With the spread of the new coronavirus, the spread of remote work is accelerating. While remote work allows for more freedom in working styles, companies face the issue of “attendance management.” Attendance management for remote workers is extremely important for companies of all sizes to achieve a productive way of working. In the office, it’s easy to see what your staff are doing, but when they’re working in the field or from home, it’s harder to keep track of what’s going on. In this article, we will introduce in detail the basics and introduction points of an attendance management system that is important for remote work.
Table of contents
What is the importance of attendance management in remote work?
Attendance management means that the company manages the work situation such as the time of arrival and departure of employees and break time, and complies with laws to protect workers such as the Labor Standards Act and work rules for the company to manage employees appropriately. It is to grasp whether the work style is done. We manage whether the working hours stipulated by law are being observed and whether appropriate wage payment methods are being used. The main information to be grasped by attendance management is working hours such as attendance and break time, overtime work, late-night work hours, holiday attendance, etc. It is difficult to grasp the actual situation if these management is left to individual employees. It is common to introduce a system and manage the status of attendance. Due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, we have no choice but to accept diverse work styles. As remote work, which does not limit working hours or places, will become more popular in the future, the method of attendance management will become an important issue.
Problems that tend to occur in remote work attendance management
There are three main problems that often occur in remote work attendance management:
- Unable to keep track of working hours
- I can’t see my work situation
- biased evaluation from deliverables
Now let’s go through them one by one.
Unable to keep track of working hours
The first problem that often occurs in remote work attendance management is the inability to accurately grasp working hours. It is difficult to accurately grasp working hours in remote work attendance management, and unless both rules and a robust system are introduced, we have to rely on self-reporting. In the case of self-reporting, the reality is that although it is possible to get a rough idea of working hours, it cannot be said to be accurate. The inability to accurately grasp working hours is a factor that causes various problems related to salary systems and internal systems.
I can’t see my work
The second problem that tends to occur in remote work attendance management is the inability to see the work situation. The biggest challenge with remote work is project management when teams are spread across multiple locations. Whether you have a mix of in-house and remote staff, or an entire team of remote workers, leaders are responsible for ensuring deadlines and goals are met. Especially with complex projects and large teams, communication can be difficult and individual tasks difficult to keep track of.
biased evaluation from deliverables
The third problem that tends to occur in remote work attendance management is biased evaluation from deliverables. Work deliverables are the best measure of remote employee performance. However, there is always a process to produce deliverables, and if the evaluation is biased, there is a possibility that we will not pay attention to the process leading up to the deliverables. There is also a concern that deliverables made with “results all right” will be subject to evaluation.
Advantages of introducing an attendance management system for remote work
The following are the three benefits of introducing an attendance management system for remote work.
- Work status can be grasped
- Employee condition can be visualized
- Ability to review compliance with work
Now let’s go through them one by one.
Work status can be grasped
One of the benefits of introducing an attendance management system for remote work is that you can understand the work situation. Even if remote workers do not come to work, they can easily record their working hours using a computer installed at home or a smartphone application. By implementing a centralized time and attendance system for remote work, companies can easily manage their employees and record working hours by employee, project and other necessary factors.
Employee condition can be visualized
The second advantage of introducing an attendance management system for remote work is the ability to visualize employee conditions. In remote work, if you are in an environment where you can concentrate, it is not uncommon to find yourself working long hours when you notice that you have exceeded your working hours. If this situation continues, it may affect the physical and mental health of employees, so managers need to talk to the target employees in order to manage time appropriately. Also, if you look at the balance between active hours and the number of days you leave early, it is possible that productivity is increasing, and conversely, the amount of work is too small. We also need to listen.
Ability to review compliance with work
The third advantage of introducing an attendance management system for remote work is the ability to review compliance for work. By being able to grasp the work situation, laws and regulations that the company must comply with and internal compliance violations can be visualized. In the case of remote work, there is a tendency to work as many hours as the person’s time allows because they work away from the supervision of the administrator. As a result, there is a risk that overtime hours may be exceeded and work-related accidents may occur due to fatigue, so it is important to check objective data in addition to self-reported attendance records. In the case of telework, there is also a work style called “hidden overtime”, so it is necessary to eliminate that risk. There is a risk that
For example, if the attendance management system has a function to identify discrepancies in working hours, if there is a significant discrepancy between the clocked time and the computer ON/OFF time, an alert email will be sent to the administrator so that the administrator can status can be grasped and confirmed. It is recommended to use an attendance management system to prevent hidden overtime and to grasp accurate working hours.
Functions of the attendance management system that can be used for remote work
Let’s take a closer look at the functions of the attendance management system that can be used for remote work.
- Engraving function
- Aggregation function
- Application/approval function
- Attendance information output function
- Coordination function with other systems
Engraving function
The clocking function can be clocked anywhere online in the attendance management system.
There are types that allow employees to enter start and end times, cloud-based timesheets for entering working hours, and types that use real-time data that can be approved by managers. Stamping functions may also be part of a broader project management system. Project success depends on time, so this feature will help you keep everything on schedule.
