Time clock

A time clock is the tool that records when a worker starts and ends a shift. The original time clock was an industrial-era mechanical machine that punched a physical time card with the current moment when a worker arrived or left. The pattern of punches across a week became the worker's pay record.

Modern digital time clocks keep the same model, a record of when work started and ended, but the physical machine is replaced with software. There are three common forms today:

• Shared-device kiosks: a tablet running the time-tracking app, usually mounted near the entrance. Workers tap their name on arrival and again on departure.
• Personal links: each worker bookmarks a unique URL on their own phone. One tap to clock in, one tap to clock out.
• QR sign-in: a posted QR code at the workplace. Workers scan with their phone, then the resulting personal page persists for future visits.

The choice between these depends on whether the team works at a fixed location (kiosk fits), in distributed locations (personal link fits), or in a drop-in setting where the team rotates (QR fits).