Every manager with a mile-long to-do list knows how important it is to maximize their resources, so why are employers still keeping track of employee attendance and scheduling the old-fashioned way?
A business flourishes when it knows where its money is going, how its labor dollars are being spent, and the best ways to utilize its resources. Effective employee timekeeping software brings all of that and more to the table, including shift swaps.
Here are some great reasons to consider switching to a cloud-based time and attendance system.
How to save time while timekeeping
One of the biggest reasons to switch to an online system is that it saves managers time.
According to Accumen Data Systems, manual time tracking takes on average 7 minutes per card per pay period, whereas automated time tracking takes less than 1 minute per card per pay period. That’s a 6-minute difference. It may not seem like a lot, but it adds up quickly.
Number of Minutes Required to Calculate a Time Card
Take, for example, a team of 15 employees on a two-week pay cycle. That’s 105 minutes spent on time cards per pay period versus 15 minutes.
If you’re using an automated timekeeping system, that’s a savings of 90 mins (1.5 hours) in just one pay period. Over the course of 6 months, it adds up to a savings of 1080 minutes (18 hours). Over a year, that’s 2160 minutes (36 hours) saved. That’s 36 hours a manager could have spent managing the team.
What’s more, an automated system reduces human error and can virtually eliminate time theft due to buddy punching.
The importance of flexibility in scheduling
We’ve already discussed the timekeeping side of retail and restaurant businesses, but let’s dive deeper into the scheduling side.
Most employees in the retail or restaurant industry are hourly employees and usually choose this type of employment because of the flexibility in their work schedule. Not only does a flexible work schedule benefit the employee, but the employer as well.
According to The Balance Careers, a flexible work schedule increases employee morale, engagement, and commitment to the organization. It also reduces employee turnover, absenteeism, and tardiness because workers are able to handle their family obligations.
If you want productive workers who are committed to the job, you need to find ways to keep things flexible. This was especially true during COVID and remains true today.
Shift swapping can help keep things flexible
With shift swaps, employees maintain some control and flexibility in their work hours, which allows them to juggle their responsibilities more effectively.
How do shift swaps tie into time keeping and scheduling software?
Simple. A good employee timekeeping software not only saves managers time but offers built-in shift swapping to keep workers happy.
TimeForge: Employee timekeeping software that handles shift swaps with ease
Fortunately, TimeForge allows managers and employees to have it all.
Managers can easily build a schedule manually or by template. They can also use TimeForge’s AutoScheduler or copy a schedule from a previous week.
Once the schedule is posted, employees are alerted and are able to start planning or changing any engagements in their personal life. If an employee wants to give up a shift, or even pick up a shift, they can do this from the ease of their phone. It’s no longer necessary to write a note for other employees to see and post it by the schedule in the break room.
Once submitted, managers review the shift swap requests, approve or deny them, and the schedule is automatically updated. When employees work, the schedule lines up with the timecards, and more accurate reports can be viewed.
A good timekeeping software doesn’t just log hours worked. It can schedule and handle changes. It can also keep time, draw reports, and even more. Because of this, managers can focus on where they need to be – engaging with customers and supporting their team.
To learn more about how TimeForge can help benefit your business, request a demo or reach out to our friendly Customer Success Team. We’d love to show you how our timekeeping software can save you time and money.
