Redcort Software Gets New Website

For those of you who have been following the Redcort Software blog over the years, we sure appreciate your patronage. I'm pleased to announce that redcort.com has a new look and all past and future blog posts will be available on the new Redcort Software website. Please stop by and have a look.

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product Manager
Redcort Software Inc.

Insurance Office Time Clock

We get a lot of calls from State Farm and Farmers insurance agents looking for a way to keep track of time & attendance for their support staff. We have several time clock deployment options that work well in an insurance office setting. If you have just a couple of employees and need simple time clock features, then the Basic Edition may be just what you need. Employees can clock in and out from a central computer and print timecards at the end of the payroll period with all of the regular hours and overtime already calculated for you. If you need more advanced features, then consider the Pro Edition which adds paid time off, activity tracking, messaging, and shift rules. If you'd like your staff to clock in and out from their own computer workstations, then the Network Edition fits the bill. Each edition of Virtual TimeClock is available as a free time clock software download for a generous evaluation period.

We're currently working with State Farm corporate to have Virtual TimeClock approved for download on State Farm supplied laptop computers.

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product Manager
Redcort Software Inc.

Is Columbus Day a Holiday?

Columbus Day first became a federal holiday in the United States in 1937, and has been observed on the second Monday in October since 1970. In fact, many countries in the New World celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas, which happened on October 12, 1492. Columbus Day is generally observed by banks, the US Postal Service, other federal agencies, most state government offices, many businesses, and most school districts. However, many businesses and even some states abstain from observing the holiday.

Hawaii, Alaska, and South Dakota are the three US states that do not recognize Columbus Day at all. Instead, Hawaii celebrates Discoverers' Day, which commemorates the Polynesian discoverers of Hawaii. And South Dakota celebrates an official state holiday known as Native American Day rather than Columbus Day.

Are you looking for a way to keep track of your employee holidays, vacation, sick leave, and personal time off? Then check out our full-featured time & attendance system.

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product Manager
Redcort Software Inc.

Virtual TimeClock '13 Release 2

The new Virtual TimeClock release is now available. It's got some great new features that our customers have been asking for, like tracking the complicated overtime and overnight shift rules required in some states. Here are some of the highlights:

• Track the complicated 6th and 7th day overtime rules required by states like California.
• Report hours for overnight shifts according to the rules of your state.
• New timecard report summarizes worker daily time and activities on a single line.
• New Report Writer options to include workers with no hours.
• Report layout changes make timecard reports even easier to read.
• Faster importing of users from QuickBooks or a CSV file.

You can read the full press release for Virtual TimeClock '13 Release 2 at Virtual TimeClock Simplifies Employee Overtime Tracking.

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product Specialist
Redcort Software Inc.

When Is Labor Day?

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September. Even though Oregon was the first state to make it a holiday in 1887, it didn't become a federal holiday until 1894 when the United States Congress unanimously voted to approve legislation to make it a national holiday, following the deaths of about 30 workers at the hands of the US military during the Pullman Strike. President Grover Cleveland signed it into law less than a week after the end of the strike.

The purpose of Labor Day is to celebrate the economic and social contributions of workers. Ironically, Labor Day has become an important sale weekend for many retailers in the United States wanting to take advantage of large numbers of potential customers free to shop. Some retailers claim it is one of the largest sale dates of the year, second only to the Christmas season's Black Friday.

Need to find your next day off? Check our handy business holiday calendar.

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product Manager
Redcort Software, Inc.

Customizing Employee Time Cards

At the heart of all employee time clock software programs is the ability to access employee time and attendance information for payroll, labor costing, and even client billing. If gathering the information you need to effectively manage your business is a burden or the result of redundant processes, then you're less likely to experience the time and cost saving advantages of automating your time tracking process in the first place. A good time clock system will be backed by a powerful and efficient SQL database engine and built-in report writer that will make gathering and using your time and attendance data a breeze.

To see how Virtual TimeClock accomplishes this, check out our online article Customizing Employee Time Cards.

