guide to employee time tracking

Keeping track of employee work hours efficiently is crucial for productivity and accurate payroll management. An easy-to-adopt time tracking tool can offer a seamless experience with minimal onboarding. It allows employees to track their hours in a way that suits their workflow, whether through starting and stopping timers as they work or filling out weekly timesheets. With integrations across popular platforms and a robust API, a good time tracking app ensures that it fits effortlessly into your existing processes.

For managers seeking to track employee hours accurately, intuitive timesheets, custom reminders, and notifications are essential. Calendar integration further streamlines the process, making it a simple and efficient tool for tracking work hours.

Whether you are looking for a desktop app, mobile app, or browser extension, the right employee time tracking tool works where you work, offering extensive integrations and real-time insights. It not only helps in tracking time but also provides powerful reporting to visualize team capacity, understand costs, and analyze how time is spent. This makes a comprehensive time tracker a tool for improving productivity and making informed business decisions.

When searching for the best app to keep track of employee work hours, choose a reliable, easy-to-use, and versatile solution that can help your business thrive. Start tracking time the easy way, and make the most of your work hours.

Is there a calendar to keep track of working hours?

Absolutely, there is a range of solutions available to keep track of work hours using a calendar-based approach. Let’s share a story about how such a solution transformed the workflow of a mid-sized marketing agency.

The Beginning

Once upon a time, in a bustling marketing agency named "Creative Pulse," tracking work hours was a significant challenge. The team was growing rapidly, and managing time effectively was becoming increasingly difficult. Employees would often forget to log their hours, leading to inaccurate payrolls and difficulties in project management. The management team knew they needed a better solution but didn't know where to start.

The Search for a Solution

One day, Emily, the project manager, attended a conference where she heard about various time tracking tools that integrated with calendar applications. Intrigued by the idea, she decided to explore further. After extensive research and numerous demos, she found a calendar-based time tracking tool that promised to be the perfect fit for Creative Pulse.

Implementation

The new tool was introduced with much anticipation. Emily organized a training session for the entire team to ensure everyone was comfortable with the new system. The software allowed employees to log their hours in real-time using start and stop timers directly from their desktops or mobile devices, giving employees a way to carry out the ‘record my work hours’ component. It also provided the option to fill out weekly timesheets for those who preferred a more structured approach.

The standout feature, however, was its calendar integration. Employees could sync their work schedules with popular calendar applications like Google Calendar and Outlook. This meant that every meeting, project milestone, and task scheduled in their calendars could automatically be turned into time entries. The integration also enabled setting up custom reminders and notifications, ensuring no one forgot to log their hours.

The Transformation

The impact of the new tool was immediate and profound. John, a senior designer at Creative Pulse, found the calendar integration particularly beneficial. Previously, John often struggled to remember the exact time spent on various client projects. Now, with every meeting and task linked to his calendar, tracking his work hours became effortless. He could easily visualize his day, helping him manage his workload more efficiently.

Moreover, the tool's mobile accessibility allowed remote workers and those frequently traveling to log their hours without hassle. Sarah, who often traveled to meet clients, appreciated the ability to track her time on the go. She could upload receipts and track expenses through the mobile app, which simplified her work significantly.

Insights and Growth

For Emily and the management team, the tool’s reporting and analytics features were game-changers. They could generate detailed reports showing how time was allocated across various projects and tasks. This data was invaluable for understanding team productivity, identifying bottlenecks, and making informed decisions to optimize resource allocation.

One of the most significant benefits was the improved accuracy in payroll and client billing. The ability to link tracked hours directly to invoices ensured that all billable hours were accounted for, leading to timely payments and improved cash flow. Integrated payment options with services like PayPal and Stripe streamlined financial transactions, further enhancing operational efficiency.

The introduction of a calendar-based time tracking solution transformed Creative Pulse. The tool’s ease of use, flexibility, and robust features made it an indispensable asset for managing time and productivity. By integrating seamlessly with existing workflows, it allowed the team to focus on what they did best—delivering exceptional marketing campaigns. Emily and her team could now breathe easier, knowing they had a reliable system to keep track of their work hours, ultimately driving the agency's growth and success.

So, if you're wondering whether there is a calendar to keep track of work hours, the answer is a resounding yes. And for Creative Pulse, it was a solution that brought clarity, efficiency, and a renewed sense of productivity to their everyday operations.

What is the one employee time tracking tool for daily office use?

One of the most effective and user-friendly tools for this purpose offers robust time-tracking capabilities and integrates seamlessly with various calendar applications, providing a holistic view of your work schedule and hours logged:

Comprehensive Time Tracking

A well-designed time tracker online system (including a time tracking app for freelancers) should be intuitive and flexible, catering to different work styles and needs. Users can start and stop timers as they go about their tasks or fill out timesheets at the end of the day or week. This flexibility ensures that employees can track their time in a manner that feels most natural and efficient for them.

Calendar Integration

A standout feature of effective time tracking tools is calendar integration. By syncing with popular calendar apps like Google Calendar and Outlook, these tools allow users to turn calendar events into time entries. This feature is particularly useful for professionals who rely heavily on their calendars to manage their daily schedules. Instead of manually entering work hours, users can simply import their calendar events, ensuring that their time tracking is accurate and up-to-date with minimal effort.

Custom Reminders and Notifications

To help manage time tracking, custom reminders and notifications can be set up to prompt users to log their hours at specific times. This reduces the risk of forgotten entries and ensures that timesheets are always complete and accurate. This feature is invaluable for maintaining consistency and reliability in time tracking, which is essential for payroll and project management.

