Honest Review:

TimeClock Plus

• Security features
• Customization options in schedules
• Leave requests in one location
• Project cost controls
• Dedicated time clock devices
• Multiple clock-in and clock-out options 
• Multi-device compatibility
• Wealth of integrations

TimeClock Plus offers three plan packages with different feature suites aimed at various business needs. They also offer two time clock models and two software options that turn mobile and desktop devices into time clocks. 

TimeClock Plus Essentials Plan

The TimeClock Plus Essentials Plan is designed for organizations in need of a better way to track time and attendance for payroll. Of the three plans, this one has the most basic feature set composed of time and attendance, a configurable dashboard, basic reports, employee management, job code management, overtime calculations, and support during business hours. In addition to these features, users at this tier also have the option to purchase add-ons such as time clock devices, TCP mobile apps, and TCP analytics.

TimeClock Plus Professional Plan

The TimeClock Plus Professional Plan is intended to be a complete time, attendance, reporting, and scheduling solution with payroll export. It has all of the features of the Essentials plan, plus PTO & leave management, automated imports, payroll exports, employee scheduling, and Humanity scheduling integration. In addition to that, users at this tier also have the option to purchase the add-ons of the Essentials plan and additional features such as job costing, shift differential, advanced leave, advanced overtime, annualized employee management, substitute management, and 24/7 support.

TimeClock Plus Enterprise Plan

The TimeClock Plus Enterprise Plan is made for complex organizations needing complete visibility into their workforce. It has all of the features of the previous plans, plus attestation tracking, multi-language software, job costing, shift differential, advanced leave, advanced overtime, annualized employee management, TCP mobile apps, and 24/7 support. In addition to these features, users at this tier can also opt to buy time clock devices and additional features such as advanced scheduling, occurrence management, substitute management, and TCP analytics.

TimeClock Plus Core Time Clock

The TimeClock Plus Core Time Clock is TCP’s most basic time clock device that on its own only supports PIN entry. However, it can be configured to suit business requirements for various clock-in options with attachments that expand its functions with fingerprint scanners, touchless badge readers, temperature scanners, and more.

TimeClock Plus Biometric Time Clock

The TimeClock Plus Biometric Time Clock incorporates an integral fingerprint scanner in its design. This helps beat time theft shenanigans, particularly buddy punching, with added security utilizing the unique nature of individual fingerprints. 

Mobile Clock App and Web Clock

The mobile clock app and web clock software options offer more flexibility in the ways users can clock in with TimeClock Plus. By installing these apps to users’ mobile and desktop devices, they are essentially transformed into time clock devices that allow clock-ins and clock-outs from the comfort of employees’ office desks or home offices, to any job site or even on the road.

Prices for TimeClock Plus plans, add-ons, time clock devices, and time clock apps are not listed on the TimeClock Plus website but are available upon request from TCP representatives. 

1. Time and Attendance Tracking

TimeClock Plus offers a variety of methods for time tracking from time clock devices to desktop and mobile time clocks. Their systems promise visibility on the location of employees and what they’re doing, reduction of errors in time records with automated time data collection, and the simplification of payroll processes.

The TimeClock Plus devices are suitable for on-site operations where employees require straightforward methods of clocking in and out of work on a daily basis. Depending on the model and/or attachments, TCP timeclocks can support check-ins using PINs unique to every employee, biometric scanning using fingerprints, or touchless sign-in badges with magnetic strips, bar codes, and proximity sensors. Of particular note is the Core time clock model, which I love for its customizability. Depending on particular business time and attendance needs, users can “build” the clock according to their specifications and configure it with the addition of attachments for fingerprint scanning, touchless badge readers, and thermal sensors. 

In addition to time clock devices, TimeClock Plus also enables users to track time spent at work straight from their office desks or their WFH setups with the desktop app, or even on the go with mobile devices. The time and attendance software transforms users’ devices into their own personal time clocks from which they can clock in and out, log hours for specific projects and locations, request time off, and track breaks.  They can even use it to communicate with teammates and superiors with the messaging function.

The time and attendance data gathered from the time clocks, desktop, and mobile apps are automatically synced with the TimeClock Plus system to generate timesheets, facilitate payroll, and create reports that provide insight into how time is spent across the ranks. Errors are eliminated by automations that do the number crunching, replacing the tedious and messy paper-based systems that used to be the norm for calculating labor and overtime, PTO, and more. Plus, it also integrates with other HR software such as payroll, ERP, and HCM systems to further streamline workflows and enable teams to worry less about processes and focus on the work that matters. 

