A clearer attendance trail
Keep clock-in time, clock-out time and location context together on the employee’s clocking record.
GPS clock-in app for clearer employee attendance records FlowRota GPS clocking
Let employees clock in and out from their phone, attach location context to each clocking record and give managers worked-time information they can review.
FlowRota connects mobile clocking with rotas, clock cards and timesheets. Businesses get a more dependable record of when work started and finished, can record lateness and can apply approved differences between scheduled and clocked duration to an employee’s TOIL balance—without buying specialist clocking hardware or reconstructing hours from paper at the end of the month.
included for £1 per user per month
Turn a simple clock-in into a useful attendance record
A start time is more useful when a manager can see how it was recorded and where the employee’s device placed the clocking action. FlowRota’s GPS clock-in feature keeps that context attached to the clock card, ready for review before worked hours move into timesheets and payroll preparation.
The business benefits of a mobile GPS time clock
The value is not GPS for its own sake. It is having better evidence behind worked hours, fewer manual records to reconcile and a clocking process employees can use on the device they already carry.
Less manual timesheet work
Start with captured clocking information instead of asking managers to recreate every worked shift from memory.
No specialist clock hardware
Employees can clock in from a compatible phone, helping growing businesses avoid another device to install and maintain.
Better multi-site visibility
Give managers useful context when employees clock at different workplaces, venues or customer locations.
Simpler TOIL adjustments
Compare approved clocked duration with the scheduled shift and apply the excess or shortfall to the employee’s TOIL balance.
A consistent lateness record
Record late arrivals during clock-card review instead of leaving attendance exceptions in messages or handwritten notes.
Mobile clock-in features designed for everyday use
A time clock only works if employees can use it consistently. FlowRota keeps the action straightforward, while the supporting records give managers more detail than a handwritten arrival time.
Clock on and off from a phone
Employees can use mobile clocking where it has been enabled for their team. Each clock-on and clock-off action is kept as part of the relevant work session rather than being left in a separate attendance system.
Features- Mobile employee clock on and clock off
- Time recorded for each clocking action
- GPS location attached to the clocking record
- Clock cards kept for manager review
- Automatic clock-off options for forgotten sessions
- Give employees one familiar clocking process
- Reduce paper sign-in sheets and manual data entry
- Keep useful evidence with the hours being reviewed
How GPS employee clocking works in FlowRota
The process is designed to remain quick for employees while creating enough information for a sensible manager review.
The employee starts work
The employee opens FlowRota on their phone and uses the clock-on action when their working time begins.
The clocking event is recorded
FlowRota records the time and attaches the location supplied by the employee’s device to that clocking action.
The employee clocks off
A second action records when work finishes, creating a clock card for the completed session.
A manager reviews the record
The manager checks the times against the scheduled shift, records lateness or other exceptions and decides whether an approved duration difference should be applied to TOIL.
Planned and worked time stay connected.
Managers can compare what the
staff rota
expected with the clocking record that was actually created.
From clock cards to reviewed employee timesheets
Clocking data should support payroll preparation, not bypass the checks that make it dependable. FlowRota gives managers a review stage where scheduled and recorded duration, breaks, lateness, TOIL and other exceptions can be considered before information is exported.
Review completed clock cards
Managers can see the times recorded for an employee’s session and use the attached clocking information to understand what happened.
Features- Individual employee clock cards
- Clock-on and clock-off timestamps
- Location context for mobile clocking actions
- Comparison with the scheduled shift
- Visibility over active and completed sessions
Benefit: Give managers one record to review instead of piecing together times from paper, messages and separate systems.
Handle mistakes and forgotten clock-offs
Real teams occasionally forget to clock out or record a time incorrectly. Automatic clock-off options and authorised manager amendments provide a controlled way to resolve those exceptions.
Features- Configurable automatic clock-off options
- Manager review of unusual records
- Lateness recording against the reviewed shift
- Authorised corrections where needed
- A consistent process for clocking exceptions
Benefit: Prevent one missed tap from leaving an open-ended session or delaying the whole timesheet review.
