Badge time clock or time tracking app?

The wall-mounted badge clock

Reliable on a single site where everyone comes through the same door. It requires buying hardware and installation, and doesn't cover work at clients, on building sites or remote work.

• Pros: simple gesture, on site.
• Cons: hardware cost, one device per site, no off-site work, lost or shared badges.

The timesheet

Free and flexible, but often filled in after the fact and editable without a trace. Hard to prove reliable during an inspection.

• Pros: nothing to install.
• Cons: forgotten entries, rounding, no record of corrections, re-typing for payroll.

The time tracking app

Each employee clocks in from their phone or a shared tablet. Location can be checked at clock-in, corrections are logged, and schedules, leave and absences live in one place.

• Pros: no hardware, mobile teams covered, reminders, traceability, payroll export.
• Cons: needs a smartphone or shared tablet, and a connection when clocking in.

Our advice

If your whole team works on one site, a badge reader is still an option. As soon as part of the team works elsewhere — at clients, on sites, remotely — or you want to connect clock-ins, schedules and absences, an app is simpler and cheaper. A tablet at the entrance can also replace the terminal for those without a smartphone.

Frequently asked questions