Benchmark EnviroAnalytical (BenchmarkEA), a state-contracted environmental laboratory in Florida, has relied on TimeClock Plus for employee time tracking for over twenty years. For a long time, its needs were straightforward, focusing on providing employees an easy way to clock in and out. And TimeClock Plus delivered. Then, the nature of its workforce changed, and its time and attendance needs grew with it.
BenchmarkEA knew it had the right solution in TimeClock Plus to meet its new needs. Working closely with the TCP team, it expanded its use of the software to address new challenges directly. The results speak for themselves.
When basic time tracking stopped being enough
BenchmarkEA had long operated with a stable, tenured workforce. Basic time tracking to capture employee punches was sufficient, and it worked great. But as the team turned over and newer employees came on board, the informal processes that had served the organization well for years called for a more structured approach.
With a new team and new needs to meet, referencing old pay stubs to track leave balances was increasingly error-prone. Questions from employees about available vacation time often led to back-and-forth that was hard to resolve quickly or accurately. Attendance patterns that had once been self-regulating now needed more structure.
Payroll also became a new Monday-morning ordeal for Kurt D., BenchmarkEA’s network administrator. Every Monday, Kurt started on payroll about 7:30 a.m. to manually comb through timecards, track down missed punches, and reconcile inconsistencies before a hard 11:00 a.m. submission deadline to Paychex. Multiple time-consuming review passes were the norm.
More from a solution they already had
When a TCP Account Manager reached out for a routine check in, it opened the door to a deeper conversation about how TimeClock Plus could help the BenchmarkEA team address its new challenges. Kurt quickly found that the software could address new challenges he hadn’t yet known how to articulate.
“You find out there are features you didn’t even know existed that you would want,” he said.
He worked closely with the TCP team to identify where BenchmarkEA’s workflows were breaking down and where TimeClock Plus could solve each problem.
Together, they identified several capabilities that fundamentally transformed how BenchmarkEA manages its workforce.
Cleaner, proactive payroll prep
Kurt can now spend his Monday mornings on other priorities before turning to payroll around 9:00 a.m. He wraps up well before the 11:00 a.m. deadline, thanks to a Paychex-compatible export from TimeClock Plus. TimeClock Plus makes it easy to manage time entries, overtime, and exceptions throughout the week, then push only clean, accurate time data directly into Paychex for payroll. What used to require tedious and time-consuming manual entry, multiple review passes, and added stress to get right, now takes roughly half the time.
Mobile time collection with geofencing
Some BenchmarkEA employees perform field work and often start their days from home or directly from the field. With the TimeClock Plus mobile clock and geofencing enabled, these field employees record their time wherever they’re working, and their location is automatically verified. Accurately capturing time from anywhere reduces time tracking errors and means fewer exceptions to correct before payroll.
Kurt also uses the real-time clock-in view to save himself unnecessary steps. When he needs to locate someone in the lab, a quick check of the TimeClock Plus dashboard tells him whether they’re clocked in or on break before he walks across the building. A small benefit, but one that saves him real time throughout the week.
Attendance tracking
When BenchmarkEA added tardiness and absentee tracking to TimeClock Plus, Kurt saw an immediate and perhaps unexpected shift. In addition to more comprehensive time tracking and occurrence management that made it easier to understand hours and coverage, employees started holding themselves more accountable for their time.
People began calling in to let the team know when they were running late or out sick, timecard corrections came in during the week instead of piling up on payroll Mondays, and the need for repeated reminders all but disappeared. And, for newer employees, these clear expectations and consistency made onboarding much smoother.
Leave management
Previously, vacation balances lived in pay stubs — hard to find, easy to dispute, and a frequent source of employee frustration. By tapping into leave management capabilities in TimeClock Plus, BenchmarkEA now tracks each employee’s accruals based on tenure, calculates how much leave has been used, and displays what’s remaining. Employees can see their own leave balances through the same interface they use to clock in. Time off requests now follow a clear, documented approval process, removing friction from a previously fraught process for employees and management alike.
Getting more out of a solution they already trust
Twenty-plus years in, BenchmarkEA is getting more out of TimeClock Plus than ever. Leave management, occurrence tracking, streamlined payroll processing, and mobile time capture now work together as one connected operation.
Payroll runs cleaner. Employees own their time data. Monday mornings look nothing like they used to.
That’s what it looks like when the right solution grows with you.
What changed:
- 90 minutes back every week on payroll prep
- Time captured accurately from anywhere, with automated location verification
- Fewer timecard errors and exceptions to chase down before payroll runs
- Leave balances visible to employees, time off requests routed through a documented approval process
TCP Software’s employee scheduling and time and attendance solutions are flexible and scalable to accommodate your business and employees as you grow.
From TimeClock Plus, which automates even the most complex payroll calculations and leave management requests, to Humanity Schedule for dynamic employee scheduling that saves you time and money, we have everything you need to meet your organization’s needs, no matter how unique. Plus, with Aladtec, we offer 24/7 public safety scheduling solutions for your hometown heroes.
Ready to learn how TCP Software takes the pain out of employee scheduling and time tracking? Speak with an expert today.