While all of those things are truly impressive, users of the desktop and mobile apps should keep an eye out when they’re clocking in and clocking out, as TimeClock Plus glitches out sometimes and does not respond to clicks. It might take multiple clicks for the timer to start or stop tracking, and this can cause inaccurate records that skew the other processes dependent on time tracking. 

This problem is even more pronounced in the mobile apps, as sometimes they flat-out fail to track time, especially when in environments with low or no internet connectivity. This makes TimeClock Plus a questionable choice for users on the ground or on the go.

2. Absence and Leave Management

TimeClock Plus provides its users with a convenient solution to track employee absences and leave requests where both employers and employees can take an active role. It promises flexibility, customizability, and efficiency in managing all processes related to managing absences and leaves. Best of all, it works perfectly with the time and attendance system and other features to ensure a seamless experience across the board.

With TimeClock Plus, users and managers are promised a stress-free experience of requesting and approving leaves with a fair and optimized system regardless of circumstance. Vacation, holiday, sick time, FMLA, and other leaves can all be requested, tracked, and managed with ease using an integrated request platform that renders error-prone spreadsheets and time-consuming calls a thing of the past. Users can submit requests for time off and managers can review, edit, approve, and deny requests all in one place with the ease of just one click. 

To ensure fairness, TimeClock Plus allows users to set up a leave calendar where leave availability is displayed, along with brownout dates where limited leaves are available, and blackout dates where no leaves are available. Leaves can be distributed with dynamic accrual configurations such as organizational flat rates, rates based on hours worked, and configurable distribution periods for weekly, monthly, yearly, or custom timeframes. Automated processing of accrued hours mean a set-and-forget system that reduces human error, frees up time, and saves businesses money.

But the TimeClock Plus leave and absence management feature I like the most is the leave bidding feature, which allows management to institute a formalized bidding process for open slots on the leave calendar that determine request prioritization based on factors such as rank, seniority, and date of submission. It also allows management to categorize employees into resource pools with specific dates for leave availability to ensure that all stations are manned adequately even if a part of the workforce is on leave. And when all available slots for a period are taken, employees can opt to be placed on a standby list for prioritized consideration in case of an opening. 

3. Planning and Scheduling

TimeClock Plus offers a streamlined way of creating, distributing, and managing schedules that move away from obsolete and error-prone spreadsheet and whiteboard methods with a tech-forward solution that promises optimized staffing levels and better employee engagement. But aside from the creation of schedules, it also helps with labor cost reduction, compliance with labor laws, and ensuring that the right people are slated for the right jobs.

The standard employee scheduling features on TimeClock Plus allow businesses to create schedules as needed with up to 8 recurring unique work weeks. It provides scheduling templates that cut down on think time and simplify setup and can be built upon for unique business needs with changes on the global and employee levels. It also helps to uncover potential issues with conformance by giving management visibility into late arrivals, punches that don’t comply with company policies, absences, and other attendance issues that may cause headaches if left unaddressed, all while giving space for scheduling exceptions.

TimeClock Plus advanced employee scheduling features address more complex and dynamic scheduling requirements such as coverage assurance, qualification requirements for shifts, and CBA compliance. The Advanced Scheduler shift calendar empowers managers to focus more on leading and less on scheduling with simplified open-shift filling, and employees can request shift swapping and dropping with the sift roster.

With the Humanity scheduling integration, TimeClock Plus offers demand-driven scheduling that considers business metrics to ensure optimum staffing. Automated scheduling takes this a step further by allowing users to set preferences and define variables to automatically generate conflict-free schedules. Real-time scheduling gives visibility to understaffed and overstaffed areas in real time so managers can respond swiftly and appropriately. And best of all, shift management processes — open shift pickup, shift release, time off requests, availability adjustments, and more —  can be done straight from the comfort of a mobile phone.

With TimeClock Plus, businesses can reduce labor costs by giving visibility to time and attendance data that gives incisive insights on how to cut down on unnecessary overtime. The ability to view real-time data on overstaffing and understaffing promotes optimal scheduling and increases workforce flexibility while helping reduce burnout. Compliance with labor laws is maintained with transparency and control over breaks, time off, and other requirements mandated by federal, state, and local laws. And last but definitely not least, document repositories, audit logs, and customized workflows help ensure that businesses are always on the right side of future audits.

