---
title: What Is Time & Attendance? | Timekeeping Software | Employer Pass
description: With time and attendance software, employers can access tools to help control labor costs, minimize compliance risk, and improve workforce productivity.
image: https://www.employerpass.com/hubfs/Images/Stock%20images/AdobeStock_135839688.jpeg
---
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# What is Time and Attendance?
- Employee Management
- Time & Attendance Management
## What is Time and Attendance Software?
Gaining a competitive advantage and driving bottom-line results is not a given. With time and attendance software, employers can access tools to help their organization control labor costs, minimize compliance risk, and improve workforce productivity.
Using time and attendance software, managers can simplify routine tasks such as approving timesheets, correcting exceptions, responding to time-off requests, and [managing employee schedules](https://www.employerpass.com/employee-scheduling). Time and Attendance Software can also provide employers with real-time visibility into timekeeping processes and analytics, making it easy to manage exceptions, enforce work and pay rules, and update schedules for ongoing compliance and cost control.
That same robust reporting empowers employers to make more informed decisions and gives them the best ability to control labor costs.
## Why Proper Time and Attendance Processes Are Crucial
Outdated time and attendance systems can be painful for managers, employees, and the organization. Older, manual timekeeping processes are heavily prone to errors, increased labor costs, and non-compliance (which leads to even more costs as a result of penalties and fines).
Even worse obsolete time and attendance software can prove difficult to navigate, leading to low user adoption rates. And when it's time to onboard a new employee to manage timekeeping, it's that much harder to teach them the process.
The best and most successful organizations leverage time and attendance software to do more for them than just tracking hours and calculating payroll. Top tier business utilize the system to guide strategic business decisions that improve operational performance and help them achieve their long-term goals
## Time and Attendance System Requirements
Trying to manage today’s rapidly evolving workforce with outdated tools drags down productivity, raises costs, and increases your risk of noncompliance.
That is why it is not only crucial to ensure proper workforce management tools such as time and attendance software, but to know what you should look for when selecting your solution.
You need to know what time and attendance system requirements are essential for success.
Here are some features that you should look for in a time and attendance software solution:
### Time & Attendance Software Features Every Solution Must Have
When looking for a time and attendance software solution, managers should look for the following tools and capabilities:
- **Labor management **— self-service, timesheet approval workflow, time off.
- **Accruals **— eligibility, tenure, hours worked; sync with external systems.
- **Scheduling **— assigning employees to schedules, employee info.
- **Pay rules **— cost center, flat & holiday pay, overtime, auto deductions.
- **Rate tracking **— job costing, pay categories, pay and piece rates.
- **Reports **— 50+ built-in reports, summary reports, custom report creation.
- **Mobile application **— punch in/out, accruals, schedule, time off request.
- **Data collection **— remote punch via app, ethernet-based clocks.
- **Security **— Permanent audit trail, IP address restriction, login authentication.
- **Email notifications **— alerts, reminders, company wide announcements .
### Matching Time and Attendance Software With Other Scheduling Solutions
In today's digital world, time & attendance software should, at a minimum, be able to integrate with [employee scheduling software](https://www.employerpass.com/employee-scheduling) as well as [absence and leave management software](https://www.employerpass.com/leave-management).
When time and attendance software is matched with employee scheduling, it becomes much easier to keep track of employee schedules vs actual work time, bringing cost control and productivity one step further.
## Time and Attendance Tools - What Does Time and Attendance Software Feature?
Time and Attendance software can provide the following benefits for businesses that utilize such a system:
Labor management
- Employee / Manager Self Service
- Timesheet Approval Workflow
- Mass Edit Capabilities
- Import/Export Utility
- Document Storage (receipts, company handbook, etc.)
- Automated Points Tracking (attendance trends)
- Temporary Manager (Back-Up) Assignment
- Itemized Expense Tracking
- Employee Self-Service Time Off Request Tool and Manager Approval Workflow
- Time Off Planning
Scheduling
- Daily, Weekly, or Configurable Recurring Patterns
- On-the-Fly Entries/Edits for Day-to-Day Changes
- Visibility from Employee Timesheet
- Assign Employees to Schedules, or Schedules to Employees
- Assign Two Schedules Per Employee Per Day
- View Schedule, Location, Department, Job, etc.
Pay Rules
- Location
- Cost Center (9 cost centers, up to 10 levels each)
- Shift Differentials
- Pay Rule Priority
- Auto-Populated Holidays
- Multiple Pay Periods (weekly, monthy, etc.)
