Documenting working time: why a digital solution is essential

Although companies with fewer than 10 employees are likely to be exempt from the electronic documentation obligation with the time recording obligation planned by the legislator (ArbZG-E), there is still a basic obligation to document the start, end and duration of employees’ daily working hours. We talk about documenting working time and why you should use digital tools.

Manual documentation: time-consuming and uncertain

However, keeping manual records of working hours is not only time-consuming, but also cost-intensive: employees have to manually note down every single hour worked and then the employer or tax office has to painstakingly add them up. This time-consuming procedure can be a major burden for both employees and employers.

Nevertheless, paper-based working time recording is still widespread. In business practice, the DATEV form “Template for documenting daily working hours” is often still used to record working hours. This is a free template in the form of an Excel workbook, which is often provided by the tax office in the context of minimum wage recording obligations. However, with the upcoming legislation in Germany on recording working hours, it is time to question the future viability of conventional working time documentation and switch to an innovative solution.

Digital solutions as a legally compliant basis

With digital time tracking, working hours can be recorded easily and efficiently without having to fill out cumbersome forms or constantly losing track of things. Employees save time when recording their hours – no more fiddling with paper forms! A digital tool also minimizes the risk of errors in the records: Smudged ink lines or forgotten entries are now a thing of the past. Incorrect entries are identified by a plausibility check. Thanks to the intuitive user interface offered by ZMI, the solution not only makes it easy to record attendance and absence times, but also offers functions such as vacation planning and overtime control. This not only makes administrative work easier, but can also save costs.

Simple, digital tool for documenting working time

But how does it all work? It’s simple: with cloud-based time tracking, you can get started right away and no longer need to install anything on your computer or server. Working times can be conveniently entered and saved directly in the browser – without the need for pen and paper. Optionally, a time recording terminal with RFID cards or transponders can also be easily connected. Make life easier for yourself and your employees by using a modern tool for recording working hours.