Aggregation function
The aggregation function accumulates and aggregates various data related to attendance. For example, by analyzing absence data, it is possible to check whether management is successful and identify patterns of absence. If you can quantify the high levels of unplanned or unscheduled absences, you can try to improve by adopting different management practices or implementing revised work schedules. Other than that, if you have a specific project, it helps to make sure everything is on schedule. Employees can distribute time spent on specific projects and see actual costs against estimates and projected costs.
Application/approval function
The application/approval function is a function that allows you to easily apply for working hours, break times, and leave requests. No special flow is required for taking vacations, as applications for paid leave are done in the attendance management system.
Attendance information output function
The attendance information output function can be used to output the accumulated attendance information, distribute the data to employees, and use it for analysis.
Coordination function with other systems
Functions for linking with other systems, if necessary, for example, linking with HR software systems, considering employee absenteeism data, integrating it into payroll calculations and work schedules, and adjusting the number and types of absenteeism Various analyzes can be performed based on If attendance status is included in the KPI indicator, data extraction can be automated by obtaining information from the attendance management system.
Points for choosing an attendance management system that can be used for remote work
There are three points to choose an attendance management system that can be used for remote work.
- Is the stamping method suitable for the company’s work system?
- is it easy to use
- Comply with the latest laws
Let’s look at them one by one.
Is the stamping method suitable for the company’s work system?
The first point in choosing an attendance management system that can be used for remote work is whether the clocking method matches your company’s work system. Work systems are diversifying. We recommend the clocking method that supports various work styles such as “remote work”, “frequently going out”, and “working hours”. Devices that can be accessed through an app from a smartphone or tablet, not just a computer, would be good. In addition to the manual stamping method, there are also methods such as automatic recording when the computer starts up or shuts down.
is it easy to use
The second point in choosing an attendance management system that can be used for remote work is whether it is easy to use. The attendance management system reduces the burden of attendance management, but if it is not easy to use, it will increase the number of mistakes and stress on the part of employees. The attendance management system should be easy for anyone to understand and use, and it is a good idea to choose one that is easy for the person in charge to manage.
Comply with the latest laws
The third point in choosing an attendance management system that can be used for remote work is whether it can comply with the latest laws. Along with the diversification of work styles, legal reforms are also progressing. So make sure you choose one that is compliant with the latest laws. Systems that comply with the latest laws are equipped with functions that support legal compliance, such as alert functions.
Recommended attendance management system that you want to use for remote work
Job Kan Attendance Management
Jobkan attendance management boasts over 50,000 companies as an attendance management system that is easy to operate even for first-time users. The system allows detailed settings to be made for each diversifying work style, and supports overtime work management and paid leave management in line with laws related to work style reform. A free account can be issued in 1 minute and can be operated in as little as 1 day, so even companies that want to introduce it quickly can use it immediately by using credit card payment. You can rest assured that there is a free support system that allows you to discuss your concerns.
Features of Jobkan Attendance Management
- Real-time attendance management, clocking and shift management, and data download are possible.
- Easy creation and approval of shift and vacation requests
- Flexibility to use functions individually or in combination as needed
Price plan (monthly)
• Free *Functions limited
• From 200 yen per person (paid plan)
Money Forward Cloud Attendance
Money Forward Cloud Attendance is a cloud-type attendance management system that is easy to operate with an easy-to-understand design. The automatic update function and data sharing that make use of the unique advantages of the cloud are possible, and the system can be used regardless of location. It supports employment rules for a wide range of business forms, and can perform shift management and attendance management collectively. You can easily link with “Money Forward Cloud Payroll” with a single click, so payroll will proceed efficiently.
Features of Money Forward Cloud Attendance
- Since it is a cloud type, it is possible to manage attendance efficiently on the web even in a variety of employment forms.
- Even if work style reform related laws are revised, the version can be automatically upgraded
- Entered data can be easily transferred to payroll software
Rate Plan (Monthly)
• Contact Us
team spirit
TeamSpirit is a cloud-based attendance management system with various functions such as attendance management and man-hour management according to the content of work style reform. By collecting, integrating, and analyzing employee work activity data, you can aim to improve productivity. You can use it with confidence because it is equipped with an advanced security system that can be used not only in the office but also for work styles such as working from home. The support required for each user, such as introduction, operation, and utilization improvement, is also provided in detail.
Characteristics of team spirit
- Although the set price is high, the function that can respond to various work styles is enriched
- Convenience of unifying applications by integrating with an ERP system that has already been introduced
- Improving work efficiency and transparency by visualizing employee work status, etc.
Price plan (monthly)
• From ¥600/person
Initial cost from ¥150,000
summary
In this article, we introduced in detail the basics and introduction points of an attendance management system that is important for remote work. Attendance management in remote work has issues such as not being able to see the working situation and not being able to grasp working hours. By utilizing the attendance management system, it is possible to solve a series of problems and increase the productivity of the company. When choosing an attendance management system, we recommend that you focus on compatibility with your company’s work system and ease of use.