- Time Zones
- Non-Standard Pay Periods
- Auto Deductions (breaks, meals)
- Paid Meals
- Flat Pay
- Extra Time and Guaranteed Minimum Time
- Grace and Rounding
- Holiday Pay
- Overtime
Rate Tracking
- Job Costing
- Pay Categories (such as direct, indirect)
- Multipliers, Special Rates
- Effective Dating
- Piece Rate Quantity Tracking (units, miles, etc.)
- Pay Rate Per Piece/Piece Rate Requirements
Reporting
- Export to 5 Formats (CSV, Excel, PDF, HTML, XML)
- Daily Email Summary Report
- Report Saving and Sharing with Quick
- Link Access
- In/Out Dot Board
- Exception Reporting
- Time Off Calendar
- Dynamic Drill-Down Capabilities
- Security Profile Settings for Defining Access
- Points History
- CMS Submission
Mobile Application
- Timesheet
- Accruals
- Schedule
- Time Off Request
- Time Off Calendar
- Punch In/Out
- GPS Punch Tracking
- Job/Cost Center Transfer
- Report Access
- Apple® iPhone®, AndroidTM, or Windows® Mobile
Data Collection
- Ethernet-Based Clocks
- Mag-Stripe, Proximity and Barcode Badges
- Biometric Verification and Identification
- Remote Hardware Management
- Remote Punch via Mobile App
Security
- Permanent, Detailed Audit Trail
- IP Address and/or Punch Restriction
- Application Manager/User Access Profiles
- RSA Login Authentication
- User/Manager Configurable User Interface
Email Notifications (alerts, reminders, etc.)
- Standard Time Off Request, Rejection and Approval
- Standard Timesheet Request, Rejection and Approval
- Beginning & End of Period
- Manager/Employee Notifications
- Accrual Balance Notifications
- Exception Notifications
- Point Notifications
- Company Wide Announcements
### Other Employee Management Insights
- [Employee Scheduling](https://www.employerpass.com/employee-scheduling)
- [Time & Attendance Management](https://www.employerpass.com/time-attendance-software)
- [Absence & Leave Management](https://www.employerpass.com/leave-management)
- [Performance Management](https://www.employerpass.com/performance-management)
- [Compensation Management](https://www.employerpass.com/compensation-management)
### Ready to Begin Your Search for Time and Attendance Software?
Find a Time and Attendance provider below!
[](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4903907/38fb8c94-fb12-473f-9fac-662acc509f27)
## Unsure if your Time and Attendance Software is up to Par?
Download our[ free eBook](https://www.employerpass.com/evaluating-timekeeping-ebook) and see if you're getting what you need out of your current timekeeping processes and system.
[](https://www.employerpass.com/evaluating-timekeeping-ebook)
[](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4903907/627faf19-30f2-430d-a332-0ec87d05285b)
[](https://www.employerpass.com/evaluating-timekeeping-ebook)
## Unsure if your Time and Attendance Software is up to Par?
Download our[ free eBook](https://www.employerpass.com/evaluating-timekeeping-ebook) and see if you're getting what you need out of your current timekeeping processes and system.
[](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4903907/627faf19-30f2-430d-a332-0ec87d05285b)
## Other Employer Areas of Interest
### Payroll
- [Payroll Basics](https://www.employerpass.com/payroll-the-basics)
- [Payroll Software](https://www.employerpass.com/payroll-software)
- [Payroll Outsourcing](https://www.employerpass.com/payroll-outsourcing)
### Human Resources
- [Core HR](https://www.employerpass.com/human-resources)
- [Employee Handbooks](https://www.employerpass.com/the-employer-guide-to-employee-handbooks)
- [Recruitment & Talent Acquisition](https://www.employerpass.com/talent-acquisition)
- [Employee Onboarding](https://www.employerpass.com/employee-onboarding)
- [Succession Planning](https://www.employerpass.com/succession-planning)
### Insurance & Benefits
- [Employee Benefits Administration](https://www.employerpass.com/benefits-administration)
- [Workers' Compensation Administration](https://www.employerpass.com/understanding-workers-compensation)
---
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### About Us
We connect businesses with the industry's leading, independent providers of ***employer** *services - everything from payroll to human resources and employee benefits.
### Payroll
- [Payroll Basics](https://www.employerpass.com/payroll-the-basics)
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### Employee Management
- [Employee Scheduling](https://www.employerpass.com/employee-scheduling)
- [Time & Attendance Management](https://www.employerpass.com/time-attendance-software)
- [Absence & Leave Management](https://www.employerpass.com/leave-management)
- [Performance Management](https://www.employerpass.com/performance-management)
- [Compensation Management](https://www.employerpass.com/compensation-management)
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