Are you tired of chasing your team to submit their timesheets? Sending reminders over and over again just to get completed timesheets is time-consuming for managers and HR professionals. It can seem like a never-ending monthly battle to get your team to comply with timesheet deadlines. Rather than sending the same old timecard reminders every week, send your team something that will catch their attention. In this article, we’ll outline the best timesheet reminder strategies so you never have to chase your team again. Read more so you can streamline the way you manage your timesheets today.
What are Timesheet Reminders?
Timesheet reminders or timecard reminders are notifications via text, email, or bulletin board flyer that announce the deadline for employees to fill out their timecard. These reminders can be essential for a company to ensure its employees submit their recorded hours on time. Typically, this process is done manually; however, with time tracking software, it has been automated depending on the company’s resources and preferences.
📌 Want to learn more? Check out the 6 best ways to send timesheet reminders.
Example of a timesheet reminder
Timecard reminders can be a digital or physical format, depending on your company’s processes. In some cases, a Slack message may be the most effective. In other situations, a posted bulletin flyer in the common area grabs your team’s attention more. Regardless of the format, sending an effective timesheet reminder is important. You want your reminders to provide all the necessary information, including the deadline.
Email timecard reminder
Subject line: Timesheet Reminder (Deadline: [Insert date])
Body: Dear team,
This is a friendly reminder to submit your timecards by the [insert deadline]. Once completed, please turn them in at the main HR office to ensure payroll is processed correctly and on time. Failure to submit timesheets by [insert deadline] may result in delays or inaccurate payslips. For any questions or concerns, please contact [HR information].
Thank you!
Slack timesheet reminder
Hey team, please submit your timesheets by [insert deadline] to ensure timely payment. Thanks! 🤑
Timesheet reminder memes
Memes are a great way to jazz up your timecard reminders and add a bit of humor to the situation.
Time tracking software reminder
A reminder sent via time tracking software will vary depending on the platform. Factorial’s time and attendance software allows managers to customize who they send timecard reminders to. This ensure your team isn’t getting overwhelmed with messages and accidentally missing important alerts because their inbox is too full.
Why are Timesheet Reminders Important?
Managers frequently waste valuable time sending consistent timesheet reminders to their teams. More critically, when employees fail to complete their timesheets or submit inaccurate records, the company is exposed to significant risk of wage and hour non-compliance. Implementing effective timecard reminders is essential. This ensures that all vital time data is accurately captured and maintained, which directly leads to a reliable and accurate payroll process, eliminating delays or the potential withholding of employee compensation due to unrecorded hours. To summarize, timesheet reminders:
- Reduce payslips delays or timesheet errors, ensuring timely and accurate payslips are distributed.
- Ensure managers are tracking working hours accurately and they are complying with recordkeeping regulations.
- Prevent pay period discrepancies from occurring.
Challenges with Timesheet Submission
There are many factors to consider when it comes to timecard submissions. Whether that’s a complex workflow, employees out on PTO, or employee forgetfulness – understanding all factors that contribute to late timecard submission is essential. Taking into consideration these factors can explain why submissions are late or compliance is falling short.
Common challenges employers face when it comes to timesheet submissions are:
- Employees forget to record their clock-in/out and breaks.
- Recording hours worked is manual, prone to errors, and time-consuming.
- Teams tend to procrastinate on manual tasks like filling out timecards. They may view timesheets are a tedious, mundane task that is not prioritized.
- Employees don’t understand the importance of filing employee records and submitting timesheets on time. They aren’t aware that mistakes or late submission can result in payslip delays or underpaid wages.
6 Effective Timecard Reminder Strategies
When you send a timecard reminder is just as important as the reminder itself. Next time, consider notifying your team during these times:
1. Right before a deadline
Send your team a last minute reminder to get every submission before they’re due.
2. On Fridays
Wrap up the week with accurate timesheets by sending a reminder before your team leaves for the weekend. That way, when they arrive on Monday, they’ll be starting off their week fresh with no pending housekeeping tasks.
3. After an employee forgets
The best way to get employees to submit their timecards is right after they forget a submission. You can rectify their workflow and even offer suggestions to avoid this from turning late submissions into a habit.
4. Rewarding employees who submit their timesheets on time
This recognition could be as easy as giving kudos or small prize for employees with 100% timesheet submission rates. Most people enjoy being recognized for their work and this encourages your team to do the same.
5. Utilizing a time tracking software
This automates your time tracking and reduces manual work, prevents human-made errors, and saves your managers’ time by not sending reminders to your team. Your timesheet submission process is easier and more efficient when using time tracking software. Software benefits your managers, HR teams, and employees by sending automated reminders and saving time by eliminating manual methods.
6. Making light of the situationÂ
Late timecard submissions may be inevitable and by leaning into humor, it creates the message that we’re all humans and mistakes happen, but we need to be mindful. Sending timesheet reminder memes can engage and increase timesheet compliance in your business.
Timecard Reminder Memes
By sending timesheet reminder memes, you’re making the process more lighthearted and fun. Here are some examples to send to your team the next time you’re approaching the deadline.
Time Tracking Management Software
Managing timesheets can be overwhelming, but with time tracking software you’ll finally be able to centralize your team’s working hours. Maintaining a clear time management process is crucial for accurate payroll processing, timely payslips, and compliance with recordkeeping regulations.
Rather than spending time completing repetitive manual work, such as approving employee timesheets or sending timecard reminders, managers can focus on growing their team. Time management software automates the process and reduces human-prone errors. Additionally, time tracking software can offer advanced features, including time tracking reports and analytics and sync with time off.
Automate Timesheet Reminders with Factorial
With Factorial, team members no longer have to manually input their worked hours and submit timecards to HR. Employee hours will be centralized for both employee and managers to access. This means less time spent on repetitive work and more time focusing on more strategic tasks. Time tracking tools like Factorial come with a big advantage – they eliminate unnecessary paperwork and steps. Particularly Factorial’s time management solution, you can automate timecard notifications and sync worked hours with payroll for accurate payslips. Save your team time, money, and effort by investing in Factorial.
👉 Simplify your time management with Factorial. Tour our product to see what benefits your team could gain.
FAQ
How to avoid late employee timesheet submissions?
To avoid late employee timesheet submissions, create a simplified workflow, set realistic deadlines, or utilize time tracking software to automate the process.
What is a timesheet reminder?
A timesheet reminder is a notification sent to employees to record their employee hours and submit it to HR to process payroll.
How do I remind employees to submit timesheets on time?
You can remind employees to submit timesheets on time with notifications sent to their email, slack, or employee profile on a time tracking software like Factorial.
What is the 7 minute timesheet rule?
The 7 minute timesheet rule is a time-rounding policy that allows employers to round work time to the nearest quarter-hour. This is in compliance with FLSA and states that clock-in/outs with minutes between 1 to 7 (e.g., 10:06) can be rounded down and minutes from 8 to 14 (e.g., 10:09) must be rounded up.
