Buddy Punch Review: A Practical Guide to Employee Time Tracking and Workforce Management

Managing employee hours sounds simple until you have a growing team.

Someone forgets to clock in. Another employee forgets to clock out. Someone works overtime. A manager needs to approve timesheets. Payroll needs accurate hours. Employees request time off.

Suddenly, a basic spreadsheet isn't enough.

This is where employee time tracking software can help.

Buddy Punch is a workforce management platform that combines employee time tracking, scheduling, time-off management, GPS tracking, reporting, and payroll integrations in one system.

In this guide, we'll look at what Buddy Punch does, who it's for, and how businesses can use it to simplify employee time management.

Affiliate Disclosure: This article contains an affiliate link. If you sign up or purchase a service through my link, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

What Is Buddy Punch?

Buddy Punch is an employee time tracking and workforce management platform designed to help businesses manage employee hours, schedules, attendance, PTO, and payroll-related information.

Employees can clock in and out using the web, mobile apps, tablets, or other supported punch methods. Managers can then review timesheets, attendance, schedules, and other workforce information from the platform.

The platform is designed for different types of businesses, including teams with employees working in offices, remote environments, and field locations.

Some of its key features include:

• Employee time tracking
• Automatic timesheets
• Employee scheduling
• PTO and time-off tracking
• GPS tracking
• Geofencing
• Job and project tracking
• Payroll integrations
• Attendance reporting
• Overtime calculations
• Mobile apps
• Employee accountability tools

Why Employee Time Tracking Matters

Employee time tracking isn't just about recording when someone starts and finishes work.

Accurate time data can help businesses answer important questions.

For example:

How many hours did an employee work?

Did they arrive on time?

Are they approaching overtime?

How much time was spent on a specific project?

How much PTO does an employee have available?

Are employees working at the correct location?

Without a centralized system, answering these questions can involve spreadsheets, messages, emails, and manual calculations.

A time tracking platform can bring much of that information into one place.

How Buddy Punch Works

The basic workflow is relatively straightforward.

1. Add Employees

The first step is adding your employees to the system.

Buddy Punch allows administrators to add users individually or in bulk.

2. Create Schedules

Managers can create employee schedules using a drag-and-drop scheduling interface.

Schedules can include recurring shifts, employee availability, locations, and other information depending on the configuration.

3. Employees Clock In and Out

Employees can record their working hours through supported devices and methods.

Buddy Punch supports web and mobile access, as well as options such as PINs, QR codes, kiosks, facial recognition, and username/password depending on the plan and configuration.

4. Review Timesheets

The recorded punches are compiled into timesheets.

Managers and administrators can review, edit, and approve employee time entries before using the information for payroll or reporting.

5. Run Reports or Payroll

Once hours are approved, businesses can export reports or connect Buddy Punch with supported payroll providers.

This can reduce the amount of manual data entry required during payroll processing.

Key Buddy Punch Features

1. Employee Time Tracking

The core feature is simple employee time tracking.

Employees can clock in and out, while managers can review the resulting time data.

Buddy Punch also automatically calculates total hours and supports features such as overtime calculations, automatic breaks, punch rounding, and timesheet approvals.

This can be useful for businesses that currently rely on spreadsheets or manual timesheets.

2. Employee Scheduling

Scheduling is another important part of the platform.

Managers can create shifts using a drag-and-drop interface and publish schedules to employees.

Employees can also provide their availability, while businesses can create recurring shifts and schedule templates.

This can be particularly useful for businesses with hourly employees or rotating shifts.

For example:

Restaurant

Monday → 8 AM–4 PM

Tuesday → 10 AM–6 PM

Wednesday → 12 PM–8 PM

Instead of rebuilding the schedule every week, recurring shifts and templates can simplify the process.

3. GPS Tracking

For businesses with employees working outside a traditional office, location can become important.

Buddy Punch can capture GPS coordinates when employees clock in and out.

