Everything you need to know about time recording in trades

Time recording in crafts is a central issue that is of great importance for many companies. Whether it's legal requirements, efficient project calculation or fair payroll accounting — precise recording of working time ensures greater transparency and optimization in everyday work. In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about time recording in craft businesses and how digital solutions such as plancraft can help you with this.

Why is time recording so important in crafts?

Recording working time in crafts is not only a legal obligation, but also offers numerous advantages:

• Legislative compliance: Employers are required to systematically record their employees' working hours.
• Fair billing: Exact work time sheets make it easier to correctly calculate wages, supplements and overtime.
• Better calculation and project planning: By recording individual project times precisely, you can better plan costs and expenses for future projects.
• Optimizing work processes: Digital time recording in crafts makes it possible to identify and reduce idle times and inefficient processes.

Statutory basis for time recording in crafts

The Federal Labour Court (BAG) ruled in 2022 that employers in Germany must systematically record the working hours of their employees. Craftsmen's businesses are also affected by this obligation. The recorded times must be objective, reliable and accessible. Whether using a time sheet, time clock or digital time recording — the method is basically freely selectable.

Methods of time recording in crafts

There are various ways to record working hours in a craft business. Each method has its pros and cons:

1. Manual entry

Many companies still use handwritten time sheets or Excel spreadsheets to record time. However, this method is error-prone, time-consuming and not always compliant with the law. In addition, time sheets can quickly be broken or lost, leading to increased operational costs.

2. Stationary time recording with time clocks

Classic time clocks or terminal systems are suitable for companies with fixed locations. Employees stamp themselves in as they come and go, which automatically records working hours. However, this method is not very flexible, especially for mobile tradesmen on construction sites.

3. Digital time recording in crafts

Digital time recording systems enable simple, precise and legally compliant recording of working hours. Mobile solutions that can be used via smartphone or tablet are particularly practical. This allows working hours to be recorded directly on the construction site or at the customer's site.

Benefits of digital time recording in crafts

The digital recording of working time offers many advantages for craft businesses:

• Minute recording: Exact time recording without error-prone manual entries.
• Easy operation: Employees can enter working hours via app or software — even while on the move.
• Transparency and traceability: All working hours are digitally documented and can be viewed at any time.
• Integration with payroll and project management: Many digital solutions, such as plancraft, offer a seamless connection to payroll and project time recording.
• Compliance with legal requirements: Automated documentation supports the fulfilment of working time requirements.

Mobile time recording in the craft sector — flexible and efficient

Mobile time recording is particularly practical for craft businesses. With an app, employees can record their working hours directly on the construction site or at the customer's site. This provides the following benefits:

• Real time capture: Working hours are documented directly on site.
• Location-independent: Ideal for mobile teams and construction projects.
• Automatic synchronization: All data is immediately available in the system and can be used for payroll or project calculation.

plancraft — Smart time recording for tradesmen

With plancraft, you can digitize and optimize time recording in your craft business. Our handyman software offers a simple and intuitive solution for mobile time recording. Benefits of plancraft:

• Easy recording via app: Employees can enter working hours directly via their smartphone.
• Automatic synchronization: All recorded times are stored in the system in real time.
• Clear evaluations: Detailed reports help you plan projects better and optimize costs.
• Seamless integration: Time recording is linked to quotation preparation, invoicing and project management.

conclusion

Time recording in crafts is an essential issue for companies. Digital and mobile time recording offers numerous advantages: It saves time, minimizes errors and ensures better planning. Solutions such as plancraft enable uncomplicated, flexible and legally compliant time recording, which is perfectly tailored to the requirements of craft businesses.

If you want to optimize your time recording, try out plancraft and benefit from a modern, digital solution for your craft business! Here you can find more information about Time recording with plancraft.

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