Using a time tracking system for remote and hybrid employees

Time tracking software is often thought of as a tool for managing shift workers (in industries such as manufacturing and retail), or for managing workers with billable hours (such as lawyers or engineers). However, with more and more employees incorporating remote or hybrid working into their roles, there are a number of benefits to using a time tracking system for traditional 9-5 workers too.

What is a time tracking system?

A time tracking system is a piece of software used to automatically record employee working hours without the need for a clunky process such as paper timesheets, or clocking cards. These traditional methods leave room for inaccuracies and human error. So most companies who track employee time will now want this in an automated, easy-to-use system with accurate reporting capabilities.

Challenges of hybrid and remote working

The age of COVID transformed the world of work forever. It’s now fairly standard for most companies to offer roles which have at least some working from home (hybrid) or are fully remote. In fact, companies who demand full time working from the office are reportedly struggling with retention and turnover as employees look to gain better work-life balance.

While this shift in working norms is great for a number of reasons, it can pose challenges for businesses too. Organisations with employees working from home may struggle with a lack of visibility or strained communication. This creates room for workloads to become unmanageable, or for people managers to become tempted to micromanage.

It can also be harder to look after the wellbeing of employees. Without seeing them on a regular basis, it can be harder to spot an employee who is under pressure or burning out. The blur between working time and personal time can accelerate burnout, and employees may find themselves doing lots of extra work in the evenings. This usually isn’t being logged as overtime, and managers may not even be aware that this is happening.

Using a time tracking system for remote and hybrid employees

Catering to the needs of a diverse and evolving workforce is vitally important. To keep employees productive, and to avoid the hurdles that come from not prioritising wellbeing, organisations must think carefully about they manage hybrid working.

This is where a time tracking system can help. Logging the hours worked by employees gives instant visibility to line managers and HR. You can track overtime, ensure employees aren’t regularly working above and beyond their contracted hours, and keep in line with the EU working time directive (or other local labour laws).

A lot of organisations don’t just offer flexibility of working location, but also flexibility of working hours. So a time tracking system is great for gaining an overall picture of the week for those employees who choose to do non-standard hours to better fit around other commitments (such as childcare).

Using a time tracking software doesn’t just offer the ability to record total hours worked either. A system like edays allows you to assign time to different projects or activities, so you can gain understanding of how employee time is being spent, and make any efficiency adjustments where needed.

Choosing a time tracking system

So you’ve realised that time tracking software is the ideal solution for your hybrid workforce. Now what? Choosing a system can be difficult, especially if you’re introducing time tracking for the first time. Time tracking with edays is simple, easy to use and receives good feedback from employees. The software isn’t intrusive (it doesn’t track mouse clicks or monitor employees every working minute), and it’s great for HR professionals looking to report for payroll or other record keeping purposes.

To find out why edays is the right solution for you, get in touch to book your free personalised demo.