PROS / This software can track and calculate California overtime.
CONS / Navigation through the administrator portal is difficult.
VERDICT / It takes some extra steps to install and set up TimePilot PC, but once it’s good to go, you will have sufficient functions and tools available for tracking employee time cards.
TimePilot PC is an employee tracking software solution for small businesses. This time card system is set up on a designated PC, creating a simple time clock for employees to quickly punch in and out for the day. The time clock looks like a physical time clock and works in the same way. Employees simply type in their unique employee ID number and click the in or out button to designate where they are in their workday. This employee time clock is one of the simplest to use among our reviewed time clock systems.
One feature that we didn’t see was a way for employees to easily request time off. Unlike other solutions, TimePilot doesn’t have a designated time-off request tab or button, or a way for employees to send a message through the system to their appointed manager or administrator. Since this system is designed for small businesses with few employees, this may not be an issue for your company.
We had more difficulty navigating through the administrator portal. The spreadsheet layout is confusing with too much information crammed into a single field. It isn’t easy to click between needed fields, and while functions are labeled, they use confusing names. For example, there are two different fields that must be opened separately in order to modify an employee’s time depending on whether they missed punching in or out. Other time card solutions we reviewed have these fields in one place, reducing the number of steps we needed to take and making the process easier and more intuitive.
While downloading the TimePilot PC program, we encountered many issues. We ultimately needed to download multiple programs in order to get it to work correctly. Additionally, there were several steps we needed to take in order to set up the database and enter in employee information. This program required substantially more steps than other time card software we reviewed before we could start using it. However, throughout the process, we had the help of great customer support that provided clear steps and help until it was working properly. It is important to note that if you choose to purchase TimePilot PC that you will have access to very limited technical support unless you purchase the annual support plan.
The program itself is fairly simple. There isn’t much color or elaborate design, particularly in the administrative portal. Still, you can adequately track when employees are present by viewing the in and out board, and track accruals including holiday pay. There isn’t a specific designation for vacation, sick time or bereavement leave. You can manually manipulate the system to include these time-off requests in individual time cards.
You can also set up payroll. Two important features included with TimePilot PC that aren’t common in many other time card programs are the ability to track California overtime and shift differentials. At the end of your pay period, you can save payroll information into either an XLS or CSV file to be sent along to your payroll service or exported into your accounting software.
Summary
TimePilot PC is an effective tool for tracking and keeping your employee time cards. While it may take a little effort to install and set up on your computer, once it’s ready to go, it will provide you with the ability to track accruals and overtime, including California overtime. It also is set up to track shift differentials and holiday pay. Support personnel are friendly and eager to help, though you may need to purchase the annual support plan for in-depth support of your time card system.