Understanding that work happens everywhere, a good time tracking tool offers both desktop and mobile apps, as well as a browser extension. This means that whether you’re at your desk, in a meeting, or on the go, you can always access your time tracking tools. The mobile app is particularly useful for remote workers or those who travel frequently, ensuring they can log their hours no matter where they are.

Powerful Reporting and Insights

Beyond just tracking hours, a comprehensive time tracking tool provides powerful reporting tools that offer insights into how time is spent across projects and tasks. Managers can visualize team capacity, understand costs, and analyze broader trends to make informed decisions. These reports can be customized and exported, providing valuable data that can help optimize workflows and improve efficiency.

Invoicing and Payments

Effective time tracking tools also connect hours worked to invoicing and payments, streamlining the billing process. Users can easily convert logged hours into invoices and integrate with payment platforms like PayPal and Stripe, ensuring they get paid promptly for their work. This seamless connection between time tracking and financial management simplifies administrative tasks and helps businesses maintain a healthy cash flow.

Integration with Other Tools

In addition to calendar applications, the best time tracking tools integrate with a wide range of other tools such as project management software (like Asana and Trello), communication platforms (like Slack), and accounting systems (like QuickBooks and Xero). This extensive integration capability ensures that the tool fits seamlessly into your existing tech stack, making it a versatile and powerful solution for managing time and productivity.

Is there an app to track employee work hours?

Yes, there is an app for tracking employee work hours, and one of the most effective and user-friendly options available is Harvest. Harvest is a comprehensive time tracking tool designed for businesses of all sizes. It offers a wide array of features that make it easy to track, manage, and analyze employee work hours efficiently.

User-Friendly Interface

Harvest stands out with its user-friendly interface that simplifies the process of time tracking. Employees can easily start and stop timers with just a few clicks, allowing them to log their work hours accurately as they go about their tasks. For those who prefer to log their time at the end of the day or week, Harvest provides an intuitive timesheet interface where hours can be entered manually. This flexibility ensures that all employees can track their time in a manner that suits their individual workflows.

How can I track my employee’s hours?

Tracking your employee’s hours effectively is crucial for ensuring accurate payroll, maximizing productivity, and managing project timelines. Here’s how you can use tools to track your employees' hours accurately and efficiently.

Intuitive Timesheets

Intuitive timesheets are designed to be user-friendly, minimizing the time and effort required to log hours. Employees can easily enter their time against different projects or tasks, ensuring detailed and precise records. The timesheets are accessible (some include a monthly timesheet template) via both desktop and mobile applications, allowing employees to log their hours from any location, whether they are in the office, working remotely, or on the go.

What is the best app for tracking employee work hours?

Is there a simple work hours tracker? When it comes to keeping track of employees, the best time tracking tools on the market offer features designed to cater to businesses of all sizes. With an array of options that improve time management, enhance productivity, and provide valuable insights into work patterns, these tools stand out as the premier choice for tracking employee time.

  • Comprehensive Time Tracking

    These tools provide flexible time tracking options that cater to different work styles. Employees can log hours directly through the software, whether they are working on a computer or a mobile device. This flexibility ensures that all work hours are captured accurately, regardless of where the work is being done. The ability to track time on-the-go is particularly beneficial for remote workers and employees who frequently travel.

  • Mobile Accessibility

    Recognizing that work happens in various environments, the best time tracking tools offer robust mobile applications for both iOS and Android devices. This ensures that employees can log their time regardless of their location. The mobile apps also include features such as expense tracking and receipt uploading, making them versatile tools for employees who work remotely or travel frequently.

  • Simple Time Tracker

    Designed to streamline the process of tracking work hours, these tools are ideal for businesses of all sizes looking for an intuitive and efficient way to manage employee time.

  • Flexibility in Time Tracking

    These tools offer flexibility in how employees can track their time. Whether through a web browser, desktop application, or mobile app, employees can log their hours from anywhere. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for remote workers or those who frequently travel, ensuring that time tracking is consistent and accurate regardless of location. The mobile apps are available for both iOS and Android devices, making it easy for employees to track their hours on the go.


When it comes to tracking employee work hours, one tool consistently stands out. Harvest’s user-friendly interface and flexible time tracking options make it the ideal choice for daily office use. Employees can effortlessly log their hours through various methods, including real-time timers, timesheets, and calendar integrations with tools like Google Calendar and Outlook. These features ensure accurate and efficient tracking of work hours, minimizing the administrative burden and enhancing productivity.

For businesses seeking an app to track employee work hours, Harvest offers mobile and desktop applications, ensuring seamless accessibility regardless of location. The ability to set custom reminders and notifications helps maintain consistent time tracking, while detailed reporting and insights provide valuable data for optimizing workflows and making informed decisions.

Harvest’s seamless integration with a wide range of other tools, such as project management platforms, communication apps, and accounting software, ensures it fits smoothly into any existing tech stack. This versatility makes Harvest not only a simple work hours tracker but also the best app for keeping track of employees across various industries and work environments.

Harvest is the ultimate solution for businesses looking to streamline their time tracking processes. Its comprehensive features, ease of use, and powerful integrations make it the top choice for managing employee work hours effectively. By adopting Harvest, businesses can enhance productivity, ensure accurate time tracking, and gain valuable insights into their operations, leading to greater efficiency and profitability - claim your free trial today.