A web-based time clock is a method of recording employees’ work hours without the need of paper timecards. Anyone can access the system from a computer that has an internet connection. That is the only requirement for the majority of web-based time clock applications that are available – internet access. No additional hardware is needed and all of the programs are run on the internet itself and no software needs to be installed on the users’ computers. There are versions of web based time clock software available for computers running Windows, Macintosh and Linux operating systems.
The main benefit of using a web-based time clock is that it all employees, no matter where they are located, can ‘punch in’ and ‘punch out’. This is particularly useful for companies that have staff who are regularly out of the main office. The traditional card time clocks would not allow for this and relied on someone else punching the time card for an off-site employee. The need for paper or card timesheets to be available for every employee on a weekly or monthly basis is also eliminated. The amount of inconvenience that old style time clocks created is removed. All employees’ hours are recorded in real time and backed up to protect against loss.
Once the staff’s hours have been collated, the majority of web-based time clock software has provisions for billing and salary calculations. As the system is in real time, the results are far more accurate than those using traditional methods of timekeeping records. Calculating the number of hours worked on a particular project is also easier with a web-based time clock system as there are numerous administrative options available. Employees can have their hours billed against departments or projects as required. There is no more labor intensive mathematics and cross-checking involved. The web-based clock system also eliminates the possibility of human error that often plagues payroll departments.
There are many additional options that the various web-based clock systems offer. A small company could simply use it for basic timekeeping records. On the other hand, a large company could utilize features that include automated collation of figures and processing of pay slips, overtime calculations and employee hours by department and much more. The software interfaces are all very simple to use for the various web-based time clock companies but there is plenty of support and advice available from their technical personnel that are included in the fees.
The fees for using web-based time clock applications vary greatly. The most basic of systems can be found for as little as $5 a month. Of course, the more employees that a company has and the more additional functionality that they require will lead to an increase in the monthly price. There are a number of web-based time clock companies that offer free trials for a limited period of time. In order to evaluate the best application, it is worth looking into the free trials first. The free trial can help a company assess exactly which features they want to have in their web based time clock application.
John Furnem is a dot com veteran, specializing in personality psychology he has written articles and held seminars for stress management & Work Life Balance. John currently writes articles on Web Based Time Clock for a content site. |
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