“Time is money,” said Benjamin Franklin, and that’s never more true than when your small business relies on hourly employees. Tracking time isn’t just about paying accurate wages or being a stickler for detail. Poor time clocking can have a real administrative impact on your business.
When your team accurately tracks their time it helps you:
- Calculate pay faster and more accurately
- Forecast labor needs precisely
- Ensure legal compliance
- Save on excess labor costs
- Figure out if you can afford to hire more people
- Lower staff turnover and reduce burnout
Knowing the “why” behind time clocking means your staff are more likely to track accurately, rather than feeling that you’re micromanaging them, accusing them of slacking, or saying that you don’t trust them.
But it’s tough to remind staff to clock in and out regularly without sounding like a broken record, and it’s difficult to get the tone right so you don’t sound petty or authoritarian.
That’s why in this post we’ve written some example letters and emails to help.
We’ve also explained how small business management software can automate the clocking in and out process, to save you from having to remind staff to track at all!
How do you remind employees to clock in and out?
It may sound obvious, but the first step in asking staff to follow a process or implement a policy is to make sure they’re aware of it and trained in how to use it.
Some tried-and-tested methods include:
- Sending an email or letter to staff
- Sending text messages or leaving voicemails
- Reminding them in person
- Making sure rules are clear in onboarding documents
- Including policy in the staff handbook and explaining why it’s so important
- Putting posters or signs up to remind staff to clock in and out when entering or leaving
What’s more, implementing automation software to help employees to automatically clock in and out can take the burden off them, and make it easier for them to remember to keep those accurate records.
Whether you favor the more manual approach or want to use technology to simplify the process, it’s important to make sure staff understand why they’re being asked and how to track their time correctly.
Holding periodic training sessions on how and why to clock in and out correctly will also improve the chance that staff will comply, and help you keep records consistent and accurate.
6 tips on writing an email or letter to employees about clocking in and out
When reminding staff of the importance of clocking in and out, there are some tips to follow that will take your messages from awkward or overbearing to friendly and effective.
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- Keep it clear and concise. Use short words, sentences, and bullet points.
- Explain why it’s important — and what happens if staff don’t comply. Stick to the facts without emotional language. Staff are less likely to suspect that you don’t trust them or are checking in over their shoulder if they understand how time tracking impacts the business.
- Include a call to action. Make it clear what you want staff to do so they can make the change from now on.
- Stick to the point. Don’t remind staff about time clocking rules and vacation policy in the same email. The more targeted and short the message, the more effective.
- Be polite and stay professional. Always stay respectful to staff and ensure your message tone is courteous and kind (even if you’ve had to remind your team a thousand times).
- Be friendly and end with thanks. Asking your staff to do something is always an exercise in trust, and your tone can make or break team spirit. Thank them to show your appreciation.
You could also include little extras to boost compliance even more.
For example:
- Include a very short video or screen recording of how to use the system or app, so staff who learn visually can get up to speed too.
- “Gamify” the process by running a friendly competition to see which staff member (or which department team) clocks in and out the most accurately over the next month. You could even give a prize to the best or most-improved team member. A platform like Homebase, with its team communication and shout-out features, makes this even easier.
Email on how to clock in and out
This can be a standard “how to” process email, explaining to staff why accurate time clocking is so important, and showing step-by-step how to do it. Stick to the facts and be clear and concise.
| Dear team members,
This is an introduction to how to follow our company’s time tracking policy. It’s really important that we all remember to clock in and out with every shift. As a reminder, you can find the full policy here [link]. We use [software or system] for clocking in and out. Here’s our step-by-step guide to using it [link, or include the steps below in numbered points or bullet points]. Accurate time clocking has several advantages for you as employees and for our company, so it really helps everyone if we all commit to correctly clocking each shift. It helps us to:
Please be sure to check our policy and guide to time tracking and remember to punch in/out at the start and end of every shift. If you have any questions about time tracking, please ask your manager or chat to us here at HR. Thanks so much for your help with this. Best wishes, [Sender’s name or title] |
Letter on how to clock in and out
This can be very similar to the email above, but more formal.
You may want to send a letter as part of an official welcome or onboarding pack, or include it as part of a friendly-but-firm disciplinary process. You could also send a letter to a new staff member or someone who prefers not to use email. It will be most effective when combined with supporting documents, like a how-to guide and policy reminder.
| Dear [team member’s name],
We’re writing to you with an introduction on how to follow our company’s time tracking policy. It is very important that we all remember to clock in and out with every shift. As a reminder, you can find the full policy enclosed with this letter [enclose it on a separate page]. We use [software or system] for clocking in and out. You can read our step-by-step guide to using it [enclosed with this letter, or include the steps below in numbered points or bullet points]. Accurate time tracking has several advantages for you as an employee and for our company, so it helps considerably if we all commit to correctly clocking each shift. It helps us to:
Please be sure to check our policy and guide to clocking in and out, and remember to do it at the start and end of every shift. If you have any questions about tracking your time, please ask your manager or speak to us in the HR department. Thank you so much for your help with this. Best wishes, [Sender’s name or title] |
Email on how to clock in and out when you have a break
This email is a chance to remind staff how important it is for them to take breaks, and how to ensure their time clock records them accurately. Emphasize the importance of both meticulous time tracking and break time at work for their mental and physical health.
| Dear team members,
We’d like to remind you to accurately record when you take a break mid-shift. It’s really important that we all remember to clock in and out for every shift, and record breaks properly. As you know, we use [software or system] for clocking in and out. Here’s our step-by-step guide to accurately recording your breaks during your shift [link, or include the steps below in numbered points or bullet points]. It’s really important for you to take breaks on shift. It helps you to:
It also helps us to stay legally compliant as a company, and adhere to important labor laws. As a reminder, you can find our full-time clocking policy and why it helps employees and the company here [link]. If you have any questions about how to track breaks, please ask your manager or chat to us here at HR. Thanks so much for your help with this. Best wishes, [Sender’s name or title] |
Email about following the clocking in/out policy
You may be prompted to send this email in the event that some staff aren’t following the policy correctly, but it’s important not to single anyone out specifically.
