Save 20% off the cost of our Extreme Blue systems—Extreme Blue Enhanced (Cloud and On-Premise Editions) and Extreme Blue—and extra Extreme Blue time clocks in our Spring sale. The sale runs through Friday, April 11. Click to get the discount promo codes.
Want to be a good leader? Make sure you don't do these five things. Two examples: Multitasking and interrupting your employees' work for trivial reasons. Multitasking reduces productivity and leads to mistakes, and it can take up to 25 minutes for an employee to return their attention to a project after an interruption.
Learn MoreLearn how to handle holidays in the TimePilot software, get the code for a discount on iButtons, and, of course, learn more interesting time trivia and see the latest Cool Stuff our employees have come across. (Hint—the Cool Stuff item makes a nice stocking stuffer for Christmas!)
Learn MoreUntil January 1, we're offering our On-Premise Edition customers an incredible deal: Upgrade to our Cloud Edition and get a 50% discount on your first year. That's like getting six months for free! It comes with lots of other benefits too, like free smartphone apps that allow your employees to clock in anywhere, free desktop apps that allow clock-ins at PCs, and free tech support. Use discount code TPCloud50 at checkout to get the sale price.
Learn MoreIf you're looking to sell your company, one of the best things you can do to raise your value is to increase your advertising, according to researchers. Advertising, they found, not only attracts customers, it also attracts investors.
Learn MoreThe assumption is that workers have always wanted fewer meetings, but that's not the case, according to this magazine article. What they actually want is more meetings that are productive, with action items and follow-ups on previous actions.
Learn MoreIf you've always wondered about how to use Copilot, Microsoft's Artificial Intelligence service, here are some resources. If you want a step-by-step guide, check out this one at PC Magazine. Are you more of a visual learner? Try this Beginner's Guide on YouTube. Either way, the only skill you need to get started is the ability to ask a question. Need a question to start? How about this: Why should I buy a TimePilot time clock?
"What do you do?" is a common conversation starter. This article gives tips on how to make your answer actually interesting. Hint: Being "crisp" is key.
Learn MoreThere are very few things that help you save hours at work, but if you can save seconds here and there, those saved seconds can add up. This article shows how you can save a few seconds on tasks you do every day.
Learn MoreIf you're starting a business, you might be tempted to hire freelance coders and engineers to get right to work building the business. This article suggests that might not be the best approach, for a variety of reasons.
Learn MoreOne of the best ways to motivate employees is to compliment them when they're doing a good job. Here are six good compliments—but be sure to be honest when issuing them.
Learn MoreGreat ideas and vast expertise won't help if you can't connect with your audience. This article gives four ways to help your audience grasp your message. Item 3: Strike a balance between data and stories.
Learn MoreDon't forget to turn your clocks ahead by one hour on March 10 to mark the start of Daylight Saving Time. We’ll remain in Daylight Saving Time until Sunday, November 3.
We just sent out our latest newsletter, with tips on how to use our smartphone app, TimePilot Mobile, as well as software questions and answers and a special sale just for our readers! There are a few other surprises, too. You can subcribe to receive future issues here.
See the newsletterOffice cubicles went out of fashion in the 2000s. First, offices went to an open concept, without walls, then COVID hit and everyone worked remotely. Now, as workers return to the office (at least part-time), those workers are wishing for the privacy the cubicles offered. One researcher believes that cubicles strike a good balance between camaraderie and getting things done.
Learn MoreWe're offering $50 off the cost of an Extreme Blue clock and 10 iButtons! Regular price: $538; sale price: $488. Sale ends Friday at midnight Central time. If you have a system that uses TimePilot Central software and any of TimePilot's time clocks, this bundle allows you to easily add a rugged, weatherproof clock.
Learn MoreIf you've got a bad boss, they're probably one of these four types (or perhaps a combination!): micromanager, buddy, lone wolf or jerk. This article gives advice on how to handle each type.
Learn MoreA small business group reports that almost 75 percent of its members have begun using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help their businesses. Among the benefits: 41% of members report they can redirect their own time and employee time to higher-value work; 39% use AI to come up with innovative solutions for customer engagement and retention; and 37% use AI to discover new equipment and technology. The most popular tools are those offered by Google, Microsoft, ChatGPT and Adobe.
