Tired of paper timesheets? Try a scheduling system

No matter how beneficial technological developments can be for businesses, there will always be a staggered approach to the way in which people adopt new processes and systems. And while there isn’t a universal reason why some organisations or individuals find it difficult to move towards things like digital timesheets, there are some common objections.

Why do some businesses stick with outdated processes or software?

  1. It’s too expensive to purchase a brand-new platform or get new licenses for all employees
  2. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it – why upgrade a legacy system if it still works
  3. Don’t have the time to research and evaluate a new software system
  4. Fear – being afraid of trying something new and disrupting the status quo
  5. Worried about a perceived loss of productivity during the adoption phase

One area that seems to lag behind digital innovation in many businesses is staff management and timekeeping, with paper timesheets still used to log the arrival and departure data of their remote or flexible workers. But, like with many other things in today’s world, there is now an ‘app for that’. And we’re here to help.

Why should you ditch paper timesheets?

They can be forged

If someone decided to take a long weekend away, wanted to finish a little early to meet friends or if they had family commitments but weren’t willing to take it out of their statuary holiday, it can be all too tempting to take unsolicited time off, especially when your hours are recorded using a paper timesheet. Management isn’t to know that you logged off or left your site a little earlier than usual, yet on paper, your schedule and pay remain the same as expected.

They can be innocently filled in incorrectly

Even with the best of intentions, filling in a timesheet at the end of a busy day or week can result in inaccurate data. Especially if those working hours are sporadic and different every time.

They are time-consuming to distribute, fill in, return and process

Even when using the best postal service around, it is impossible to send paper documents, such as a conventional timesheet, to head office instantly. And that’s assuming that employees are regularly completing and posting their timesheets on time, ready for payroll or processing. Timesheets waste valuable time and money that any business would be glad to spend elsewhere.

How can a scheduling app help?

Our software helps businesses by seamlessly scheduling and monitoring the working patterns of a remote workforce in real time. Clocking in and out is done instantly at the simple touch of a screen, removing the margin for error. What’s more, it picks up the location of each member of staff, reducing the likelihood of dishonesty as well as helping towards improving the safety of lone workers. As well as providing accurate, real-time data of actual hours worked, our software improves staff scheduling, giving employees a clear overview of their shifts for each week which can also be updated in real-time should any changes occur.


Want to know more about the benefits of workforce management software in homecare? Head over to our workforce management hub.