Prepare worked hours for payroll
Reviewed hours can feed into timesheets alongside breaks, overtime and different rates. Approved excess or shortfall can also be applied to the employee’s TOIL balance, helping the next stage of payroll preparation begin with cleaner information.
Features- Timesheet entry and manager amendments
- Break and overtime recording
- TOIL additions and deductions from duration differences
- Standard, enhanced and double-time rates
- Timesheet export for payroll preparation
Benefit: Spend less time reconstructing hours at the end of the pay period and more time checking genuine exceptions.
Turn clocking differences into clear TOIL and lateness records
A clock card becomes more useful when it can be compared directly with the scheduled shift. During review, managers can see whether the employee worked for longer or shorter than planned, apply the approved difference to TOIL and record any lateness without calculating or recording the same information elsewhere.
Add excess clocked time to TOIL
When an employee’s approved clocked duration exceeds the scheduled shift duration, the excess can be added to their TOIL balance. The adjustment is based on the reviewed difference between planned and worked time.
ExampleAn employee scheduled to work 8 hours clocks an approved duration of 8 hours 30 minutes. The 30-minute excess can be added to their TOIL balance.
Deduct a clocked-time shortfall from TOIL
When an employee’s approved clocked duration is shorter than the scheduled shift duration, the shortfall can be deducted from their TOIL balance in line with the organisation’s policy and manager approval process.
ExampleAn employee scheduled to work 8 hours clocks an approved duration of 7 hours 45 minutes. The 15-minute shortfall can be deducted from their TOIL balance.
Record lateness separately
If an employee clocks in after their scheduled start time, the lateness can be recorded as part of the manager’s review. This keeps the attendance exception visible even if the employee stays later and ultimately works their full scheduled duration.
Why it mattersLateness records the delayed start; a duration difference records how much time was worked overall. Keeping them separate gives managers a more accurate account of the shift.
Review first, then update the balance.
Managers retain control over whether an excess or shortfall is
approved and applied to TOIL, helping the balance reflect confirmed
worked-time differences rather than unreviewed clocking data.
Choose the clock-in method that suits the workplace
Mobile GPS clocking is useful when employees work across different sites. A shared workplace clock-in terminal can be a better fit when everybody arrives at one workplace. FlowRota supports both approaches, so the process can follow the way the team actually works.
Mobile GPS clock-in
Employees use their own compatible phone and the location supplied by the device is attached to each clocking event.
Best suited to- Multiple workplaces or customer sites
- Venue, field and event-based teams
- Businesses avoiding dedicated hardware
- Employees who already use FlowRota on mobile
Shared workplace terminal
Staff clock in and out from one tablet or workplace device while each employee’s attendance record remains separate.
Best suited to- One fixed entrance or staff area
- Teams that should not use personal phones at work
- A familiar clocking point for every shift
- Hospitality, retail and production workplaces
A shared terminal when mobile clocking is not the right fit
A workplace tablet can provide one visible clocking point without returning to paper. Employees identify themselves at the terminal, while managers retain visibility over active sessions and individual clock cards.
Benefits- No need for every employee to use a personal phone
- A consistent clock-in location for an on-site team
- The same manager review and timesheet workflow
GPS clock-in records without continuous employee tracking
Location data needs a clear purpose. FlowRota uses the location supplied by the employee’s device to add context to a specific clock-in or clock-out action. The feature is not intended to follow an employee’s movements throughout their shift.
Be transparent about how clocking data is used
Employers should explain what location information is collected, why it is needed, who can access it and how long it is retained. Device location can also be affected by settings, signal and accuracy, so GPS information should support manager review rather than be treated as infallible proof on its own.
FlowRota provides tools for recording and reviewing clocking information. Each employer remains responsible for using employee data lawfully, proportionately and in line with its own privacy notice and workplace policies.
