Introducing digital time tracking sounds like a major project – but it isn't, if you follow the right steps in the right order. This guide shows you how to make the switch from paper or Excel to a modern solution in a structured, friction-free way – whether you run a construction company in Munich, a cleaning business in Vienna, or a care service in Zurich.

Why introducing digital time tracking matters now

Since the ECJ ruling (C-55/18) and the subsequent national regulations – in Germany through the Working Hours Act (ArbZG) and the requirements stemming from the Federal Labour Court decision (1 ABR 22/21), and in Austria through § 26 AZG – employers are obliged to systematically record their employees' working hours. In practice, paper lists and Excel spreadsheets barely meet these requirements: they are error-prone, difficult to verify, and often insufficient during an inspection by the authorities.

For industries with mobile workforces – construction, building cleaning, field sales, security services, logistics, or outpatient care – there is the additional challenge that employees have no fixed office workplace. A purely stationary solution is therefore out of the question from the outset. What matters is a recording method that works directly at the point of deployment: via app, NFC chip, or terminal.

Step 1: Analyse the current situation and clarify requirements

Before selecting a system, you should clarify the following internally:

  • How many employees need to be recorded, and at how many locations?
  • What devices are available – smartphones, tablets, stationary terminals?
  • Are there language barriers within the team? A multilingual employee app is then a necessity, not an option.
  • What is the network coverage at the deployment sites? Basement areas, underground car parks, or outdoor construction sites require an offline-capable solution.
  • What interfaces to payroll processing are required?

A medium-sized cleaning company with 60 employees in Hamburg has different requirements from a trade business with 12 technicians in Graz. The stocktaking typically takes half a working day – but it saves you weeks of readjustment.

Step 2: Choose the right system

Choose a solution that fits your processes – not the other way around. Pay attention to the following criteria:

  1. Flexible recording methods: App (iOS & Android), NFC chips at the deployment site, and stationary terminals should be combinable.
  2. Offline capability: Times must be recordable without an internet connection and synchronised later.
  3. GDPR-compliant hosting: For DACH companies, EU hosting is not optional – it is mandatory. Data protection-compliant processing protects you from fines under Art. 83 GDPR.
  4. No setup fee, cancellable monthly: A predictable cost model is crucial, especially for SMEs. Hidden setup costs or long contractual commitments unnecessarily increase your risk.
  5. Multilingual support: In many industries, teams speak different native languages – the app must reflect this.

Jobilino was developed in Austria, runs on iOS and Android, stores all data in a GDPR-compliant manner on EU servers, and combines app, NFC, and terminal in one solution – with no setup fee and cancellable monthly.

Step 3: Plan the rollout and involve your employees

The technical implementation is usually the easiest part. What matters most is acceptance within the team. Recommended approach:

  • Designate a pilot group: Start with a small group – e.g. a site foreman and their team – before rolling the system out company-wide.
  • A brief induction instead of a training marathon: An intuitive app does not require hours of training. A 15-minute induction is generally sufficient.
  • Place NFC chips: Attach NFC stickers at the relevant deployment sites – at the construction site entrance, in the cleaning depot, on the vehicle. This automates location verification and makes it tamper-proof.
  • Communicate the benefits: Employees who understand that accurate time tracking speeds up their own payroll processing and makes overtime transparent will use the system considerably more reliably.

Step 4: Comply with legal requirements and GDPR

In Germany, the ArbZG requires the recording of overtime and – based on the current state of legislation – increasingly also complete working time documentation. In Austria, § 26 AZG specifically governs the recording obligation; violations can result in severe penalties during authority inspections. A digital solution with audit-proof export significantly simplifies the provision of evidence.

Under data protection law, the following applies: time tracking data constitutes personal data within the meaning of the GDPR. EU hosting, a robust data processing agreement (DPA) with the provider, and transparent employee communication are mandatory. Jobilino provides all necessary contractual documents and hosts exclusively on EU servers.

Step 5: Go live and optimise continuously

The pilot phase is followed by the company-wide rollout. Typical stumbling blocks at this stage:

  • Unclear responsibilities regarding who is authorised to make corrective entries
  • Missing processes for special cases (holiday, illness, split shifts)
  • No regular monitoring of the usage rate

Schedule a fixed review date four weeks after go-live. Check whether all employees are using the system, whether evaluations are flowing correctly into payroll processing, and whether location records are fully documented. Introducing digital time tracking does not mean setting up a system once – it means establishing a process that grows with your company.

Objections addressed objectively

"That's too much effort." With a cloud-based solution, the implementation effort is limited to the initial configuration and a brief employee induction – no IT project, no server installation.

"Our employees don't use smartphones." NFC terminals can be installed as fixed stations; the app runs on basic Android devices. Even older or less tech-savvy teams can manage with it.

"We have data protection concerns." GDPR-compliant EU hosting, a robust DPA, and transparent employee communication address this issue structurally – not through promises, but through contractual documentation and technology.

"We can't afford it." With no setup fee and monthly cancellability, the financial risk is manageable. The costs of post-calculation errors, payroll processing effort, and potential fines generally far exceed the licence costs. Compare the options on the pricing overview.

Take the next step now

Introducing digital time tracking is no great mystery – it requires a clear structure, the right system, and the involvement of your team. If you would like to find out how Jobilino works in practice in your business – whether construction, cleaning, care, or trade – then book a free demo now. Our experts will walk you through the process live, with no obligation and no hidden costs.