Learn MoreResearchers at Duke University have found that because veterans are viewed as heroes, civilians consider them a better fit for jobs and organizations that are selfless and pay lower salaries than other opportunities. It's an example of a positive stereotype resulting in a negative effect. "People tend to view veterans really favorably, they want to be friends with them, they're very excited to work with them, and yet they are ending up with worse outcomes," said one researcher.
Learn MoreMastering the art of spontaneous speaking is important for leaders. But how do you do that? This Stanford professor has some valuable suggestions. One tip: "Don’t feel you need to give a standout performance. Just as the best comedy comes from truth, the best communication comes from being real."
Learn MoreSupermarket coupons that offer a discount on products are being used less often by consumers, and researchers have several ideas why. One idea: Consumers are more loyal to "their" brands.
Learn MoreResearchers found that the answer is yes, but they also found that customers pay more attention to the celebrity than to the product. In evolution and biology, people are more likely to follow the lead of high-status, high prestige individuals... like celebrities.
Learn MoreWe've mentioned before that we aren't fans of biometric—fingerprint, facial scan, etc.—time clocks. As an experiment, we asked an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot to write about the downside of biometric information collection in a particular author's style. The result was amazing, and it finished in less than 15 seconds.
To see its work, click here.We’ve come across a problem with a recent Windows update (version 24H2) issued by Microsoft that appears to be causing problems on networks running a wide variety of devices, including TimePilot Vetro. This may cause connection and performance issues to network-connected Vetro clocks including, but not limited to, a non-responsive keypad and delays in transaction recording.
Vetro users having this problem can download the solution here. After downloading, run the file on ALL PCs on your network (whether or not they're running the TimePilot software) to correct the problem with the timeclocks.
Until this solution is installed you can disconnect the Vetro clock(s) from the network and utilize the USB drive to collect data. For instructions on how to collect the transactions manually, click here (use the instructions for “Standalone Mode”).
If you're using TimePilot 5 Cloud Edition, you can now text your employees in the field—both individually and in groups—right from the TimePilot software. With a phone number provided by TimePilot, you can:
TimePilot 5 On-Premise Edition customers now have a way to have their databases backed up and stored for safekeeping in the Cloud. If their hard drive crashes, they simply download the backed-up database and go on with their day.
The new backup feature costs On-Premise customers just $60 per year. You can set the feature to prompt you to back up each time you log out of the TimePilot software, or you can create a backup with a few clicks of your mouse. The five most recent backup copies are always available as long as you have an active subscription.
Learn MoreOne of the coolest features of TimePilot’s Cloud-Based Edition is TimePilot Mobile, our app that allows employees to clock in and out on their smartphones instead of at an actual time clock. Oh, and did we mention it’s free, and you can have as many employees using the app as you want?
That raises the question, “How do I know that Joe was where he should have been when he clocked in on his phone?” The answer: The instant Joe taps the “In” or the “Out” button on his phone’s screen, the phone sends his location along with Joe’s clock in or clock out time to the TimePilot database in the Cloud.
Learn MoreLet’s say you’re already a TimePilot customer, own several of our time clocks and have your database on your server or PC. You’re interested in converting to our new Cloud-based system, so you can access your data from anywhere. Can you convert and still use your current clocks and iButtons?
Answer: Absolutely. And we’ll help you set things up. Here's how it will work:
Of course, you can also have your employees install the free TimePilot Mobile App on their smartphones, and with that app they can clock in using their phones from anywhere in the world.
Your employees can still use their iButtons to clock in and out just as they always have and have the added ability to clock in on their phones. But most of the benefits will be seen by supervisors.
Learn MoreTimePilot clocks are definitely more sanitary than fingerprint time clocks—and keeping things sanitary is a good way to fight the COVID-19 virus. It's not difficult to keep your Vetro, Extreme Blue or Tap clocks germ-free. Here are some tips:
Please note: TimePilot cannot make a determination of the effectiveness of a given disinfectant product in fighting pathogens, such as COVID-19. Please refer to your local public health authority's guidance on how to stay safe from potential infection.
There might be a time when you want to give supervisors partial access to the TimePilot database. For instance, you might give a maintenance supervisor access to the transactions created by maintenance department employees, but not to the transactions created by employees in other departments.
If you have TimePilot 5 (Cloud-Based Edition or On-Premise Edition) or TimePilot 4’s Enterprise Edition software, you can set up these permissions.