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product Manager
Redcort Software, Inc.

Does Apple Need to Think Different About Its Time and Attendance Policies?

Most of you have heard by now about Apple's trouble with some former retail store employees who have filed a class action lawsuit for lost wages. Apple has a retail store policy that requires employees to have their personal bags checked by managers for stolen property before leaving the store for breaks, lunches, and at the end of their shift. Apparently, employees sometimes have to wait for as long as 15 minutes after they've already clocked out for this to happen. The former employees claim a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as well as other state labor laws because they consider this a mandatory job function which they should be compensated for. The lawsuit could potentially affect thousands of employees going back more than 10 years. The central question becomes what constitutes compensable time under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The Apple employees claim they are clocking out and then "engaged to wait" which should be compensable time.

I don't know what Apple's doing for time and attendance tracking, but it would sure be easy to set up a networked time clock by each entrance and just let employees punch out after the mandatory search has been completed. Or even better, have the manager clock the employee out when the search is done.

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product Manager
Redcort Software, Inc.

New York City Requires Paid Sick Leave

New York City has become the latest place to require employers to provide paid sick leave benefits for employees. New York City may not be the first place this has happened, but it is the most populous. New York City joins Seattle, San Francisco, Washington DC, and the state of Connecticut in requiring employers to provide paid time off for employee illness. The new law will go into effect in 2014 for employers with 20 or more workers and at a later date for smaller employers.

Those in favor of the new law cite studies that have shown companies that provide paid sick days to employees tend to have lower turnover, lower costs of hiring new employees, fewer employee absences, and better productivity. They argue that when workers don’t take time off when starting to get ill, they often end up taking longer absences as their condition worsens. Also, when employees come to work with contagious illnesses, they spread them to co-workers, increasing absences and lowering the productivity of other workers.

If you're looking for an easy way to accrue and track paid sick leave benefits, check out our free time clock software demo.

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product Manager
Redcort Software, Inc.

Managing Labor Costs with Employee Time Clock Software

In a tough economy many business owners are asking themselves a common question: How can I better manage my labor costs? It's pretty obvious to see how employee time clock software simplifies payroll and provides employee accountability. A less obvious benefit is how time clock software brings simplicity and accuracy to the management of labor costs.

To find out what questions to ask to help you evaluate your labor cost management needs, take a look at our online article Managing Labor Costs with Employee Time Clock Software.

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product Manager
Redcort Software, Inc.

Time Clocks for Off-Site Employees

Many businesses have off-site employees that rarely enter an office. Or they may start out from an office or equipment yard and then spend the rest of the day out in the field, and usually go straight home after their last appointment or job. We're currently working on a mobile time clock that will work with a wide variety of smartphones or tablets, including the iPhone and iPad. In the meantime, using laptops with wireless Internet cards are a great solution for off-site employees.

A wireless Internet card and data plan from your wireless carrier will let you access the Internet from anywhere your carrier provides coverage. With regular WiFi you need to be within range of a WiFi hot spot to get connectivity to the Internet.

Another alternative is a MiFi, now available with certain carriers. A MiFi has a built-in wireless Internet card and allows multiple computers to connect simultaneously to the internet via WiFi. Think of it as a mobile hotspot you can control.

Just because our mobile time clock isn't quite ready, don't let that keep you from tracking off-site employee time by combining our networked time clock system with one of these other solutions.

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product Manager
Redcort Software, Inc.

Keeping Your Time Clock Software Secure

Virtual TimeClock instantly, accurately, and impartially records every employee start and stop time. This means the time clock program interacts directly with your computer's operating system clock by utilizing the time and date control functions already built into your computer in order to record the real-time punches of each employee. You'll want to make sure your employee computer time clocks have been properly setup to ensure your time clock data is secure and accurate.

Our online article 3 Ways To Keep Your Time Clock Software Secure will show you how to prevent employees from changing the computer's clock to manipulate their start and stop times.

