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Last updated: 6 February 2025
How an employee time tracking app boosts business
An employee time tracking app helps you run your trade business better. Especially when it comes to payroll. Our guide looks at some of the best apps for tracking work time carried out by staff.

In our digital age, an employee time tracking app is a must-have for many trades. Medium to larger trade businesses tend to rely on software like this more and more. You can see why.
Where you’ve got lots of employees working on many different projects, a time tracking app for employees is essential. That’s why a construction employee time tracking app is a common feature on building sites.
If you use subcontractors, a time tracking app for freelancers can also come in handy.
They help everyone keep up to speed
They help track who’s doing what and for how long
You'll have an accurate record for payroll and records
Choosing the best time tracking app for work is down to you. You'll need to do a bit of research. So start by getting to grips with how they work.
How does an employee time tracking app work?
A time tracking app for employees allows users to record the specific amount of time spent doing a particular task.
Users can start a stop clock before they begin working on a specific task. The app records the time down to the second.
Other apps will allow you (or your employee) to manually add hours, so it's all monitored in one place.

Benefits of using a time tracking app for employees
Time tracking apps are becoming increasingly popular. Many medium-larger companies rely on them for a host of reasons. These include:
Boosting your profits by working more efficiently
Improving employee satisfaction and loyalty by being fair to everyone when you record working hours
Know quickly when employees may be overworking, which can cause stress or time off sick
More accurate tracking of employee time – less human error
Capture all hours work, so nothing is forgotten or overlooked
Track overtime hours accurately
Improving productivity by helping employees manage their time better
Helping teams to work together more effectively
Knowing when and where employees are working
Managing your projects better
Showing customers the exact amount of time spent on jobs
Calculating job prices more accurately
The best app for tracking work time will vary on your business needs, usability and whether or not it can be scaled. Once you've worked out your business needs, you can start looking at the different options.
Want to keep your workforce busy?
Getting listed on Checkatrade might be what you need to get more work
What does an employee time tracking app record?
Time tracking apps come with a wide variety of features and benefits.
Some of the most useful and popular include:
Workload awareness
Priority projects
Improved quotation accuracy
Accurate invoicing and payroll
Uniform platform for staff and contractors
Immediately available information
Enhanced scheduling capacity
Remote usage
Data comparison and report writing
Performance review
These are just some standard features and benefits provided by most time tracking apps.
Once you've decided on priorities and requirements, you need to get a better idea of which time tracker app is best for you. It is time to compare what apps are currently available on the market.

Pricing for time on jobs
Your employee time tracking app needs to talk to your payroll and accounting systems. Knowing the hours worked with a time tracking app for employees is only one half of the equation.
Make sure you price employee time correctly to maximise your profits
Choose how to price your services to match your business set-up
Factoring in your materials and travel is only part of the equation when it comes to job pricing. You'll need to factor in staff costs. And we've put together a free job pricing template designed to help tradespeople just like you.
How to price a job
You need to consider lots of different elements when you price a job. It helps to have a consistent and accurate way of pricing jobs. A pricing template can do that for you. A job pricing template is a great way to start thinking about the whole picture. How to price up a job varies for every trade
What’s the best app for tracking your worker time?
The best time tracking app for work depends on your type of business and workforce size. Many of the best apps for tracking your worker time will offer free trial periods. That way, you can try before you buy.
Apps are designed to be very intuitive and user-friendly. So find one that you, your admin and your employees feel comfortable with.
Here are some of the main employee time tracking apps currently available:
My Hours
My Hours is designed to help you get the maximum profitability on your project. It has features such as detailed reporting, custom hourly rates and billable settings, and market price comparisons. You can use it as a simple real-time time tracker or to create time sheets.
My Hours is popular for writing detailed reports. It features a central hub where users can organise projects, track time, create reports, draw up invoices, and analyse data. It is available on Web, iOS, and Android.
Harvest
Harvest is often compared to simple accounting software. It has some excellent billing and accounting features with reminders to submit timesheets and pay invoices. It is often used to integrate teams with staff and freelancers thanks to its simple approach to tracking time.
Harvest does lack the detailed reporting features of other time tracking software. It is, however, an excellent app for creating time and materials invoices. It is available on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android), and Desktop (Mac, Windows).

Clockify
Clockify features a comprehensive time tracking capacity with integrated customisable reporting and an informative dashboard feature. Time can be tracked both manually and through an automatic stop clock and tasks can be marked as billable or non-billable to assist with invoicing and payroll.
Clockify is sometimes viewed in a negative light as it can monitor employee activity by taking random screenshots. It is available on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android), and Desktop (Mac, Windows).
Timely
Timely is a very visual time tracking app. It is an excellent choice for project planning and features a calendar-style display that is colour-coded for ease of use.
Timely is an AI-powered app. It uses machine learning to understand worker activity and will fill in missing data on timesheets by using previously recorded information. It is available on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android), and Desktop (Mac OS, Windows).
Want to keep your workforce busy?
Getting listed on Checkatrade might be what you need to get more work
Work smarter and win more business
Select an employee time tracking app and you’re heading to being more profitable. Now, you need to bring in more work for your employees. That’s where we can help.
Checkatrade members receive our help with new enquiries. There are lots of other benefits of Checkatrade membership too.
They include:
Dedicated membership advice team
Work guarantee up to £1,000 (T&Cs apply)
Exclusive offers and discounts
Reduced cost of workwear and branding
Savings on other business essentials such as vans and materials
Is a Checkatrade membership worth it?
One way to figure out whether the cost of something is worth it is to look at ROI (Return on Investment). In its most basic sense, this is how much something costs compared with the income it generates. Working out the ROI of a Checkatrade membership is definitely a must-do for any trade business
FAQs
How can a small business track employee hours?
Time tracking apps are a popular way of keeping an eye on hours worked. For small businesses, you may want to choose a simple app that records hours and helps create reports. Or you may prefer a more comprehensive accounting tool.
How can I track remote workers' hours?
Most time tracking apps can track worker hours regardless of location.
Can time tracking apps help with report writing?
Yes. Many time tracking apps incorporate data capture software to compile information to assist with report writing. They can also assist with invoicing and pricing.
Does time tracking require an element of trust?
Time tracking apps are generally designed to understand and assess how long elements of a project take to complete. Time tracking apps are activated by the user, so all workers need to understand why time is being tracked. There should always be a good level of mutual trust between staff and employers.
Is time tracking good for measuring productivity?
Yes. Time tracking apps can record accurate information about how long specific task take to complete.
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Content disclaimer: This content has been created for general information purposes and should not be taken as formal advice. Read our full disclaimer here.