<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=690758617926394&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Skip to content
Mega Menu_newspaper_438174_24px Payroll Country Blog

Your constant source for helpful, useful, and entertaining content about payroll, human resources or anything else that will help you manage your workforce.

Mega Menu_Video Series_clapper_438174 Video Series
PeopleWork

Conversations with experts in a wide range of HR/HCM topics, for the benefit of anyone whose job it is to manage a workforce or take care of people.

Ashley Explains

Our Implementation Manager Ashley Hamilton gives you the facts about tax, labor laws, and a whole lot more.

Unfiltered HR

Our very own Jen Strait and Emily Martin from Ally HR Partners tackle common HR issues and provide practical advice to help you manage your workforce more effectively!

Mega Menu_Demo Video Library_video-player_438174 Demo Video Library

Welcome to our comprehensive - yet growing - library of instructional how-to videos that focus on a variety of functions across our software platforms. Scroll down and filter by category or use the search bar to find exactly what you're looking for.

Mega Menu_Resource LIbrary_book_438174 Resource Library

A robust library of guides, kits and tools designed to educate and support anyone responsible for payroll, HR or managing a workforce of people.

Mega Menu_Employer Guides_user-guide_438174 Employer Guides

An extensive and ever-growing library of super handy employer guides on everything from human resource topics, important Labor Law updates, how to approach payroll for your company's industry, and much more.

Mega Menu_Software Downloads_download_438174 Software Downloads
Software Downloads

Quickly reference and download software platforms, installation guides, middleware and other critical files you may need as a client to properly process critical payroll and HR functions with Complete Payroll. 

Mega Menu_What Is Payroll Country_landscape_438174 What is Payroll Country?

In Payroll Country, people come first, manners aren't optional and a job isn't done until it is. Sure, we're headquartered in a small, rural town. But Payroll Country isn't just where we're from. It's our philosophy of how business should be conducted. Welcome!

Mega Menu_Careers_career_438174 Careers
Careers in Payroll Country

It's not about where we work, it's about how we work. And, more importantly, how we work together.

Mega Menu_Client Referral Program_teamwork_438174 Client Referral Program

Earn payroll credit for bringing your colleagues and friends to Payroll Country!

Mega Menu_Client Testimonials_rating_438174 Client Testimonials

Check out what some of our most loyal clients have to say about their Payroll Country experience, or leave some kind words about your own. 

5 Reasons to Switch to Electronic Time Card Submissions

August 22, 2018

Written by Complete Payroll

electronic timecards background banner

timekeeping and attendance desk

Even while businesses are getting increasingly technical with their time tracking, a surprising number of them are still relying on paper when it comes to approving and submitting completed time cards. While it’s not a practice that will ruin your business, it’s definitely less than efficient.

If your business hasn’t yet made the switch to handling time card submissions electronically, here are five reasons you might want to give it a try.

1. It keeps all your time and attendance records in one place.

If you have one collection of data, you want all of it in one place. When you’re printing out time cards and delivering them by hand, then waiting for them to be turned in one by one, it’s a recipe for potential disaster. You’ve got some of that information stored digitally and some of it floating around on scraps of paper— that’s just asking for something to go missing in the transfer.

Timekeeping Compliance Checklist

2. It removes redundant, unnecessary labor.

If you’re not in charge of payroll yourself, peek into the office of whoever is on the day time cards are due. That mountain of paper sitting next to the computer? That’s all data that was taken from an electronic format, printed, hand delivered, signed, and returned. Someone is then left transcribing all that information back into digital format again, which is exactly the format it was in before you gave it to your employees to review.

Then, another person receives the pleasure of storing or destroying all that paper. This is a textbook definition of inefficiency. If you’re looking to cut back on unnecessary make-work, this is a picture-perfect example.

3. It reduces late time card submissions.

Late timecards are the bane of every payroll manager’s existence. When you switch to electronic time card submissions, you can tell at a glance who has and who has not yet returned theirs so you can take steps to remind them that they’re due.

Request a timekeeping software demo - Complete Payroll

What’s more, electronic submissions allow employees to submit their time cards from anywhere. If an employee forgot to submit their time card until after they went home for the weekend, they can just submit it from their personal device, avoiding a potential delay in payment.

4. It increases clarity of communication.

Have you ever received a revised time card with a circle around a number and an incomprehensible squiggle next to it? As lovely as it is to receive handwritten mail, not all penmanship is created equal. (Just ask any nurse about deciphering a physician’s scrawled signature!)

While there are no promises made about flawless spelling, electronic submissions are usually more specific and always more legible.

5. It teaches your employees to take responsibility for their time cards all the time.

If you have employees who are less comfortable with the computer, they might be inclined to leave off looking for errors until you print things out for them. After all, why bother learning to use the program if you’re just going to provide them with a paper copy when it matters?

While there can definitely be a learning curve for some people, nobody develops skills without practice. Once they’ve gotten the hang of looking at their time card electronically, they’ll soon realize it’s easier and more efficient to manage errors as they come up, rather than all at once on a Friday afternoon when they’d rather be heading home.

If you do decide to switch, make sure you do so in a way that is fair, user-friendly, and in compliance with all applicable labor regulations.

Not sure you’re entirely clear on exactly what rules apply? Not a problem! You can download a free copy of our Timekeeping Compliance Checklist, which will cover all the basics.

Timekeeping Compliance Checklist

If you're a small business owner or HR Manager trying to wrap your head around the complex world of time and attendance, check out our comprehensive resource page, Time and Attendance - A Complete Guide. This page spells out literally everything you'd need to know about time and attendance, including timekeeping procedures, time clocks, employee scheduling, compliance considerations, emerging trends and a whole bunch more.

DISCLAIMER: The information provided herein does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax advice, accounting services or professional consulting of any kind. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional legal, tax, accounting, or other professional advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional adviser who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation and for your particular state(s) of operation.

Get Instant Blog Notifications

Need Help?

Talk to Us