Auditing Employee Timecards

Did you ever want to be a Private Investigator? There’s something exciting about discovering clues, finding the next piece to the puzzle, and following the trail to figure out ‘Whodunit’. We are constantly leaving trails. It might be from the contribution receipt for the sack of clothes donated to the local charity, the restaurant ticket after an evening meal, or the email after ordering new exercise equipment online. Following these trails tell investigators who we are, what we’ve done, and when we did it. Kind of scary when you think about it! It’s like leaving your footprints in the snow.

Learn how Virtual TimeClock answers the same who, what, and when questions when auditing employee timecards by reading our online article called Auditing Employee Timecards.

MacPractice Time Clock

MacPractice has a reputation for being the premier practice management and clinical software solution for doctors who want to use Apple technology. And from the MacPractice customers I routinely interact with, it appears to be well deserved. Redcort Software has a lot in common with the developers of MacPractice. For example:

• We've both been using Apple technology for over 25 years.
• We both listen carefully to our customers so we can add features that make sense based on our long experience in our respective areas of expertise. 
• We both provide full-time world class technical support and product specialists that have been in our respective niches for a long time.

So if you're looking for a Mac time clock to compliment your MacPractice MD, MacPractice DDS, MacPractice DC, or MacPractice 20/20 software, look no further than Virtual TimeClock.

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product Specialist
Redcort Software, Inc.

When Is Memorial Day 2013?

Memorial Day is a federal holiday that always occurs on the last Monday in May, which this year is May 27. It's a day to remember the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It originated after the American Civil War to pay tribute to both the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the war. For many people, Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer vacation and Labor Day marks the end of it.

Some people confuse Memorial Day with Veterans Day. Memorial Day is set aside to remember the men and women who died while serving. Veterans Day is set aside to celebrate the service of all United States military veterans, both living and dead.

Find the dates of all 2013 federal holidays and other free time and attendance resources on our website.

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product Specialist
Redcort Software, Inc.

Tracking Student Attendance

Most businesses use time clock software to help manage employee hours worked. It's an easy and efficient way to hold employees accountable for each work day, to control labor costs by reducing overtime, and to keep track of vacation and sick pay. Some businesses use Virtual TimeClock just because they love the in & out board interface which makes it so easy to keep track of what staff is working on and who's off and on site. Still others use it to track time spent on different jobs and projects so they know how much labor time to bill customers. We also have quite a few schools using Virtual TimeClock to track student attendance, especially for schools specializing in adult education or career training.

Here's how it works. You can install Virtual TimeClock on a computer in the classroom. Students can select their name from the list and clock in with a passcode. If you're concerned about confidentiality, then use the time clock PIN interface so students can clock in and out without seeing the names of the other students. At the end of the semester, the instructor can run a summary report that automatically totals the hours of the students. This information is invaluable for seeking government funding, reporting grant expenditures, or just making sure students are meeting the minimum hours needed to meet the class requirements.

You can check out a list of some of the schools that use our time clock software on our website.

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product Specialist
Redcort Software, Inc.

ADP ezLaborManager Replacement

I've talked to several prospective customers lately who are looking for a new time & attendance system to replace ADP ezLaborManager. Their first issue is the expense; being charged several dollars per employee every month, month after month, is starting to get expensive. They're looking for a time clock software solution they can buy outright. Their second issue is they don't like feeling trapped into continuing to use ezLaborManager because they think they'll lose integration with ADP payroll. Virtual TimeClock is a great solution for both of these issues.

First of all, Virtual TimeClock is a one-time license fee based on computer connections rather than per employee who needs to use the time clock. So a company that wants to run a time clock on 10 individual computer workstations will pay more than a company that can manage with running a time clock on 2 computers in places of convenient access to all employees. Secondly, Virtual TimeClock integrates perfectly with ADP Pay eXpert online payroll. So there's really no need to continue paying high and ongoing fees for your employee time & attendance.

Jeff Morrow
Product Specialist
Redcort Software, Inc.

