ClickTime Australia: Auto Clocking Best Practices for Reliable Job Site Attendance

Auto Clocking Best Practices for Field Teams

To ensure accurate and automated time tracking, companies using the ClickTime mobile app must configure devices correctly and train staff on best practices. This guide outlines everything from enabling GPS and push notifications to understanding geofencing behavior and respecting employee privacy. Following these steps will help prevent missed timesheet entries and ensure Auto Clocking works reliably across job sites.

1. Pre-Implementation Checklist

Before rolling out auto clocking, it’s helpful to provide a checklist so administrators and site managers are ready. Consider adding:

  • Job site geofence audit: Confirm that all active job sites have correct addresses and geofence radii configured; delete/disable any sites no longer in use.

  • Network coverage evaluation: On each job site, test that GPS signal and mobile data (or WiFi if used) are reliable. Weak coverage may lead to missed triggers.

  • Staff communication plan: Inform staff ahead of implementation about when auto clocking goes live, how it works, and what is expected of them (keeping app active, GPS on, etc).

  • Privacy & policy review: Make sure you have updated your employee privacy policy to cover location tracking, and that you’ve obtained any required consent.

2. Geofence Configuration Best Practices

Avoid overlapping geofences: As you already note, overlapping job site geofences can create false triggers (clock‐out from one site, clock‐in to another inadvertently). Map all active sites and adjust radii accordingly.

Geofence edge case handling: If a site is partially indoors or in a zone with weak GPS (tunnels, basements, multi‐storey carparks), consider alternative or manual clock‐in fallback.

Testing geofences before launch: At each new job site, have one or two staff test the auto clock‐in/out by walking or driving in/out of the geofence boundary to ensure correct detection.


3. Device and App Setup – Expanded Guidance

For iOS devices:

  • Always Allow . Ensure “Always Allow” location permission is set (not just “While Using”). Otherwise 

  • Background App Refresh . Enable Background App Refresh for the ClickTime app (Settings → General → Background App Refresh).

  • NOTE: Without “Always” permission, background refresh, and active location services, geofence ENTER/EXIT events will fail, and the ClickTime mobile app will be unable to capture the employee’s timesheet

  • Force-Quit/kill. Confirm the app is not closed from app switcher (force-quit) — doing so may stop background location updates and may stop auto clock-in and auto clock-out.

  • Low Power Mode. On iOS 16+, check for new OS restrictions (“Low Power Mode” will limit background activity; encourage users not to enable Low Power Mode during work hours if possible).

  • Push Notifications: Allow them and ensure Focus/Do Not Disturb mode is configured not to suppress them entirely during work hours.

For Android devices:

  • Location permission must be granted as “Allow all the time” or equivalent (depends on OS/skin).

  • Disable battery optimisation for the ClickTime app — e.g., Samsung: Settings → Battery → Battery usage → Tap ClickTime → Unrestricted.

  • Ensure “Adaptive Battery” or other manufacturer power‐saving features don’t restrict the app.

  • If the device has “App standby” or “deep sleep” for unused apps, whitelist ClickTime so it stays active.

  • Network connection: Encourage use of mobile data or enable WiFi (if available) with good signal; be aware that switching off data may delay geofence detection.

4.General device best practices
  1. Encourage staff to check daily that the app is open before arriving at the job site.
  2. Suggest users to check GPS icon or quick settings to confirm location services are active.
  3. Remind them not to switch off or restart their phone during the shift unless necessary (if they do, they should re-open ClickTime and verify).

5.Common Failure Scenarios & Troubleshooting
  1. App closed or force-quit → background tracking disabled → no clock-in/out.
  1. GPS signal weak or unavailable → arrival/departure may not trigger. Recommend moving to open sky or waiting at site boundary.
  1. Mobile data or WiFi off → location updates may not sync in real time.
  1. Battery optimisation/power savings enabled → OS may suspend app background activity.
  1. Incorrect geofence configuration (radius too small, too large, overlapping zone) → triggers may misfire.
  1. Time zone or device clock incorrect → can affect timestamp accuracy. Ensure device time is set to automatic.
  1. Offline or airplane mode → location updates will not upload until connection restored—this may cause delays or missed triggers.

6.Employee Communication & Training – Expanded
FAQ sheet for employees covering topics like: “What if I open app late?”, “What if I forget to enable GPS?”, “What if I drive past the site but don’t enter?”, “Will my location be tracked all day?”, “Can I clock in manually instead?”

Address privacy concerns proactively: Provide clear explanation of what data is captured (timestamp + approximate location vs constant detailed tracking), when tracking is active (only during work hours/geofence), and how it’s used.


7. Best Practices for Manual Clock-In/Out Fallback
Even with automation, you’ll want a reliable manual fallback to handle the edge cases:

Manual clock-in/out option: Ensure employees know how to manually clock if auto fails (and that managers know how to rectify in the backend).

Override process: Define a process for supervisors to amend or override times when auto clocking failed (and how to note reason).

Delayed sync handling: Explain that if mobile data is temporarily unavailable, clock-in/out may queue and sync when connection restored—encourage employees to reconnect sooner.


8. Privacy, Compliance & Legal Considerations
Consent documentation: Recommend using a consent form or electronic acknowledgement where employees confirm understanding of location tracking while on job sites.

Data retention policy: Clarify how long location/timestamp data is stored, who has access, and under what context (e.g., auditing vs disciplinary).

Minimise non-work tracking: Ensure that the app and company policy restrict tracking to work hours or job site geofence periods—not continuous off-site monitoring.

Transparency and notifications: Employees should be informed beforehand when auto clocking is enabled, and changes to the system should be communicated.


9.Understanding Offline Mode vs GPS Off

Auto Clocking relies on two key functions on the employee’s mobile device:

  1. GPS / Location Services – to detect when the employee enters or leaves a job site geofence.

  2. Internet Connection (Online Mode) – to send the clock-in/out event to ClickTime’s servers in real time.

Even if one of these functions is unavailable, the app will behave differently.
Click Here for  a clear explanation of what happens in each scenario:

10. FAQs
Q: What if I forget to open the app before arriving at a site?
A: Auto clocking may fail. Open the app as soon as possible; if clock-in hasn’t triggered automatically, manually clock-in and note the reason.

Q: Will the app track my location outside of job sites?
A: No. Tracking is limited to arrival/departure detection via job‐site geofences and submitted timestamps. Outside those times you are not continuously monitored.


Q: What happens if I lose mobile data or GPS signal during my shift?
A: The app may queue events and sync later, but there is risk of missed triggers or late clock-outs. Ensure connection and GPS are active throughout the day.

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Check this below help article that will list all the reasons for  failing to track and get the auto clocking feature to fail


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