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.