GPS tracking capability?
- How accurate – and how customizable – is its geofencing feature?
- How accurate is its travel and mileage tracking (if available)?
- Can it automatically clock workers in and out based on the above?
- Can you set and/or restrict rules for clocking in and out?
- Can the app continue tracking workers while offline?
- How easy is its mobile app and/or kiosk for frontline workers?
Scheduling Features
Many construction businesses prefer to manage as many aspects of employee labor activity as possible in a single app, which is why many time-tracking apps also include worker scheduling as a core feature.
When we consider a product’s scheduling features, we look at:
- Its dashboard customizability (daily, weekly, or monthly views).
- Its project-based scheduling and visibility.
- Its real-time updates and notifications for workers.
- Its real-time map views of worker locations for best-fit scheduling.
- Its recurring schedule (copies to subsequent weeks, etc.) functionality.
Job Tracking
This factor helps you understand if the software can also provide insight into specific projects, which is particularly handy when your business deals with many customers or clients who generally need shorter-term work. Effective job tracking typically also includes accurate job costing functionality for construction companies.
We assess several things when calculating a product’s job tracking score:
- Its project-based tracking for multiple projects per day/week/etc.
- Its ability to track multiple / many projects simultaneously.
- Its use of (and your ability to customize) construction cost codes.
- Any built-in job costing views.
- Any integrations for cost coding (QuickBooks etc.)
Integrations
No business can operate on a single app, which is why integrations with other apps and tools are such important aspects of modern business software.
To calculate a product’s integration score, we’ll examine:
- How many native integrations (the simplest connection) does it offer?
- How effective and easy-to-use are its integrations with payroll software?
- Does it have robust data import and export features?
Customer Support
Learning how to use a new app can be frustrating, even if it’s meant to be the most user-friendly app around. That’s why great customer support is so essential when considering which time-tracking app to use.
Customer support scores are calculated based on:
- Live support channels available (phone, email, chat, etc.).
- Live support hours (business hours only, 24/7, etc.).
- The strength of the product’s online help center and/or FAQs.
- What other users say about support in online reviews.
Company
A great company with a highly customer-friendly approach can often make up for shortcomings in their software products – at least up to a point.
When assessing this score, we’ll examine:
- Transparency (easy-to-find pricing, etc.)
- Trial period (duration, feature availability, credit card requirements, etc.).
- Subscription flexibility (contracts, required durations, etc.).
- Ease of cancellation or pausing subscriptions.
- Customer perceptions (online product reviews).
- Website (a minor consideration, but great companies tend to have great websites).
Any questions about our scoring system? Have any suggestions on how we could make it even better? Click here to send us your feedback – we’d love to hear from you!
There are two types of free employee attendance trackers in the market: the free trial version, which lets you try all the premium features within a limited time, and the free-forever options, like Clockify.
All the employee attendance trackers reviewed in this article have free trial versions. This gives you enough time to test their features and decide if they’re the right fit for your business.
The free-for-ever attendance trackers, like Clockify, offer unlimited use of their time trackers. However, the time clock is often too basic, and you will soon feel compelled to upgrade to one of the paid plans.
Therefore, the best free employee attendance tracker depends on the business’s size and the level of automation it requires. Free-forever trackers often work great for one-person businesses that don’t require extra features beyond a simple time tracker. On the other hand, most growing businesses need more features like scheduling, invoicing, and payroll tools to keep the business running smoothly.
When looking for the best employee attendance tracker for your business, you can trim down the options by making sure the software has the following essential features:
- Cross-device tracking: The attendance tracker must work seamlessly across all devices, giving the workers the flexibility to record their time entries wherever they go.
- Real-time and accurate time tracking: Attendance trackers that can record employees’ time down to the last second go a long way toward promoting transparency in the workplace. Accurate time entries ensure error-free payroll, so the company only spends its money where it should.
- Seamless automation: The attendance trackers must be able to automate attendance tracking, scheduling, and timesheet filling so users can say goodbye to manual data entry for good.
- Biometrics authentication: On-site attendance tracking through kiosks often gives employees an opportunity to steal time through buddy punching. Using biometrics like fingerprint scanning and facial recognition adds a layer of security that prevents time theft from happening.
- GPS tracking: The best attendance trackers can also accurately track location and even driving mileage, so you’ll know if the workers clocked in or out at the job site.
- Built-in scheduling: Attendance compliance goes hand in hand with up-to-the-mark scheduling, so choose an attendance tracker with an efficient scheduling tool that allows you to distribute tasks evenly and edit the schedule anytime.
- Payroll integration: Attendance records should be easily transferred to a payroll management system to ensure employees are paid accurately and on time.
- Detailed attendance reports: The best attendance trackers can quickly generate reports to help you make important decisions without wasting time hunting data.
Yes, Excel or Google Sheets can be a decent alternative to dedicated employee attendance trackers because they’re free and easy to use. If you have a small team with a limited budget, this can help you track employee attendance without breaking the bank.
However, the downside is that Excel or Google Sheets require manual data entry, which can be time-consuming. It also lacks the security and versatility that will allow field workers to record their time entries on the fly and in places with limited computer access.
Hence, businesses must consider a dedicated employee attendance tracker that can grow with them and offers security, mobility, and automation features.
Introducing a new employee attendance tracker to the workplace may not be welcomed with open arms, especially in the least digitized industries like construction.
It’s important to know the following reasons that might prevent them from adopting new technology and plan ways to overcome them accordingly.
- Technology barriers: Learning new technology takes time, so choosing an attendance tracker with a user-friendly interface can help ensure non-tech-savvy workers can use the app immediately.
- Resistance to change: Switching to an automated attendance tracking system from a paper-based timesheet method requires many adjustments. Communicate clearly the reasons behind the change and make sure everyone is on the same page regarding the benefits it can bring to the company in the long run.
- Privacy concerns: Many attendance trackers have time and location tracking elements that may be perceived as too intrusive by construction company workers. Explain the measures the company takes to ensure data privacy and address all their concerns to improve employee compliance.