VeriClock (which begins at $15 per month) is a small to midsize business (SMB)-focused time tracking platform that provides the most common features in no-frills design.
A reliable and intuitive for managers and workers alike, VeriClock offers a wide range of configuration settings over how and when employees log their time, and it's reasonably priced.
For businesses that need precise time tracking, this about covers all their needs in a neat and easy to manage workflow.
VeriClock is not, strictly speaking, an employee monitoring solution.
It can’t be used to grab screenshots, log keystrokes, or run complex algorithms to determine employee productivity based on what is on their screens.
We’ve covered various tools that do this and more, including Editors’ Choice pick Veriato Cerebral.
Being a pure play time tracking solution means VeriClock doesn't focus on collaboration or project management (PM) like competitors Zoho Projects (one of our Editors' Choices in our PM software review roundup) or the well-designed clock-in buttons of TSheets (our Editors' Choice pick in the time tracking software category) However, even though it's missing some minor features, VeriClock excels at time tracking and does so at a price that’s tough to beat.
Since we last tested it, VeriClock has expanded its integrations, most notably with Intuit QuickBooks Online as well as Sage 50, which is a huge plus for customers already using these solutions. Also new for 2020 is the ability to create schedules.
For managers, this saves a lot of time since they can draft potential schedules and use them in the future while applying to specific job types and employees.
While scheduling does make VeriClock more versatile, it still doesn’t provide a way for employees to bid on open shifts.
According to the company, scheduling was a feature customers requested, which shows that VeriClock is open to adding the functionality its users need.
VeriClock also has the ability to easily extract real time data from clock ins and outs and generate reports for comparing hours worked in real time.
VeriClock does find itself uniquely positioned now during the pandemic and its resulting need for remote work.
This solution was built for remote workers with and was designed around the needs of tradespeople, health workers, and shift workers on job sites.
Initially a solution designed around replacing paper timesheets, VeriClock can help businesses ensure that employees are on the job and clocked into work thanks to its solid foundation and features, as well as geolocation and geofencing capabilities.
VeriClock also offers IP whitelisting, to ensure that people clock in only from a designated PC and IP address.
VeriClock allows employees to add notes or take pictures pertinent to their shifts (one possible use is for before and after photos of a task, like cleaning a room).
It now supports signature requests for employees to sign off on work they’ve completed.
Since this is sometimes a legal requirement in certain jurisdictions for certain kinds of work, it’s a convenient feature to include as customers of other solutions often need to bolt-on an additional workflow to meet this requirement.
VeriClock has also added a third-party approval feature, which can be included in a work order and then the third party or client can receive reports via text or email the same way admins and employees do.
VeriClock is the only time tracking solution with this feature.
Plans and Pricing
VeriClock does very well on the pricing front because it costs only $5 per user per month with a $10 monthly account fee (adding up to a total of $15 per month).
Per-user pricing and account fees don't change regardless of how many users are working in the system, so multiply $5 by the number of users you have and then add $10, and that's the price you'll pay for the system.
As such, VeriClock is among the most affordable time tracking solutions we tested.
However, if you're a single user looking to keep track of time for your own projects, then Time Doctor offers a free, introductory, desktop-only plan that offers no access to reporting.
TSheets is another straight time tracking-focused tool that also starts with a free plan geared toward one user.
It has a plan for up to 99 users that costs $5 per user per month with a $20 base fee per month.
However, these tools don't offer any of the basic invoicing or expense tracking elements you'll find in competitor TimeSolv Pro.
User Interface and Features
VeriClock’s user interface and website design is as basic as it gets. Logging into the service reveals a sparse expanse of white space with a top navigation leading to Time, Employees, Jons, Reports, Settings, Account, Integrations and Help.
Clicking on any of those sections will reveal more options.
Some users may find this design approach bland and unexciting but it has its advantages.
Because it's a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution, VeriClock will runs on most any web browser and as such most computing devices, too.
The mostly text-based design is deceptively quick which makes it easy to manager.
For tasks that are time-critical such as time tracking dozens of employees, VeriClock could very well be the fastest tool we’ve tested.
That said, this solution isn't going to win any design awards, which is one of the reasons it doesn't quite match up with Editors' Choice-winning TSheets.
The employee account is pared down compared with the administrative side, but since employees will mostly concern themselves with clocking in and clocking out, these functions are very well presented. The UI is rather plain compared with slicker designs, like the ones you'll find in Hubstaff and TSheets.
There's a lot of white space, particularly in the Clock In and Clock Out pages.
There's a lot of functionality buried in this staid design which, once mastered, can simplify managing and tracking employee time.
VeriClock's strength is its foresight and flexibility.
It offers multiple ways for employees to clock in beyond using desktops or smartphones.
There’s the option of using a landline for interactive voice response (IVR) clocking in, and SMS on non-smartphones (for text messaging in and out times).
SMS message log in functionality can be added for an extra $3 per user per month.
Because VeriClock has an open application programming interface (API), your development team can build VeriClock's clock-in button into any other open third-party tool.
Other apps in our roundup, such as TSheets, Hubstaff and TimeSolv, also offer this open API functionality.
VeriClock is one of the few vendors to give users a lot of leeway in terms of setting up accounts.
Unlike most solutions, the service does not require an email address for users to set up an account. VeriClock also does a good job focusing on automating manual repetitive processes.
For example, when you first start using the tool, you'll be able to batch upload employees.
Once the employees are in the system, you're then able to check into jobs as a group.
Think about how important this functionality is for a mobile workforce that travels from site to site for assignments.