Depending on the plan and add-ons, businesses can also use geofencing and real-time GPS features.

This can be useful for:

• Construction companies
• Cleaning services
• Landscaping businesses
• Plumbing companies
• HVAC businesses
• Home repair services
• Field service teams

For example, a company with employees visiting different job sites can use location information to help verify where employees clocked in.

4. Geofencing

Geofencing adds another layer of location control.

A business can create approved geographic areas around work locations.

If an employee tries to clock in outside an approved area, the system can restrict the punch depending on the configuration.

This can help businesses reduce inaccurate location-based punches.

5. PTO and Time-Off Tracking

Managing vacation and sick leave manually can become complicated as a company grows.

Buddy Punch allows employees to submit time-off requests while managers can approve or deny those requests.

Approved PTO can then be reflected in timesheets and employee balances.

This creates a more centralized process:

Instead of managing this process through email or spreadsheets, everything can be handled through the same platform.

6. Payroll Integrations

Time tracking becomes significantly more useful when it connects to payroll.

Buddy Punch offers integrations with payroll and accounting platforms including QuickBooks, Gusto, ADP, Paychex, Workday, and others.

Businesses can also export reports in formats such as spreadsheet, PDF, or CSV when a direct integration isn't available.

This can help reduce repetitive data entry.

Preventing Time Theft and Buddy Punching

One challenge with traditional punch systems is verifying that the person clocking in is actually the employee.

Buddy Punch offers several accountability features.

Depending on the plan, businesses can use:

• GPS coordinates
• Geofencing
• IP address restrictions
• Webcam photos
• Facial recognition
• Device restrictions
• PINs and kiosks

These features are designed to help businesses reduce inaccurate time entries and prevent practices such as buddy punching.

For example, a business could require employees to take a photo when clocking in.

The manager can then review the photo alongside the employee's timesheet.

Job and Project Tracking

Time tracking can also be used beyond payroll.

Businesses can assign employees to specific jobs, projects, clients, or locations.

This makes it possible to understand how much time employees spend on different activities.

For example:

Marketing Agency

Client A → 12 hours

Client B → 8 hours

Internal work → 5 hours

This information can help businesses understand labor costs and project profitability.

Buddy Punch for Remote and Field Teams

Traditional office time clocks don't work particularly well when employees aren't sitting in the same office.

Buddy Punch supports mobile time tracking, GPS functionality, and other tools designed for distributed teams.

A field employee could:

1. Arrive at a job site
2. Open the Buddy Punch app
3. Clock in
4. Complete the assigned work
5. Clock out
6. Submit the recorded hours

Managers can then review the recorded information.

This creates a digital record without requiring employees to return to an office just to submit a timesheet.

Who Is Buddy Punch Best For?

Buddy Punch can be useful for several types of businesses.

Small Businesses

Small businesses often don't have dedicated HR teams.

A centralized time tracking system can reduce administrative work.

Field Service Businesses

GPS, mobile time tracking, and location-based features can be useful when employees work at different locations.

Construction Companies

Construction teams often need to track employees across multiple job sites.

Job tracking and GPS features can help create better records of working hours.

Restaurants and Retail

Businesses with hourly employees and rotating shifts can benefit from scheduling, attendance tracking, and time-off management.

Agencies

Agencies can use job and project tracking to understand how much employee time is being spent on different clients.

Growing Companies

As employee numbers increase, spreadsheets become harder to maintain.

A centralized system can provide more structure around time tracking, scheduling, PTO, and payroll.

Buddy Punch Pricing

Buddy Punch currently offers three main plans: Starter, Pro, and Advanced.

The annual-billing rates currently start at:

• Starter: $4.99/user/month + $19 monthly base fee
• Pro: $6.99/user/month + $19 monthly base fee
• Advanced: $12.99/user/month + $19 monthly base fee

The monthly-billing rates are higher. Buddy Punch also offers a 14-day free trial without requiring a credit card.

The exact features available depend on the plan.

