Which time-tracking solution is best suited for security companies?

For security companies with shift operations and international employees, a multilingual app with GPS post verification, digital shift scheduling and guard-book functionality is the only complete solution. Jobilino records shift start and end with GPS positioning, enables digital handover protocols and exports attendance records for clients – all in each employee's native language.

How does GPS post verification work for clients?

When starting a shift, the employee clocks in via the app – the GPS location is captured automatically and linked to the timestamp. At the end of the shift, a seamless record is available: who was where at exactly what time. This record can be exported as a PDF for each deployment location and sent directly to clients, property management companies or other contractual partners.

How are night and weekend shifts recorded and billed correctly?

Jobilino records the start and end of every shift to the minute – including automatic detection of night, Sunday and public holiday hours in accordance with the Kollektivvertrag Bewachungsgewerbe (AT) and the Tarifvertrag Wach- und Sicherheitsgewerbe (DE). The data is exported directly into the payroll system – all supplements correctly itemised, no manual recalculation required.

Can Jobilino replace the traditional guard book?

Yes. Jobilino offers a digital guard-book function: employees document incidents, special observations and handover notes directly in the app – with optional photos, timestamps and GPS. The incoming shift sees all entries immediately in their own language. All entries are stored in a revision-proof manner, are searchable and can be exported at any time – for clients, authorities or insurers.

Does the app work in areas without mobile network coverage – such as underground car parks or industrial facilities?

Yes. Jobilino is developed offline-first: clock-ins, handover protocols and incident reports are stored locally on the device and synchronised automatically as soon as a connection is restored. Shielded areas such as underground car parks, server rooms or low-signal industrial facilities are no problem – no data loss, no manual re-entry effort.

Time Tracking Security Services

Time Tracking in Security Services: Why the Industry Has Special Requirements

No sector places higher demands on the completeness of time tracking than the security industry. Security guards, property protection staff and response teams work around the clock, on weekends and public holidays – with a remuneration system based on exact timestamps. Night, Sunday and public holiday supplements make up a significant portion of wages and must be calculated to the second.

At the same time, clients – from shopping centres and industrial facilities to public institutions – expect seamless attendance records: who was on post and when? Was the shift started on time? Were there any deviations?

Anyone trying to manage these requirements with paper, Excel or single-language apps loses time, money and trust every single day.

The 6 Biggest Problems with Time Tracking in Security Services

� 24/7 Shift Operations: Shifts start at 10:00 PM, end at 6:00 AM, overlap and change daily. Manual records are error-prone – and the primary source of errors in payroll calculations.
� Changing Deployment Locations: Employees are dispatched from one site to another at short notice. Who was actually at the right post and when? Without GPS verification, this is difficult to prove.
� Supplement Calculations: Night, Sunday and public holiday supplements under the collective agreement for the security industry require minute-accurate time tracking. Every incorrectly calculated hour comes at a cost – either to the employee or the company.
� Attendance Verification for Clients: Clients are increasingly demanding digital activity records – when was the post taken up, when was the handover, were there any incidents? Paper is no longer sufficient.
� International Employees: A large proportion of security personnel in Austria and Germany speak Romanian, Polish, Serbian, Croatian, Turkish or Hungarian as their native language. Single-language systems are operated incorrectly – with direct consequences for shift scheduling, payroll and communication.
� Handover Verification and Shift Handover Report: In the security industry, the handover between the outgoing and incoming shift must be documented. Digital handover reports in the app replace handwritten guard logs.

What the Law Requires of Security Companies

Security companies in Austria and Germany are subject to particularly strict documentation obligations – both under employment law and trade law:

� Working Hours Act (AZG/ArbZG): Complete recording of the start, end and duration of working hours – for every employee, every shift, every deployment location. Retention obligation of at least 7 years.
� Collective Agreement for the Security Industry (AT) / Guard and Security Trade (DE): Detailed regulations on night, Sunday and public holiday supplements, on-call duty and standby – all require minute-accurate time tracking.
� Trade Regulations and Security Industry Provisions: Security companies must be able to demonstrate, upon request by clients and authorities, which personnel were on site and when.
� Data Protection (GDPR): GPS tracking and shift documentation must be carried out in compliance with the GDPR – employees must be transparently informed, and in companies with a works council a works agreement is required.

