Any business that has employees needs to find an employee time clock system that works for them. There are many different approaches to keeping time and it varies based on the type of work the employees do. If the employees are at a desk, it is nice for the time clock to be at a computer. If the employees are working throughout the location, it is nice for there to be common computers or stations for the time clock. Finding the right system will help the time keeping process run smoothly and accurately.

There are several different types of time and attendance software programs available but many businesses are hesitant to purchase employee time clock software. They may feel that the system will not work for them or that it will be too expensive. I have seen a lot of companies use systems like having their employees write their time down on a weekly time card or update their time on a spreadsheet. Although these methods are inexpensive, they are time consuming for the administrator or business owner and they are also prone to errors and fraud.

Fortunately, the manufacturers of time and attendance software have come up with several different versions of time keeping software that make it affordable and effective for any company. For small businesses, there are programs that are installed on one computer at the location. From that one computer, employees can punch in and punch out. These programs are available for a one-time fee and usually have a limited number of employees that they can accommodate but additional employee capacity can be purchased.

Another option for larger business is a web based time clock. If you have too many employees for them to be able to clock in a clock out on one computer, there are versions that allow them to log in from a web browser at their workstation. You could also designate a few computers throughout the building for use with the employee time clock. There generally are limits to the number of users that can be logged in at one time but this can still accommodate small to medium sized businesses.

However, if you have hundreds of employees or several locations, there are other web based time clock programs for time keeping that are run on the software manufacturers server. These have a monthly fee and can accommodate large companies. Employees can log in from any network computer to update the time clock. This is also great for companies that have employees working in the field.

By selecting the right program for your company, you can have effective and efficient time keeping. This ensures accuracy, reduces the potential for fraud and also can be very cost effective for small business with a few employees as well as very large companies.