How should companies track employee time and attendance?

Time & Attendance

Not Country-Specific

DIRECT ANSWER

Companies should track employee time and attendance using a digital system that logs clock-in and clock-out times, calculates hours automatically, and flags overtime or attendance issues in real time. This reduces payroll errors, supports compliance with local labor law recordkeeping requirements, and removes the disputes that come with manual timesheets.

Common tracking methods compared

Method	Strengths	Weaknesses
Manual timesheets	No setup cost, familiar to staff	Error-prone, easy to dispute, slow to process for payroll
Biometric or physical clock-in	Prevents buddy punching, accurate to the minute	Requires hardware, fixed to a physical location
Software-based (app or web)	Real-time overtime alerts, works for remote and field staff, integrates with payroll	Requires employee device access and basic digital literacy

Best practices

Choose a method that fits how the team actually works — field staff need mobile tracking, office staff can use a simpler clock-in.
Set automatic flags for approaching overtime thresholds so managers can intervene before costs escalate.
Connect time tracking directly to payroll so hours worked flow into pay calculations without manual re-entry.
Retain time records for the period required under local labour law, since they are often requested during compliance reviews or wage disputes.

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What time records should employers keep?

At minimum: regular hours worked, overtime hours, any Sunday or public holiday work, and leave taken, held per employee per pay period. These are the records a labour authority or an employee in dispute will ask for.

Can employees clock in from their phones?

Yes, with app-based tracking, which suits field and remote staff. Where location accuracy matters, systems can pair the clock-in with a geolocation check so the record reflects where the shift actually started.