Remote Work Parts you Don't See: Protecting Yourself as Employee/Contractor & Employer
Co-authored by:
Yasin Arafat Digital Marketing Founder & CEO of “DOPPCALL”
Yasin Arafat is a Digital Marketing resource featured in TechBullion, New York Times, and Yahoo.
Let us Take a Look:
What Is Remote Work Time Tracking?
How do companies keep track of the time of remote employees?
Kinds of apps are available to track time…
Employee monitoring software can do the following…
How to Set Boundaries as an Employee & Contractor. Co-authored by: Yasin Arafat Digital Marketing Founder & CEO of “DOPPCALL”
Settings employees & contractors should pay attention to on their computers?
How can productive employees & contractors set boundaries with tracking?
What Is Remote Work Time Tracking?
Remote time tracking is the way to determine how much time a remote worker puts in. With the remote employee work time tracking software, it is also possible to keep track of the employee's work hours. This will help a lot in figuring out how productive the employees are.
It can also help employers get a better idea of how productive each of their employees who work from home is. This is because managing a whole team in a virtual space can be hard, but finding the right solution, such as the best remote employee time-tracking software, can save the day.
This will help the manager track what remote workers are doing at work and give them tasks accordingly. Not only can this software help managers, but it can also help people keep track of their work. So, employees working from home can easily check their work to improve their skills, productivity, and efficiency.
How do companies keep track of the time of remote employees?
Even people who work in the same building as their bosses sometimes have to follow strict rules. For example, new studies by Gartner have revealed that 57% of the 239 companies asked will use special software to track their employees' data.
In particular, they want to keep track of movement and texts in internal messaging systems, workspaces, and biometrics. This is especially helpful in call centers to monitor how productive employees are and if they follow the rules.
Also, keeping an eye on what employees do makes it easier for managers and remote development teams to trust each other. Software that keeps track of employees is also used in government, medical, and financial institutions dealing with sensitive information.
The same reasons apply to monitoring employees from afar, but you don't need surveillance cameras. The software made for remote teams and their needs will be enough. This article will tell you how to choose the best software to keep track of your remote workers and show you the top 10 tools we suggest.
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At the moment, the following kinds of apps are available to track time:
Employee time tracking systems.
This type of tracker is for employees who spend much of their work time on the move, like those who start making sales calls or delivering services to clients' homes. These trackers use GPS information, customer signatures, and time and location stamps.
Automatic time trackers or software that can watch your desktop.
If an employee only uses one device for work, like a laptop or desktop computer, this desktop may have the software already installed that tracks the employee's work until they turn off the computer. A time clock calculator like this can also be set up to track how many hours were spent on certain tasks.
Cloud-based timekeepers.
It can be used from a web browser, and all the data is stored in the cloud. Employees can record their hours, and employers can authorize them from almost anywhere or on almost any device as long as they have a reliable internet connection. Cloud servers can handle a lot of data quickly and in real-time. Because of this, a cloud-based tracker is the best way for companies with many remote workers to keep track of them.
It's important to mention that the employee monitoring software can do the following:
Basic timekeeping.
This is the simplest software, and all it does is track time. This software records the hours worked in real-time on a timesheet that can then be exported to an Excel or CSV file.
Keystroke logging.
A few time trackers can record the employee's keystrokes and what time it is. When the software hasn't seen any keystrokes for a certain time, it stops keeping track.
Screenshots and video recordings.
A time tracker can also take screenshots of the employee's screen and, in some cases, even record videos. The shooting happens randomly, so the person can't change their actions based on what they see on the screenshot.
Tracking location.
If the software has a GPS module, it can determine where the worker is.
Productivity monitor.
With the help of detailed progress reports, this part of a time tracking app lets users get a clear picture of how productive their remote staff is. Freelancers often use apps with these features to keep track of their work.
How to Set Boundaries as an Employee & Contractor
Co-authored by: Yasin Arafat Digital Marketing Founder & CEO of “DOPPCALL”
Employers are not required by law to disclose the use of time-tracking tools to their employees. Employers may be required in some jurisdictions to provide employees with notice about the collection and use of their data and obtain their consent for this collection and use.
Furthermore, some laws and regulations may restrict the type of data that can be collected, how it can be used, and how long it can be kept. Employers must consult with legal counsel to ensure compliance with any applicable laws and regulations in their jurisdiction. Employers should also have a clear and transparent time-tracking policy that details how data is collected and used, and ensure that all employees are aware of and understand the policy.
It is generally regarded as best practice to inform employees about the use of tracking tools, as this fosters trust and transparency in the employer-employee relationship.
Settings employees & contractors should pay attention to on their computers?
Employees should make sure that their anti-virus software is up to date and that regular scans are performed.
A firewall protects a computer from unauthorized access and should be enabled.
Automatic updates: Employees should configure their computers to install updates automatically to ensure that their software is always up to date and patched against known vulnerabilities.
Remote access: If an employee's computer is configured to allow remote access, they must ensure that only authorized individuals have access.
Encryption: To prevent unauthorized access, employees should consider encrypting sensitive data.
Employees should be aware of their computer's privacy settings, which include the ability to disable location tracking, camera, and microphone.
Passwords: Employees should use strong, unique passwords for their computers and accounts, and where available, enable Multi-Factor Authentication.
Employees should be aware of the company's security policies and guidelines, as well as ensure that their computers are configured in accordance with those policies. Employees should also report any suspicious activity or security issues to their employer's IT or security team as soon as possible.
How can productive employees & contractors set boundaries with tracking?
Communicate expectations: Productive employees & contractors should communicate to their employers their preferences for working styles and the level of tracking they are comfortable with.
Establish and adhere to clear working hours: Productive employees should
establish and adhere to clear working hours. This can help to prevent burnout and allow them to disconnect from work outside of their designated work hours.
Set goals and priorities: Productive employees should establish work goals and priorities and communicate them to their employers. This can help to ensure that they are concentrating on the most important tasks and that their time is spent wisely.
Selectively use time tracking tools: Productive employees can use time tracking tools selectively, such as only tracking the time spent on specific tasks or projects. This can help to ensure that the tracking is focused on the areas most important to their employer while still allowing them to maintain some autonomy and control over their work.
Conclusion
Employee time-tracking app is a must for every team, whether in the same place or spreads out. But remote teams require it even more because it's easier to lie about the number of hours worked when people aren't in the same place. Our in-depth how-to guide will teach you how to keep your workers who work from home happy and interested.
