Is there an app that tracks employees’ location and time?

In factories where people must do manual jobs, one of the biggest challenges is to keep track of their working hours. Using technology to control that can be tricky because it raises a few questions such as privacy, fairness, or how it may be used the wrong way.

The various kind of monitoring apps

Different apps exist that companies can use to track their workforce. Some of them let workers clock in and clock out when they start and finish their shifts. Others can be more complicated and use advanced systems such as special tags or GPS to see where workers are at all times. They are mainly used to figure out how much to pay them, or simply how long they work.

Most workers don’t like this kind of surveillance. It can add a daily mental stress, and will usually be expensive to put in place for the employer. When choosing a technology to achieve better monitoring & increasing productivity, you must be careful to avoid invading the privacy of your employees. Adding stress to their job will have the opposite effect you're aiming for; we are simply humans, after all.

What's on the market?

To help you know more about this market, here's a list of online services available.

- Clockify is a free time tracking app that offers pages like time tracking, reports, and team management. It integrates with various project management and CRM tools A complex set up is to consider at first. Completely free of use.

- Aquiestoy is a time tracking and employee monitoring app that offers pages like Smart QR Codes and GPS tracking activity monitoring. It's suitable for manual labor and remote teams.Quick setup for employees and easy tracking for employers. Free offer available.

- Toggl is a time tracking app that offers pages like automatic time tracking, reminders, and reporting.Suitable for freelancers and teams to track costs & expenses. Free offer available.

- Time Doctor is a time tracking and productivity monitoring tool. It tracks time spent on tasks, websites, and applications and offers pages like screenshots and reports.Mainly targeted toward big teams & remote workers. Only paid plan available.

Our take on the matter

Aquiestoy is a perfectly balanced solution, which allows employers to track employee’s hours and locations using their smartphones. It doesn’t disrupt privacy and only asks for location when arriving or leaving the place. It’s GDPR compliant, ensuring data are in a safe place and all information can be completely removed on demand.

Privacy is a significant concern when it comes to employee tracking apps in manual labor and factory settings. Employees may feel uncomfortable knowing that their employer is constantly monitoring their movements and activities, especially in environments where they may be working near one another. Aquiestoy is fulfilling the employer need without facing the problems other solutions may encounter.

Employers must carefully consider these factors when implementing such technology and work to create a balance between efficiency and respect for employees' rights.