Give your staff the benefit of the doubt, and always assume responsibility if someone isn’t following the rules (after all, it’s your job to help them do so).
It may be that they haven’t quite understood what’s expected, are struggling with the process, or are busy and just need a reminder. Even if you’ve reminded them a thousand times, stay respectful and take this as an opportunity to calmly reiterate your policy.
| Dear team members,
We’d like to remind you to clock in and clock out for every single shift. We’ve noticed that some people haven’t been recording time accurately, so we wanted to reiterate that it’s really important to track time correctly. We know it can be difficult to remember, so we’d just like to remind everyone again how to do it, as we all can use a refresher now and then.
Accurate time clocking has several advantages for you as employees and for our company — including paying you accurately, avoiding burnout, and making sure we have enough people on shift — so it really helps everyone if we all make it a habit to track time correctly each shift. As a reminder, you can find the full-time clock policy here [link]. Please be sure to check the policy and guide to clocking in and out, and remember to do it at the start and end of every shift. If you have any questions about time clocking, aren’t sure if you’re doing it right, or are running into any problems, please ask your manager or chat with us in HR. There will be no judgment, we just want to make sure everyone knows how it works. Thanks so much for your help with this. Best wishes [Sender’s name or title] |
Email on how to clock in and out when there’s a time change
It’s important to make sure staff know that they still need to track time accurately even in the event of a last-minute change. Platforms like Homebase make it easy for staff to switch shifts, and for you to communicate last-minute adjustments to their schedule without confusion.
But staff may think that because it’s last-minute or they’re stepping in for another coworker, they may not need to track time accurately. Here’s how to make sure they continue to clock in and out even in these situations.
| Dear team members,
We’d like to remind you that even if you change or switch shifts with a coworker at the last minute, it’s still really important to clock in and out for every shift and record your breaks, just like for any other shift. This is so your timesheets, hours, and breaks are accurate, and we can pay you correctly for the shifts you’ve worked. This applies even if:
As you know, we use [software or system] for clocking in and out. Here’s our step-by-step guide to accurately clocking in and out [link, or include the steps below in numbered points or bullet points]. As a reminder, you can find our full-time clocking policy and why it helps employees and the company here [link]. If you have any questions about how to track time or switch shifts, please ask your manager or chat with us here at HR. Thanks so much for your help with this. Best wishes, [Sender’s name or title] |
Automated clocking in and out
Reminding employees to clock in and out is easier if you have templates to follow. But even manually sending reminders about time clock rules for hourly employees can get time-consuming, as can keeping track of who you’ve recently reminded and who could use another nudge.
That’s why automating and digitizing the entire system — from sending reminders to the actual time clocking itself — is such a business-savvy idea.
A platform like Homebase streamlines your entire clocking in and out policy and process, increasing timesheet accuracy and reducing your workload.
Homebase enables your business to:
- Turn device devices into time clocks. Staff can use their smartphone, tablet, or laptop to track time, so you don’t need to set up a separate terminal to do it.
- Send automatic reminders to show up, clock in, clock out, and take breaks. This saves staff time, reduces no-shows, decreases burnout, cuts labor costs, and ensures compliance with working hours. It also notifies you of any late arrivals or no-shows, as defined by your late employees policy.
- Track time for remote employees. Use GPS-enabled time clocks, and know exactly where your team is when they clock in.
- Reduce time theft. Require a personalized PIN or photo to clock in to avoid buddy punching (when employees cheat the system by getting colleagues to clock in for them).
When time tracking is accurate, your online timesheets are accurate. And if you’re using an all-in-one platform like Homebase, you can simply sync your timesheets to payroll to pay your team in a few clicks.
With integrated payroll, paychecks are calculated for you, and your payroll taxes are filed and paid automatically.
Plus, since Homebase combines its time clock app with other must-have tools like scheduling and team communication, you can keep all your data, records, and staff information under the same digital roof.
This makes managing your hourly team even easier, and saves hours of time and tech stress compared to trying to juggle (and train staff how to use) a load of different tools.
Time clock reminders: Clear, concise, considerate
Making sure that your hourly employees track their time accurately is crucial for any well-functioning small business. Keeping correct records of hours worked lets you pay accurately and quickly, forecast labor needs, remain legally compliant, and reduce staff turnover.
But ensuring staff remember to track consistently and accurately can be tough, and reminding them about it regularly without sounding petty or repetitive can also be challenging.
That’s why communicating your time tracking policy in a clear, concise, transparent, polite, and professional way is so important. This applies whether you’re informing staff about the policy for the first time, or reminding them for the 100th time.
Writing emails (or letters or texts) in a straightforward, friendly, open, and respectful way is an effective method to remind your team about the importance of accurate time clocking, without nagging them, to improve compliance rates.
Using a software like Homebase makes this even easier though. Homebase reminds your team to clock in and out, makes tracking breaks easier, helps you stay compliant with labor laws, and automatically converts clocked time into easy-to-review timesheets.
Plus, with added features like full-service payroll, time off requests, team communication, and help with new employee hiring and onboarding—you get everything you need to manage and pay your hourly team in one place.
Time really is money, and automated time tracking is where the cost-saving starts for your small business.
Remember: This is not legal advice. If you have questions about your particular situation, please consult a lawyer, CPA, or other appropriate professional advisor or agency.