A cleaning company's team, for example, will be able to upload its roster of 700 workers via a Microsoft Excel file, and then check each worker into a job with a single click of a button.
Obviously, this becomes more complex when variables are added, such as hourly rates, but it's by far the best batching we've seen on any tool we've reviewed.
Geo-Features and Time Management
Deeply integrated geolocation features enable managers to track the last-known position of all clocked-in employees, and the company has simplified its map view at wider zoom scales to make the UI cleaner.
In addition, VeriClock has enhanced its alerting functionality to track if employees clocked in at the locations they're supposed to be working.
VeriClock also offers geofencing, a feature you'll also find in time-tracking software like TSheets and Hubstaff.
As you leave a specified geographic radius, you can automatically clock out of a work shift.
In addition, you can set VeriClock's geofence to self-destruct when you clock out.
You can have VeriClock send you a warning if you're about to leave a geofence radius and won't be able to clock in.
Managers can get an alert if an employee went too far away.
You can use a scale to set distance for the geofence.
Geofencing is a handy feature that people can use to monitor whether they are in or out of a perimeter of a location like an office.
In my tests, we set the scale so that people would be logged in or out if they are within about 1 mile of their office (about 5,289 feet).
Adding time in VeriClock is straightforward.
To start tracking, just clock in at the top of the screen right under your name.
Then select the job and then select "Clock In" again.
The UI is barebones and not a fancy stopwatch like in TSheets, but it gets the job done.
TSheets makes a stopwatch available at all times should you decide to quickly track time from project to project.
The mobile app shows a stopwatch with hours and minutes but not seconds.
For logging in past time select Add Time, pick your name, and click on the name of the job into which you're clocking.
Then you select the days and hours worked.
VeriClock makes it easy to edit shifts so that you can add or subtract the amount of time a shift takes place in the event of an error
Configuration Options For Admins
Administrators will have an easy time of creating accounts for new employees, there’s the option for entering them one by one, or importing them from a spreadsheet.
During my test of VeriClock, I managed to quickly add new employees, determine the details of their jobs, salary, and work schedule as well as set up their passwords.
The next step is to add jobs by clicking Add Job.
We added a budget for the various projects.
You can set All Time Budget, Monthly Budget, Weekly Budget, Daily Budget and Payroll Budget.
You can also specify if the project is exempt from overtime.
The options to select these budget items stand out among competitors such as TSheets and Hubstaff.
Admins will find a rich and extensive set of options under the Settings section which is more versatile than similar time tracking solutions we’ve tested.
It is here where admins can manage alerts, set payroll standards, customize your main dashboard view, manage document storage, and build out your time cards for specific jobs.
VeriClock includes a helpful setting which you can add rules for alerts.
A No Show rule, for example sends a message out to designated employees by email or SMS if someone doesn't show up at a specific time.
Admins can require users to post photos to their clock ins before and after the start of shifts.
This is ideal for admins who want to measure production as much as they want to keep track of hours worked.
For example, if you're running a hotel and you'd like service staff to prove they serviced rooms, then you can require them to snap a photo before and after each room they service.
This has also become common practice with delivery personnel that take snapshots of the items they delivered at the supposed delivery locations.
The Jobs Tab lets you assign employees, block employees, and create monthly allotments for dollars or hours for each job.
The dashboard lets admins know where they are with jobs in real time to understand labor costs and prevent overstaffing.
You can even toggle the system to block employees from clocking into a job if your budget has been met.
A choice of five different alerts for admins reveals—in near real time—that tasks are being completed and that budgets are being respected.
If someone is about to enter into overtime, then admins will receive an email or text message letting them know.
VeriClock makes it possible to monitor specific employees to see if and when they clock in or out via notification.
VeriClock lets you add as many custom fields as you want.
So, if you're more concerned about how many miles truckers drove rather than how long it took them to make the drive, then you can add a field that requires them to enter total mileage as they clock out of their shift.
All of these custom fields can be turned off for unrelated jobs but having the option available shows great foresight.
This granular level of control is also found on more high-end tools, such as Clarizen, TimeSolv Pro, and TSheets and usually justifies their additional cost.
One key feature is the Time Guard alert guards against employees who forget to clock out at the end of the day, and the No Show alert lets managers see who didn't show up and the task to which they were assigned.
The Job Cost alerts warn you when you're close to going over budget for a specific job.
If set up properly, these alerts can keep any remote admin or manager updated.
Monitoring Employees
VeriClock is primarily for time tracking but it also brings with it some fundamental employee monitoring features.
This includes restricting clock-ins from certain IP addresses, which is ideal for fixed location offices that don't want people clocking in from home.
You can also flag clock-ins to see where someone logged into the system.
This is a less heavy-handed employee monitoring function than what you'll find in tools such as Hubstaff and Veriato Cerebral, both of which offer more invasive monitoring tools that let you see the webpages visited, apps used, and mouse activity for all active employees.
VeriClock also tracks GPS for smartphone clock-ins, which is an industry-standard feature.
With this function, you'll see where employees were during shifts, an important function for people who run transportation companies, for example.
VeriClock does not offer any insider threat protection nor does it provide forensic level monitoring capabilities, which is fine for the types of businesses and employees it is catering to.
VeriClock also has three different permission levels: admin, manager, and employee.
This is important to maintain data and privacy controls when it comes to employee monitoring.
For instance, in the Settings tab, you can group employees together under a specific manager's oversight so that manager can only see their own team's data in the VeriClock dashboard.
Another nifty feature is the ability to batch-upload employees through accounting software like QuickBooks or Sage 50.
VeriClock services industries such as cleaning,...