Mobile clocking, terminal clocking and manual timesheets compared
Each method can record hours, but they differ in the context they capture and the amount of administration they create.
| Method | How it works | Practical advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile GPS clocking | An employee clocks on and off from their phone, with device location attached to the clocking events. | Provides useful location context for employees working across different sites without specialist hardware. |
| Shared terminal clocking | Employees use a common tablet or workplace device to create their individual clocking records. | Gives an on-site team one consistent clocking point without requiring personal phones. |
| Manual timesheets | Employees or managers enter worked hours after the event, normally from notes, paper or memory. | Can be simple for very occasional work, but creates more manual entry and less evidence around the original times. |
GPS employee time tracking for shift-based teams
Mobile clocking is particularly useful when a conventional wall clock cannot serve every employee. The same review workflow can still support a business with one site, several branches or changing work locations.
Hospitality and venues
Record start and finish times for bar, kitchen, event and venue staff, then compare attendance with the published schedule.
Retail teams
Give branch managers consistent clock cards while keeping rota and worked-time information together across stores.
Multi-location businesses
Add useful context when employees work at different sites instead of relying only on a timestamp entered later.
Seasonal and event teams
Use mobile clocking where temporary workplaces make a fixed time-clock installation impractical.
GPS clocking works better when it is connected to the rota
FlowRota does more than collect timestamps. Managers can plan work, understand who was expected, review who clocked in, record lateness, apply approved duration differences to TOIL and prepare timesheet information without moving between unrelated systems.
Frequently asked questions about GPS clock-in software
What is a GPS clock-in app?
A GPS clock-in app lets employees record the start and end of work from a mobile device and attaches location information to the clocking event. It gives managers more context when reviewing attendance without requiring specialist time-clock hardware.
Does FlowRota continuously track an employee’s location?
No. FlowRota attaches the location supplied by the employee’s device to the relevant clock-in or clock-out record. It is designed to provide location context for that clocking action, not continuous movement tracking.
Do I need to install clocking hardware?
No specialist clocking hardware is required for mobile GPS clocking. Employees can use their phone. Businesses that prefer one on-site clocking point can also use FlowRota’s shared terminal option on a suitable workplace device.
What happens if an employee forgets to clock out?
FlowRota includes automatic clock-off options for forgotten sessions. Managers can review the resulting clock card and make an authorised correction where the recorded times do not reflect what happened.
Can managers review and correct clocking records?
Yes. Managers can review clock cards and amend records where an authorised correction is needed. This keeps the original clocking workflow connected to a review process before worked hours are used for timesheets or payroll preparation.
Does GPS clocking connect with employee timesheets?
Yes. Clocking records provide worked-time information that managers can review alongside scheduled duration, breaks, overtime, TOIL and pay rates. Approved timesheet information can then be exported for the next stage of payroll preparation.
Can clocking differences be applied to an employee’s TOIL balance?
Yes. After manager review, clocked duration above the scheduled shift duration can be added to the employee’s TOIL balance. If approved clocked duration is shorter than the scheduled duration, the shortfall can instead be deducted from the employee’s TOIL balance in line with the employer’s policy.
Can FlowRota record employee lateness?
Yes. Managers can record lateness when an employee clocks in after the scheduled start time. Lateness can be recorded separately from the total duration difference, so it remains visible even if the employee works the missing time later in the shift.
Can employees clock in from a shared terminal instead?
Yes. FlowRota includes a shared-terminal option for businesses that want staff to clock in and out from a common tablet or workplace device rather than their personal phone.
How much does FlowRota cost?
FlowRota costs £1 per user per month after a 30-day free trial. No credit card is required to start the trial. Visit the pricing page for full details.
Try GPS clocking with your own team
Create a rota, invite employees and test mobile clock-ins with a real working week. Compare scheduled and clocked duration, record lateness and test TOIL adjustments as part of the same review. The trial is free for 30 days, no credit card is required, and continued access costs just £1 per user per month.
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