The construction industry is a labor-intensive field, with multiple contractors and skilled workers engaged in the job site at any given time. For subcontracting company leaders, project managers, field supervisors, and payroll staff, this means hours of time tracking, labor management, and payment processing for each and every member of the team. To ensure operational efficiency and streamlined management of larger workforces with minimum errors in payroll processing, SmartBarrel’s offers solutions that provide real-time visibility into workforce data.
What is Time Card Approval?
Time card approval is the process of reviewing the hours worked by an employee before proceeding to process their payments according to the company’s labor rate card. For industries where payments are calculated per hour of work, accurately capturing the durations of work done for each employee can help reduce payroll disputes and time card fraud.
Why is Time Card Approval Important?
For the employer, time card approval is, first and foremost, a legal requirement by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Additionally, as an employer, it allows you to avoid payment irregularities, which can often lead to the overpayment or underpayment of workers. For large construction teams, such errors can accumulate to large cost overruns in your project. An efficient time card approval system can help you minimize the time required to process payments for all your workers on time and without any fear of errors.
Lastly, time card approvals offer employers the opportunity to make data-driven decisions. Project managers are able to track the time and labor utilized per task and make better decisions on how to allocate future resources. They can, for instance, identify whether they are overstaffing or understaffing for a specific task.
How Time Card Approval Works
While different companies often have varying policies, the general process is often similar.
- Time Card Submission: Time card approval begins with the workers submitting their time cards to management. Time cards often indicate the work details as well as the number of hours worked during a given pay period. Employees can either log their hours manually or electronically, depending on the company policies. SmartBarrel uses biometric facial verification along with geo-fencing to ensure 100% accurate and automated time logs.
- Time Card Review: Upon submission, management reviews and validates the information provided in the employee’s time cards. The management confirms if the details submitted are a true reflection of the hours worked and the work assigned to the employee. With SmartBarrel, managers and supervisors are able to access real-time labor data wherever they are, making time card review a breeze.
- Time Card Approval: Management can then opt to approve the time card or reject it and send it back for revision. To avoid legal disputes, it is advisable to record all changes in writing. Once the time card is signed off, it is then sent to payroll for processing. SmartBarrel can integrate with your payroll systems for faster processing, making it the ultimate solution for construction companies.
Automated and Manual Time Card Approval Methods
Depending on the company size and the industry, you can adopt a wide range of methods.
- Manual Approval: This is an analog approval process where employees fill out their work hours on paper. For uniformity, the company issues a standardized template that allows the workers to write the task details, date, and hours worked. Management then approves the time card by signing and stamping the time card sheet before sending it to the payroll team. Manual approval can be prone to errors and delays. It is, therefore, only suitable for small teams.
- Electronic Time Card Approval: Electronic approval offers a lot more convenience and efficiency compared to the manual system. It allows employees to clock in their hours through an electronic time card system. The information can then be instantly forwarded online to the supervisor for verification and approval.
- Mobile App Approvals: Time card apps now provide the convenience of logging employee hours and approving time cards straight from the palm of your hand. Apps offer the utmost flexibility, particularly when assigning teams to different job sites.
- Automated Time Card Approval: For companies with larger workforces looking to make approval fast, accurate, and efficient, automated time card approval is the way to go. This system allows for automation of the process of logging in hours as well as the verification, approval, and submission to the payroll team. No additional input is required from the supervisor or management except in cases of error alerts. SmartBarrel’s AI-powered biometric verification and geo-fencing stop time theft in its tracks compared to manual time cards.
Take Back Control of Your Time Keeping
Effective Time Card Approval Best Practices
Regardless of the time card approval method that a company adopts, there are several best practices that can aid in ensuring higher efficiency and accuracy.
Set Standard Operating Procedures: Whether running a manual, mobile, or automated approval process, it is crucial to set clear steps that employees should follow to submit their time cards. There should also be transparency in the verification and approval process, allowing employees to raise concerns and effect changes in case of discrepancies. Consider the user-friendliness of the timecard approval system and offer adequate training to all parties involved.
Keep Accurate Records of All Approvals: It is good practice to keep a record of all approvals and rejections in case of future payroll disputes. Additionally, audit your time card approvals to ensure you stay compliant with all labor laws. Where possible, back any changes with adequate evidence.
Efficient Processing of Time Cards: Opt for an efficient approval system that will allow for accurate and timely processing of payrolls. Automate steps in the approval process, minimizing the administrative time required to disburse payments. Additionally, your system should be able to efficiently track overtime hours and break times to avoid overpayments and underpayments. SmartBarrel automates the entire time card approval process time tracking to payroll processing with 100% accuracy, minimizing administrative headaches and disputes.
Time Card Approval Process Automation
Companies have moved from manual timecard approval to automated systems that have time tracking features, as well as automated generation and approval of timesheets. This is made possible by various technologies.
Geofencing time tracking software, for instance, allows you to cross-check your employee’s location with their log details. Automated systems also allow for accurate calculation of breaks and overtime hours for fair payments. They can generate timesheets and time card reports in seconds while generating error alerts in case of any discrepancies. As such, SmartBarrel’s automation of the process bears many benefits, including higher accuracy, less time card fraud, and timely processing of payments.
Ready to Incorporate Automated Time Card Approval in Your Construction Projects?
Get started today with SmartBarrel! We provide sophisticated time-tracking and labor management solutions that feature AI-powered biometric verification and geo-fencing technologies for maximum operational efficiency and 100% accuracy. SmartBarrel time card approvals allow you to track employee attendance in real time, approve time cards promptly, and ensure accurate payroll processing. For evidence-based logs and zero payroll discrepancies or disputes, contact us today for consultation.
