What is an employee attendance app?

An employee attendance app is an essential tool for businesses today, and especially for remote working. Its primary function is to give employees a system which enables them to clock in and out so that HR can gain visibility of the hours worked, as well as any overtime.

You'll find a range of systems on the market. The best solutions, however, enable your employees to clock in and out from wherever they are. And they'll also get the information to the HR department in real-time.

Do you have to use an employee attendance app?

On 12 May 2019, companies across Europe became obliged to keep records of their workers’ start and finish times, and companies across the region have had to track the exact times their employees’ clock in and out.

The UK still has to abide by these laws, at least for now. And while EU law currently overrules any individual member state legislation, the UK also has its own time and attendance laws, set out in the Working Time Regulations (WTR) 1998.  

Like all other EU countries, this law states that no UK employee should work more than an average of 48 hours a week unless they've "opted-out" or if the law on working hours

doesn't cover their job.

But unlike the terms of the EU ruling in May 2019, the WTR does not oblige companies to record the exact daily hours of its employees. They only have to prove they don't exceed the total limit.

EU law challenges this, stating that without an "objective, reliable and accessible system enabling the duration of time worked each day by each worker to be measured", it becomes very difficult for workers to ensure their rights are met.

UK companies are, therefore, strongly advised to implement such a system to avoid fines or being named and shamed.

These laws don't specify which type of system companies should adopt. So, that leaves you free to choose the one that best suits your business needs. And, as we mentioned earlier, choosing one which offers an employee attendance app is the best approach.

It's crucial to have a reliable and up-to-date system as companies can be fined for not keeping accurate records, the amount of which varies from country to country.

Features to look for in an employee attendance app

A time and attendance app will be used by employees, managers and naturally, the HR team. So, it should offer features that meet all of their needs.

Clocking in and out

The main functionality of an employee attendance app is to facilitate clocking in and out. It should be a smooth process providing a pleasant user experience and so, at the same time, encourages all employees to comply with the obligation. Another important factor about this software is that it allows you to set up the time control app to enable employees to clock in and out when they’re working remotely.

Reports and summaries

One of the HR department’s responsibilities is to supervise the amount of overtime worked. The  HR software you choose should offer you automatic and real-time reports which give you key data. That way, the people department will save a ton of time when it comes to checking this information, guaranteeing that all hours will be included in monthly payslips.

Salary calculator

Another interesting feature of time control apps is that they can also calculate salaries automatically. The HR team can simply enter each employee's rate per hour and, depending on how much overtime they've worked, and the app will calculate how much they will receive next month.

Mobile app

The ability to access time tracking from a mobile phone, for both employees or HR managers, is a major advantage. Workers can record their working hours from wherever they are, managers can approve them, and the HR team can check that everything's correct.

7 reasons to choose an employee attendance app

If you're still not sure why you should choose a time and attendance app for your company, here are seven solid reasons that could sway you.

1. Mobile compatible

No other time control system is compatible with mobile devices, which can complicate clocking in and out when an employee is working at home or on a business trip.

Employee attendance apps are compatible with both Android and iOS mobile devices, and you only need an internet connection to use them.

Kenjo is a time and attendance system so you can access it from your computer as well as other mobile devices.

2. Easy to use

Modern software platforms place a particular emphasis on user experience when designing each screen that staff interact with. They aim to create an intuitive app which enables the user to perform any operation with ease, without having to watch tutorials or do any training.

This makes it incredibly easy to implement in your company. It will save you time and money, as employees can comfortably start using it from the moment the software is installed.

Kenjo Interface

3. Set up different work schedules

Another advantage of employee attendance apps is that you can set up different working hours for every person who works in the company. Some may work full-time, others part-time, and others may have reduced working hours. You may even have different working hours in the summer. Each case is different, so it's really handy to be able to reflect this in the app so that you can easily compare an employee's contracted hours with those worked.

4. Geolocation of mobile phones

Geolocation is extremely useful as it shows you where an employee was when they clocked in or out. So, even though it offers a remote timekeeping system, you can see whether the employee was in the company when they said they were, or at home when remote working.

5. Overtime compensation

The objective of timekeeping is to monitor and pay for any extra hours worked. Whether the company wants to monitor working hours to compensate the employee's payslip or with time in lieu, software like Kenjo can take care of it. You can even set this up to automatically change overtime hours into extra leave or adapt the payslip accordingly.

6. Automatic report generation

Automatic reports are among the tools that HR managers most value. They enable you to control your department’s KPIs without the need to spend too much time checking them. And in terms of time and attendance, regular summaries will help you identify which employees are constantly working overtime and which department has the highest absenteeism.

7. Security

Most time and control apps have indispensable security systems, both for access to the application and to protect all the data stored. Cloud-based services are much safer than we imagine, as these companies invest significant sums of money in security.

As you can appreciate, employee attendance apps really are a fundamental tool for UK and European companies, who have a legal obligation to record working hours. Of all the options available, it’s the most versatile and efficient choice. It also has the added advantage that it adapts perfectly to the backdrop of remote working we are currently experiencing.