When we think of employee time tracking, we automatically think of non-exempt employees, in large part because we are legally obligated to do so. Tracking the hours of non-exempt workers not only satisfies the Fair Labor Standards Act, but it also allows us to follow state laws regarding meals and break times. Additionally, tracking the hours that someone has worked makes it easy to calculate totals for FMLA (particularly when FMLA is taken on an intermittent basis), as well as eligibility for employee benefits and sick or vacation time.
One Standard for Attendance
Employers usually don’t track the time and attendance of salaried employees. This is a missed opportunity. By simply making all employees accountable for recording their time, an employer can gently dissuade a salaried associate from developing poor attendance habits, like coming into work late or leaving an hour early every day. When your boss can see that you were gone for three hours without a good explanation, it becomes less appealing to take an extended shopping excursion while at lunch. For obvious reasons, this extra accountability can help boost productivity among salaried employees, but the additional effort can inspire and help your hourly employees as well. First, your salaried employees are often more seasoned and accomplished, and when they take accountability for their attendance, they send a powerful message to their co-workers. Second, when a salaried employee is actually at work when they are expected to be, they can be of assistance when issues arise.
Work-Life Balance
The business world is full of overworked employees who quit out of frustration when it became obvious that management is oblivious to the effort they were giving and the hours they were working. Working long hours keeps employees away from their friends and families, and will ultimately lead to burnout and lower productivity. If you notice employees who are consistently working long hours, you can reach out to those associates and better meet their needs. Without tracking their time, you might not know.
Staffing Analysis
One of the biggest benefits of tracking time for all associates is that it gives you the real story about staffing. Following the hours all associates work and the projects where those hours are spent can give you an early heads-up when you might need to add more staff to a certain area
or on a certain project, and when you have extra people who can pick up different work. Spreading the workload can help bolster employee satisfaction and your company’s overall success rate.
Tracking time can also provide data on the investment of time versus the revenue produced by different projects. You may find that certain work is more profitable than others, allowing you and your sales staff to better tailor your approach to the market.
Employee Satisfaction
A happy employee is a productive employee, one that is less likely to be tardy or absent from work and who can better roll with the punches of the market. One of the most common complaints associates have is the feeling that there are two (or more) classes of employees: those who have their attendance and progress closely watched, and those who come and go as they please. This attitude is absolutely toxic to teambuilding and can directly contribute to turnover. By making sure that all employees have equal accountability and by being prepared to redistribute the workload as needed, you can make sure that your employees have less vulnerability to this kind of negativity.
You can also find which salaried employees are going the extra mile and reward them. Salaried employees don’t get overtime, of course, but maybe you could give them tickets to a concert or a sporting event, or allow them to earn additional PTO. You can certainly consider their productivity at bonus and review time.
Getting your Salaried Employees on Board
Salaried associates are often uncomfortable with the idea of punching a time clock. It’s important to keep this in mind when you’re implementing this practice. Be sure to let your team know that you are collecting this data in order to improve business practices. Let them know that you will use this to support their productivity and professional advancement and to help the company grow, giving everyone the chance to make more money.
Getting Started with Employee Time Tracking
There are a lot of different methods of employee time tracking, but the most effective method is the least invasive. Many Human Capital Management programs, such as iSolved, have employee time tracking software integrated into the platform. This provides a totally seamless solution between employee time management and your payroll system. With experts like Commonwealth Payroll and HR to provide direction and support, tracking time and attendance can be virtually painless for everyone involved.
For more information on how Commonwealth Payroll & HR can work with you on your strategic human resources planning, call us today at 877-245-1159
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