Practical note: The competent authorities and trade supervisory offices regularly inspect security companies to verify that working time records are complete and correct. At the same time, commercial clients are increasingly requiring proof of digital documentation systems as a quality criterion when concluding and renewing contracts.

GPS Location Verification: Indispensable in the Security Industry

In the security industry, GPS-supported time tracking is more than a practical feature – it is the only reliable proof that an employee was actually at the agreed post.

� Post Verification: When did the security personnel take up their post – and were they actually in the right location?
� Patrol Log: Were inspection rounds carried out? GPS records the route taken and the times.
� Incident Documentation: In the event of a security incident, GPS verification with a timestamp is the most compelling documentation for clients, insurers and authorities.
� Handover Verification: When did the incoming shift take over the post? GPS and timestamps confirm the seamless handover.

GDPR note: GPS tracking in the security industry is permissible – but only during working hours and only for operational purposes. Employees must be transparently informed. In companies with a works council, a works agreement pursuant to ArbVG (AT) or BetrVG (DE) is required. Jobilino records GPS locations exclusively during active time tracking.

Shift Scheduling and Time Tracking: Two Sides of the Same Coin

In the security industry, shift scheduling and time tracking are inseparably linked. Managing both in one system saves considerable effort:

� Shift Schedule in the App: Employees can view their current shift schedule in their native language – including deployment location, shift start time and contact person
� Automatic Reminder: Push notification before shift start – in the employee's language
� Digital Shift Swap: Employees can swap shifts – with an approval workflow managed by the scheduler
� Target vs. Actual Comparison: Was the employee on time? Were all shifts covered? Gaps in the shift schedule become immediately visible

Multilingual Support in the Security Industry: Safety Starts with Understanding

Security personnel who do not fully understand safety instructions, handover reports or emergency response plans are a risk factor – not out of negligence, but because of a language barrier. In the security industry, this can have serious consequences.

Jobilino displays everything to each employee fully in their native language: shift schedule, deployment location, tasks, safety instructions, handover report and forms. Supported languages: Romanian, Polish, Slovak, Hungarian, Croatian, Serbian, Turkish, German, English.

The practical advantage: new employees are immediately able to act without any induction. Onboarding is shorter, errors during the first shift become less frequent – and safety standards are adhered to from day one.

Digital Guard Log: The Shift Handover Report of the Future

The traditional guard log has been a mandatory requirement in the security industry for decades – but handwritten entries are illegible, unsearchable and difficult to evaluate in the event of an incident. Jobilino replaces the guard log with a digital handover report:

� Employees document incidents, special occurrences and handover notes directly in the app
� Photos of incidents with timestamp and GPS directly from the app
� The incoming shift immediately sees all entries – in their own language
� All entries are stored in a tamper-proof manner and can be exported at the touch of a button

Jobilino for the Security Industry: What the App Delivers in Practice

� GPS Post Verification: Timestamp and location at shift start – seamless and tamper-proof
� Multilingual Shift Schedule: Automatic notification before shift start in the employee's native language
� Digital Guard Log: Handover reports, incident reports and photos in the app – tamper-proof and exportable
� Multilingual: Romanian, Polish, Slovak, Hungarian, Croatian, Serbian, Turkish, German, English
� Supplement Calculation: Precise time tracking as the basis for night, Sunday and public holiday supplements under the collective agreement for the security industry
� Client Reporting: Attendance records per property and shift as a PDF – professional, traceable, available at the touch of a button
� Offline Mode: The app also works in areas with poor signal, such as underground car parks or shielded industrial facilities
� Payroll Export: Direct export to BMD, DATEV and common payroll systems – all collective agreement supplements correctly processed
� GDPR-compliant: GPS only during working hours, data stored on European servers, complete data processing agreement (DPA)

Conclusion: In the Security Industry, Seamless Documentation Is Not a Bureaucratic Burden – It Is the Product

What security companies sell is reliability. Reliability that the post is staffed. That the round was completed. That action is taken in an emergency. Those who cannot also document this reliability digitally lose contracts – to competitors who provide more professional records.

Digital time tracking with GPS post verification, a digital guard log, multilingual shift scheduling and seamless client reporting is not an advantage in the security industry. It is the standard the market expects today.

Try Jobilino now for free – designed specifically for security companies with shift operations and international teams. No credit card, no commitment, ready to use immediately.

Time Tracking in Security Services: The Best Solution for Security Companies