 All of these work together to help build a more productive workplace where employees are utilized optimally, and managers are able to focus on value-driving, problem-solving, and and productivity-boosting.

However, the TimeClock Plus scheduling systems also come with its challenges. It needs some options to facilitate scheduling by team or in bulk, and the by-employee scheduling can feel limiting or unintuitive at times. Also, the notifications for new shifts and changes in schedules fail to reach the intended recipients sometimes, which causes no small amount of chaos that requires manual sorting out.

4. Reporting and Analytics

The analytical tools offered by TimeClock Plus allow users to make informed decisions to stimulate the growth of their company and improve performance across the ranks. Using information captured in time tracking, users can generate customized reports to tackle multiple aspects of their workflows.

Reports can be generated from the reports tab in the TimeClock Plus dashboard. In it, users can choose a category to pull data from, the report type to be made from a wealth of templates, and filters to customize what details should be included or left out of the report. The newly configured report can then be saved for future use. 

Once configured, reports can be run once, a few times, or even automated to run on certain dates or at specific intervals. Users only have to configure their preferences once, specify the email addresses of intended recipients, and the system pretty much takes it from there without the need for any intervention. 

Understanding and managing their workforce data more clearly and precisely provides users with valuable insights into employee productivity levels, labor costs, and time management. These tools contribute to the improvement of productivity, increase efficiency, and help drive profitability.

However, the variety of templates and filtering options is still not enough to satisfy some unique analytic structure needs. TimeClock Plus could do very well to allow more customizable options that allow users to analyze data in the way that feels most suitable for them. 

(As of December 2023)

• Capterra: 4.4/5
• G2: 4.3/5
• Software Advice: 4.5/5
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• Google Play Store: 2.4/5
• App Store: 1.8/5

TimeClock Plus offers a respectable arsenal of features that address many organizational pain points. Its wide variety of punching options cater to various time tracking needs on-site, in office settings, and on the go. Automations make short work of timesheets and payroll processes using the data captured from time tracking. The configurable time clock devices are a nice hardware complement to the software.

Absences and time off can be managed all in one place, and with a fair system that ensures equitable leave distribution. The process of scheduling shifts is made easier with the intuitive features and automations of Time Clock Plus that ensure optimal shift distribution, coverage assurance, real-time adjustments according to exigencies, and compliance with local, state, and federal laws. 

Insights for decision-making are provided by reports that come in easily comprehensible charts and graphs that make sense of the data captured by the time tracker. TimeClock Plus offers a variety of templates that can be used to show actionable information about most business aspects, and filters help make them even more specific and to the point. Automations allow managers to specify what insights they need and when, and the system does that to the T.

I love that in almost all of its features, TimeClock Plus prioritizes time saving and efficiency, and the way they are made to interact together is quite impressive. 

However, not everything is great about TimeClock Plus. The mobile app leaves a lot to be desired, with users facing frequent glitches and differences between offline and online processes that severely affect its functionality and the reliability of its time tracking capability. The dismal ratings on the App Store and Google Play Store are a testament to users’ frustration over these deficiencies. 

The way the software is conceived is really great, but the way it is designed and executed could use some more refinement. This is especially ironic because TimeClock Plus has been around for thirty years, but their product is still plagued by a whole boatload of bugs and glitches that negatively compromise user experience. Also, the interface isn’t the easiest to navigate or the most intuitive to use. This often results in frustration and affects the learning curve.

The TimeClock Plus scheduling system presents a robust and well-designed suite of features but does not deliver sometimes. These occasional slip-ups have the potential to create huge issues that affect coverage and compliance with the law. They may also require a lot of man-hours to rectify, costing businesses extra in the process.

Reporting-wise, I love that TimeClock Plus offers a lot of templates to choose from and the ability to filter information for more focused insights. But even with all of that, there is still a need for more customizable analytic structure options that users can configure according to their unique business needs. 

To conclude, I feel that TimeClock Plus could be a great all-in-one solution if they would address the issues discussed in this review, and if they would be more transparent with their pricing. It’s best suited for rapidly growing businesses and organizations that require a lot of customizability in their time tracking and productivity management. But listen, if you’re looking for a solution with a reliable mobile app or something that’s not too complicated to use, I’d advise you to look elsewhere.