It is no exaggeration to say time management helps businesses stay ahead of the game. Effective management of time could appear a Herculean task for some HR teams, right? An efficient system for managing timesheets can definitely lead to effective time management. It also contributes to maintaining a valid employer-employee relationship and thus stay legally compliant.

Why are timesheets important for employees and employers?

Delay of approvals can lead to frustration and lowered productivity of employees. With a proper system in place, the timesheet approvals won’t be delayed. This can also help the timely processing of employee payrolls.

Timesheets help the employees to be conscious of their focus and accountability. However, some perceive this as micromanagement. Does that mean businesses should get rid of an employee timesheet system? Not really. 

For those employees who consider it as a surveillance mechanism, timesheets can become a blessing in disguise during remote work. When they telecommute, many employees work longer hours. Filling in timesheets helps them show exactly how many hours they are working on the job. This fosters a feeling in your employees that their time is being valued.

Managing timesheets can lead to an enhanced decision-making process. Timesheets also help you measure the time you spend on non-productive activities. Thus, analyzing productivity helps you gain insights into tasks that should be prioritized and those that are critical to the business.

In general, timesheets are a major productivity tool for the business. But for the HR specialists& payroll staff, in particular, a good timesheet management system becomes a lifesaver. You will be better able to measure your employees’ workload and recognize their work. One can’t help but admit that it’s a win-win.

When Timesheet Management software comes into the picture

As paper-based timesheets gave way to digital formats, a lot of benefits accompanied. It becomes easily possible to accurately account for the time spent on tasks and projects. A standardized process leads to improved project management. Automation helps to bill accurately and also reduces errors. Thus, client billing and payroll processing become much easier.

An online timesheet system lets the managers monitor the timesheets awaiting approval. It also reminds the employees of the unsubmitted timesheets. The employees can know the status of an approval without getting hassled. An automated approval system takes care of approval follow-ups by sending email reminders to approvers about pending requests. Also, there won’t be a delay in the overall process. Neither does an issue on transparency arise. Enabling employee self-service makes the leave management system well organized since the employees can apply for leave or send time-off requests.

It also becomes possible for the employers to view the employee hours at-a-glance. All these benefits testify the fact that such a system is cost as well as time-efficient. To say that timesheet management software is the need of the hour would be an understatement.

How can timesheet management help you stay compliant?

Pragmatically or legally, timesheet management is crucial for any business. For instance, the U.S. Federal laws require employers to keep timesheet records of the hours employees worked to ensure compliance with the FLSA. A sample timekeeping format provided by the DOL looks like this:

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To comply with the H-1B petition requirements, one has to also demonstrate that a valid employer-employee relationship would exist. Since USCIS must determine if the employer has a sufficient level of control over the employee, a number of factors are taken into consideration. Hence, it becomes mandatory for the employer to pay attention to matters like wages paid, hours worked, employee benefits, supervision, work evaluation, performance reviews, and overall work conditions to establish a bona fide employer-employee relationship.

Accurate and updated timesheets can come to your rescue as legal documents in the event of litigation. If immigration and HR compliance is your concern, it’s high time you considered a software that has features like timesheet management and many more to offer. With OnBlick, you can designate a supervisor (internal or external) for your employees to report. And they can perform evaluations using the platform. Thus, OnBlick helps you demonstrate a bona fide employee-employer relationship, both for your STEM or H-1B Program employees.

OnBlick is a one-stop solution that is integrated with ADP Payroll, and QuickBooks invoicing services.

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