LionClock Replacement

We still get occasional calls from businesses looking for a LionClock replacement. They're usually a little frustrated because they can't get ahold of any of the folks at LionClock, and according to their website their last time clock software update was 2011. It looks like the publishers of LionClock got themselves into some trouble with another time & attendance software company over trademark infringement.

If you're a former or current LionClock user looking for a new time clock software solution, then I'd encourage you to take a look at Virtual TimeClock. I know it will meet all your time & attendance needs. You can download the free time clock software trial anytime.

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product SPecialist
Redcort Software, Inc.

Virtual TimeClock '13 R1.1 Maintenance Release

We posted a maintenance release for Virtual TimeClock '13 earlier this week that fixes a number of minor issues related to the new report preview window, QuickBooks payroll export now properly saves to the selected export folder location, saving new leave awards once again work reliably for all users and categories, and clients that lose TimeClock Server connectivity no longer receive a spurious error. Check the Virtual TimeClock '13 release notes for a full list of fixes.

Virtual TimeClock '13 R1.1 is a free update to all customers enrolled in our software maintenance & support program and anyone who purchased a Virtual TimeClock '13 Release 1 license.

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product Specialist
Redcort Software, Inc.

When to Spring Forward 2013?

Daylight Saving Time, or DST, begins on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November. In March, clocks are moved forward one hour from 2am standard time to 3am DST, and in November, clocks are moved back one hour from 2am DST to 1am standard time. In 2013, DST begins on Sunday, March 10.

Supporters of DST say that it saves energy, reduces traffic accidents, reduces crime, and encourages outdoor activity in the evening, so it's good for physical and psychological health.

Opponents of DST say that actual energy savings are inconclusive, it disrupts morning activities, and changing clocks twice a year is economically and socially disruptive. They think these negative effects cancel out any benefit to observing DST.

What do you think?

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product Specialist
Redcort Software, Inc.

Tax Service Time Clock

I know this is a busy time of year for those of you in the tax and accounting industries. We hear from a lot of you during the first quarter because you've picked up seasonal employees and you're looking for an easier way to manage employee time and attendance. Using time clock software is much easier and less time consuming than trying to make sense of had written time sheets. So whether you're with one of the major tax services like H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt, Liberty Tax Service, or just one of the thousands of accounting or bookkeeping firms, Virtual TimeClock will make it a ton simpler to keep track of employee hours during this busy time of the year.

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product Specialist
Redcort Software, Inc.

Is Presidents' Day Real?

On the third Monday of February we honor George Washington by celebrating his birthday. The third Monday places the date somewhere between February 15 and 21, which is sort of ironic because it never actually occurs on Washington's birthday of February 22. Throughout history there have been attempts to combine the birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln (whose birthday is celebrated February 12 but not as a federal holiday), and even the office of the Presidency by changing the federal holiday to Presidents' Day. These have all failed, except in the realm of advertising, where "Presidents' Day" is used as an excuse to sell everything from cars to furniture. But only Washington's Birthday is an actual federal holiday.

In 2013, Washington's Birthday on celebrated on Monday, February 18. Looking for other 2013 federal holidays? Check out our 2013 Federal Holiday Calendar.

Jeff Morrow
Redcort Software, Inc.

Virtual TimeClock '13

January has been a busy month at Redcort Software with the release of Virtual TimeClock ‘13. Last year we focused on making the time clock much easier to use and added support for QuickBooks and ADP payroll.  In Virtual TimeClock ‘13, we dramatically streamlined the process of reviewing, editing, and saving your employee timecards.

The new Report Preview window is probably my favorite new feature in Virtual TimeClock ‘13. When you’re viewing an employee timecard, click the Entry Editor icon on the new Report Preview toolbar. You can make changes to punch times, add timecard notes, insert lunches and breaks, add manual entries and leave, and as soon as you close the window the report is instantly updated with the changes. I still get goose bumps every time I make changes and watch the timecard update!

Jeff Morrow

Virtual TimeClock Product Specialist

Redcort Software, Inc.