Employee time tracking is a subject that often makes employers and managers a little conscious as although it has its advantages, there are also exists its disadvantages. Time tracking is used to check how employees are spending their time during work hours.
For an employer, employee time tracking can help manage them better and makes changes in the process if required to increase productivity. But for an employee, it may feel like they are under constant scrutiny. In this article, you will find both – the pros and cons of implementing an employee time tracking system.
Pros of Employee Time Tracking
There are various types of time tracking options such as daily, weekly, and monthly done by using a timesheet calculator. There is also a biweekly timesheet calculator available as an option. Being able to track your employees pulling extra hours or shifts can help you calculate their payroll better.
Workplace Transparency
Tracking employee time can help you stay on top of all the ongoing projects and workplace transparency can be established. Whether it is an intern or a department head, by tracking employee time, you can keep in check the workflow and make the changes wherever required.
Tasks that are taking too much time can be reviewed and optimized by assigning each task according to the employee’s skill set. This can help plan a project more efficiently.
Amplify Employee Productivity
Time tracking if done correctly can help your employees, managers and you manage time more effectively. And we all know efficacious time management is the key to better work quality and amplified productivity.
When employees can track their time, they can make daily and weekly schedules accordingly which will help them manage their work by prioritizing them in a better manner. This way, employees can also track their personal growth which is also essential to your organization.
Overtime Compliance
Often, employees work overtime to meet urgent demands of clients or superiors and they don’t even get paid for it which can decrease employee’s loyalty and trust in your organization. But when you are effectively tracking their time, the payroll can be calculated in association with employee’s working hours.
Cons of Employee Time Tracking
While the above advantages of time tracking are great, for you to make a well-informed decision, knowing about the disadvantages is equally as important. But some of these drawbacks can be overcome.
Increase in Micromanagement
When employers or managers can see when and how employees are utilizing their work hours every day, it is easier to find faults. This may lead to constant micromanaging of employees which will just give rise to a stress-induced work environment. Instead of micromanaging, constructive criticism should be provided to the employees so that they can improve themselves instead of feeling like they are being scrutinized.
Low Employee Morale
Employee time tracking may make your employees feel as if they are continuously being spied open which can lead to a stress-induced work environment. This can affect their work quality as well as productivity. They may think that you don’t trust them leading to a decreased employee morale.
But this can be overcome by informing your employees how their time will be tracked and how beneficial it can be for them as well as the organization.