Across the Princeton Mercer Chamber, I hear the similar things from small business owners... Time tracking feels simple, so it often becomes an afterthought. But it is usually the first place where problems begin.

Here is what the numbers show:

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 80 million people in the United States work in hourly roles. That is roughly 60 percent of the entire workforce. At the same time, research from SCORE shows that about 70 percent of small businesses still rely on outdated or manual timekeeping methods. This includes handwritten notes, spreadsheets, old punch clocks and even text messages sent to the owner late at night.

When you combine an hourly workforce with manual time tracking, the risk becomes obvious.

Missed punches. Unrecorded breaks. Incorrect overtime calculations. Padding of hours. Lost records. Payroll discrepancies. Disputes that require investigations. All of these issues start with inaccurate or outdated time tracking.

The Department of Labor reports that wage and hour violations cost U.S. businesses hundreds of millions of dollars every year. Many of these cases involve something as basic as inaccurate tracking of hours worked. For a small business, even a single wage and hour claim can cost thousands of dollars in back pay, penalties and legal fees. It also takes time away from running your business.

Accurate time and attendance protects you. It keeps payroll clean and consistent. It provides documentation that backs up your decisions. It helps you stay compliant with federal and state labor laws. And it gives your employees confidence that their hours are being tracked fairly.

It also saves time. Studies show that small businesses lose an average of five hours per pay period manually collecting, reviewing and correcting employee time data. When your payroll company and your time tracking system work together, that time disappears. You get fewer errors, fewer surprises and a smoother payroll process.

For growing businesses in the Princeton Mercer region, this matters. Chambers thrive when local businesses thrive. The more efficient and compliant your back office is, the more time you have to focus on serving your customers, hiring great people and building your business.

About Me
I am Paige Beierschmitt, Business Development Manager at Workplace HCM. I work with small and mid sized businesses across New Jersey to strengthen payroll, HR and compliance processes so owners can focus on growing their business. If you ever want to review your time and attendance setup or explore options that fit your team, I am always happy to be a resource for fellow Princeton Mercer Chamber members. Book a time to meet with me here!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-beierschmitt/

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