For example, scheduling is available as a $1/user/month add-on for Starter, while it is included with Pro and Advanced. Real-time GPS is also available as an add-on depending on the plan.

Because pricing and features can change, it's worth checking the current plan details before subscribing.

Which Buddy Punch Plan Should You Choose?

The right plan depends on how your business operates.

Starter

Consider Starter if you primarily need:

• Employee time tracking
• PTO tracking
• Basic GPS
• Payroll integrations
• Reporting
• Mobile time tracking

You can add scheduling and other features as needed.

Pro

Pro makes more sense for growing teams that need more workforce management features.

It includes:

• Scheduling
• Geofencing
• QR code scanning
• Kiosk punching
• Webcam photos
• API access
• Advanced scheduling functionality

Advanced

Advanced is designed for organizations that need additional management, reporting, permissions, integrations, and support capabilities.

It also includes scheduling and provides additional enterprise-oriented features.

A Simple Workflow for a Small Business

Here's an example of how a small business could use Buddy Punch.

Before Work

Approved hours are sent to the payroll system or exported.

This workflow can replace several manual processes with one centralized system.

What to Consider Before Choosing Time Tracking Software

Buddy Punch can be useful, but businesses should still evaluate their own requirements before subscribing.

Consider:

Number of Employees

Some pricing structures include both a per-user fee and a monthly base fee, so calculate the total cost for your team rather than looking only at the per-user price.

Work Locations

If employees work at different locations, check whether you need GPS, geofencing, or real-time tracking.

Payroll

Check whether your existing payroll platform integrates directly.

Scheduling

If employee scheduling is important, compare which scheduling features are included in your selected plan.

Compliance

If you're tracking employee breaks, overtime, or working hours, make sure your configuration matches the employment rules applicable to your business.

Privacy

GPS and employee monitoring features should be implemented with appropriate policies and transparency for employees.

Is Buddy Punch Worth Trying?

If your business currently manages employee hours through spreadsheets, paper timesheets, or manual processes, a dedicated time tracking platform can potentially save administrative time.

Buddy Punch combines several related functions:

That combination is arguably more useful than having separate tools for each process.

The biggest question isn't whether you need every feature.

It's whether your current process is creating unnecessary manual work.

If managers spend hours every pay period checking timesheets, correcting missing punches, calculating hours, or transferring information into payroll, automating those processes may provide a meaningful return.

How to Try Buddy Punch

If you're interested in testing the platform, you can start with its free trial.

Buddy Punch currently offers a 14-day trial without requiring a credit card.

Try Buddy Punch

Before choosing a paid plan, I recommend testing it with a small group of employees first.

Set up a schedule, have employees clock in and out, test the reporting workflow, and see how well it fits your payroll process.

Conclusion

Employee time tracking becomes more complicated as a business grows.

What starts as a simple spreadsheet can eventually become a combination of timesheets, schedules, PTO requests, attendance records, GPS information, and payroll data.

Buddy Punch brings many of these functions into one platform.

Its features cover employee time tracking, scheduling, PTO management, GPS, geofencing, job tracking, reporting, and payroll integrations.

For small businesses, the Starter plan can provide the basic time tracking functionality needed to move away from manual processes.

For growing teams, Pro adds more scheduling and workforce management capabilities.

And for larger organizations, Advanced provides additional reporting, permissions, support, and integration features.

The best approach is to start with your actual workflow, identify where you're losing time, and then see whether Buddy Punch can simplify those processes.

Try Buddy Punch free

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Image Sources

• Unsplash - Team Office
• Unsplash - Employee Working on Laptop
• Unsplash - Work Schedule
• Unsplash - Business Team Data
• Unsplash - Field Worker Using Phone
• Unsplash - Team Planning

Image Usage

The images used in this article are sourced from Unsplash. Always check the current license terms and individual image page before publishing.

Affiliate Disclosure

This article contains an affiliate link to Buddy Punch. If you sign up or purchase a service through the link, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.