Maybe you've had the same system for years. A simple excel worksheet or paper schedule may do the trick when everything is running according to plan, but everything may not actually be going as smoothly as you think. If you aren't using time and attendance software, look out for these four hints that you have a timesheet issue.
You Spend More Time Fixing Your Timesheet than Creating It
If you have a system, you may not need to spend a lot of time on each month's schedule. You copy and paste from the previous month or have a running schedule that can easily be put in place, but what about when employees want vacation? Or need an afternoon off? If you're constantly running back to the schedule to update and amend for requested time off, you aren't just spending those thirty minutes creating the monthly schedule. You're spending hours talking to employees, updating and communicating those changes to the rest of the staff. An automated schedule allows easy changes and simple communication of those changes without added time.
Payroll Day Puts You In a Panic
It's the last Monday of the month and where are you? If you're kicking employees out of your office to pour over your paper timesheets and compare them with your employees’ hours, you have a serious timesheet issue. Not only are manual timesheets a waste of time during the month, but they can be doubly time-consuming at the end when you're trying to fill-in how many hours were worked and when. If you're struggling to calculate overtime, salary and time off when the month is up, you may have a timesheet problem.
You Have Missing Employee Syndrome
Does it seem like employees are taking long breaks despite accurate timesheets? Is one employee continually missing at 8:30 a.m. despite punching in a half-hour earlier? Timesheets are the perfect vehicle for fraud because they are easy to alter and change. Buddy-punching is a serious problem for some companies, not because their employees are more dishonest but because it's as simple as inserting a piece of paper into a punch clock for a friend. Experiencing "missing employee syndrome" is a sure fire sign that your system is being abused and you need an automated time and attendance system.
You Experience Amnesia During Look-Backs
The problem with timesheets doesn't end with payroll. Manual timesheets are easy to alter after you've signed them, which can lead to some uncomfortable conversations with HR. If you're continually wondering whether you really signed off on that overtime, you may be experiencing a common timesheet issue of employees' altering their sheets after approval.
Just because you have a system doesn't mean you aren't experiencing costly timesheet issues. An automated time and attendance software system is a simple way to combat these errors and staunch the costs associated with them. While manual timesheets may work, they aren't effective when it comes to cost or time. If you've experienced any of these timesheet problems, it's time to consider a time and attendance system.
