PROS / This program is simple to use for both employees and administrators.
CONS / It doesn’t calculate shift differentials.
VERDICT / Buddy Punch is a powerful solution for tracking employee time cards while still being easy to navigate and use.
Buddy Punch is a powerful time clock software application you access online through your web browser. It’s different from traditional time clock programs you install onto a designated PC. Buddy Punch allows your employees to clock in and out each day from their own workstation. If you’d prefer more control over where your employees clock in, Buddy Punch can assign QR codes to each employee that you then print off for employees to scan at a designated PC.
When testing Buddy Punch, we scrutinized how easy it is for employees with a variety of computer skills to clock in and out of the system. From the Buddy Punch website, employees and administrators alike log in using their unique employee ID or password. Employees are taken to the time clock that is clearly marked with either a Punch In or Punch Out button depending on where they are in their workday. The system gives administrators the option of allowing employees to correct their own time card from the employee portal, with their manager approving the final time card prior to payroll.
The administrative dashboard is also simple to use. The In and Out board lets you see quickly who has punched in, who made it in late or if any requests have been sent to correct missed punches.
Buddy Clock automatically syncs its clock with the one on your PC so you can be sure payroll is accurate. It also calculates California overtime, which is calculated per day rather than by workweek.
In terms of its tracking features, there are a few features missing that would make this time-tracking software easier for administrators to use. The first is the ability to track and calculate shift differentials; second, automatic accrual calculations would certainly be helpful as would the ability to track time off for bereavement purposes. You can track overtime, vacation time and sick leave, however.
With the use of access controls, you can decide who can access and modify employee time cards. You can give employees permission to change times but require each change to be approved by a supervisor prior to being sent out for payroll. It also creates reports so you can see at a glance any concerning trends, such as consistent late or missed punches or too many time-off requests.
There are a few administrative tools missing, such as a scheduler that lets you assign employees to shifts each week. This may not be a problem if you have salaried employees or workers all on the same schedule. You don’t have access to audit tools, which may be an issue since audit reports are required for certain government organizations or companies that do government contract work. Buddy Punch does create a data backup, however, so you always have access to information, even in the wake of a power outage or other unforeseen disaster.
If you’d like to search for the answer to your questions on your own, Buddy Punch has a FAQs section on its webpage. It also has a decent knowledgebase covering a variety of employee tracking and time-management issues.
Summary
Buddy Punch is a powerful time-keeping software system that is easy for both employees and administrators to use. Some administrative tools are missing, such as the ability to track bereavement or calculate shift differentials. This system does include important functions, such as access controls and California overtime tracking, for ensuring accurate payroll.