To see step-by-step instructions as well as several examples with screenshots, click the button below.
Learn MoreA collection of ways to make your TimePilot system more productive.
If you have shifts covering 24 hours a day and seven days a week, when do you start and end your Pay Periods? The choice is more difficult than it seems, because there’s never a time when all of your employees are “off the clock.” Let’s say your company has shifts running 24/7: The last shift in the Pay Period ends at 11:59 p.m. Saturday, and the first shift of the next Pay Period starts at midnight Saturday.
Here’s the problem: Some of the employees in the last shift of the Pay Period will clock out after midnight, putting their clock-outs into the next Pay Period. And some of the employees in the first shift of the Pay Period will clock in early, putting their clock-ins into the previous Pay Period. The result will be that when you extract the Pay Period, not all the transactions that should be in this Pay Period will get extracted. What should you do?
Learn MoreIf you've got a TimePilot timeclock system that's using TimePilot Central software—for instance, a Vetro, Extreme Blue Enhanced or Tap system—you can easily expand it simply by adding portable Tap clocks. Tap is our inexpensive, pocket-sized, battery-powered time clock for out in the field or on a desktop. It's a great little device that can be used in all kinds of ways, from tracking employee hours to keeping track of the number of hours a machine has been used.
Learn MoreClick here for more articles that will help you use your TimePilot system
Q. The Vetro clocks on our network do not respond to user input and randomly do not accept clock-ins. What’s going on? The answer
Q. I’m interested in TimePilot’s Cloud Edition, but how can I tell if my employees are at the worksite when they clock in on their phones? The answer
Q. If I buy a TimePilot system, will I have to pay a tariff? The answer
Q. What are “employee licenses”? The answer
Q. Is there a way to have an employee not automatically receive holiday pay? The answer
Q. When an employee clocks in at our Extreme Blue clock, the lights on the clock flash green and then red. What does that mean? The answer
Q. We have an Extreme Blue clock and we're missing all the transactions from one day of the workweek. How do we get those missing transactions? The answer
Q. An Extreme Blue clock will hold up to 12,000 punches; what happens when we go over that limit? The answer
Q. Does your software calculate accrued time for PTO? The answer
Q. Can my employees clock in at one TimePilot clock and out at another? The answer
Q. Is there a way to have an employee not automatically receive holiday pay? The answer.
Q. I am a Vetro user and recently upgraded to TimePilot 5 Cloud-Based Edition, which means I can start using TimePilot Mobile. How do I get the data from the cell phone into my software? The answer.
Q. I’d like to add a Vetro clock to my TimePilot system and use the USB drive to collect the data. How do I do this? The answer.
Q. I have an employee who lost her iButton in the middle of a pay period. How do I get her a new iButton and transfer all her information to it? The answer.
Q. Our company uses Paychex to handle our payroll. Is there a way to prepare the data collected by TimePilot so we can send it to Paychex? The answer.
Q. We have the Cloud Edition and our employees clock in and out with the smartphone app, TimePilot Mobile. Can they can send a note with their clock-in or clock-out? The answer.
Q. Does the Tap clock have a low battery warning? The answer.
Q. Is your Cloud version web-based software? The answer.
Q. Can I use one Vetro time clock for more than one business? The answer.
Q. We have TimePilot Extreme Blue. Can we set the clock-in time at 6:45 a.m. no matter what time the employees clock in? Some employees clock in at 6:30 or even 6:20 but only start working at 6:45. The answer.
Q. How do I print a report listing the transactions of all employees? The answer.
Q. If we have multiple clocks across multiple sites with different managers at each site, do I need to purchase software and support for each? The answer.
Q. We just bought another Extreme Blue clock. Do I need to reprogram all our employees' iButtons on the new clock? The answer.
Q. I’m upgrading to Windows 10. What version of TimePilot Central can I run on Windows 10? Is there a cost for upgrading my local version? The answer.
Q. My remote workers don't have smartphones. How can they clock in? The answer.
Q. Does the smartphone app, TimePilot Mobile, track my employees at all times? We're concerned about privacy. The answer.
Q. We have an accomplished IT person and we're confident she can handle having the TimePilot database on our network server. Is there any other benefit to having our database on the Cloud? The answer.
Q. It would be helpful to see which of our employees are on the clock at any one time. Does TimePilot offer anything like this? The answer.