Why Every Remote Team Needs a Time Off Tracker

The digital age has fundamentally changed the way we work. More and more, our beds and coffee shops are replacing traditional offices. And we can officially say the 9-to-5 workday is over. In fact, Global Workplace Analytics and FlexJobs found that 3.9 million workers worked from home at least half the time in 2015 alone, and the number has only increased since then. Companies around the world realized long ago that they should focus their efforts on retaining good employees. And you can imagine that valuing the work to be done versus just counting hours of work is one way to do this.

Plus, it seems that remote workers are happier than those who work in the office!

However, remote work isn't always a walk in the park. To make it work, you have to really work hard. There is some added pressure on remote work team managers to ensure everything runs smoothly, but nothing is impossible. A barrier for remote workers is definitely tracking their time and commitment to the project. And this is when we should talk about the time-off tracker. In this article, you'll learn all about why every remote team needs a time-off tracker. So, let's go!

But before we begin, you need to know

Recording absenteeism is not about controlling employees. Rather, it creates trust and enables you to work more productively and with greater concentration. And when it comes to pure work, it's important to know when each team member is available, just for synchronization reasons.
We already use various apps to improve our remote work experience and manage remote teams. So why not give the Time Off Tracker a chance too? Once you see it in action, you will realize that it is one of the most important tools for any remote worker.

So what do we have to say to justify the use of the time-off tracker?

One of many reasons why you should consider implementing a time-off tracker for your remote employees is to ensure accountability. Some people are guided by the motto "out of sight, out of mind" and think that they can use remote work as a way to get more paid days off than they have. So, be careful! If you don't yet track your days off, you may be tempted to bypass the system. However, if they know that HR is carefully monitoring the number of days they take off, they will be more likely to follow the rules.

You can finally say goodbye to micromanagement

If you pay your employees by the hour, it's easy to monitor them. They only receive money for the time they have worked. However, employees tend to monitor employees who work remotely in detail. We can all agree that it's uncomfortable to have someone constantly breathing down your neck, and that's exactly where the time-off tracker can help. When you have accurate insight into the time off your employees take and are able to track their time efficiently, you will feel freer in the workplace. All of this means greater engagement and increased productivity and ultimately more money for the company.

You can create balance in the office with a time-off tracker

We all know some workaholics. Maybe we are some ourselves. But even if you have the coolest job in the world, it's important to remember that taking time off is good for you. In fact, it is important to take regular vacations from work to keep the quality of your work in check.
On the other hand, some people are constantly looking for ways to take a few days off. And this can become a serious problem if you don't have a proper mechanism to record vacation days. A time-off tracker is especially important for remote employees as it gives the team adequate insight into each team member's days off. Everyone should have the opportunity to take a day off, and this right should be equally distributed.

Makes vacation planning easy

Has it ever happened to you that you were the only one who stayed at work because there was a problem with vacation planning? Those situations where you had to pick up the pieces of poor HR practices or simple mistakes are a thing of the past with a time-off tracker! With a clear overview of all team members' time off requests, such mistakes are easier to avoid and the time spent approving (or rejecting) requests is significantly reduced.

Time-off tracker prevents burnout

We have already talked about burnout several times. And that proves that we take this topic seriously. And you should too! If you find it hard to believe us, just check out the reasons why taking a break is right for you! By introducing a time-off tracker, you can ensure that your employees have taken time off from work and are not overexerting themselves. This is especially important for employees who work from home, as it can give the impression that they are not actually working. Make sure everyone on the team can reach their full potential and make sure they've taken some time off!

It offers transparency

When you work remotely, you don't get to see your colleagues. That's why sometimes you feel like you're doing everything alone. However, if you have a clear and clean mechanism for tracking time off, you can get a good overview of your team's days off and decide whether or not you should go on vacation as soon as possible.

Keeps the companies at bay with unlimited PTO policies

We've talked about the unlimited PTO policy many times. In short, it's about the ability to take as much vacation as you need, as long as you make sure your work gets done. And that goes for remote workers too! However, the unexpected problem with this policy is that people end up taking less vacation than they should. Instead of giving up on this revolutionary idea, you should just try introducing a time-off tracker. If companies like Netflix and Crowdflower have done it, you will too! Just make sure you have the necessary tools and resources!

Remote work is a godsend

We're ready to be honest and say that remote work is awesome. It reduces abuse of sick time because you can take time off and run errands that you couldn't do in a traditional workplace. We are more productive when we work from home because there are fewer distractions. And when we have the opportunity to work from home, our engagement at work increases because we are aware of the privilege we have. Some people would say that telecommuting is the future of work, and we couldn't agree more. For all these reasons, we strive to use them. And the time-off tracker is something that can help us achieve this. Don't be afraid to try it out! We're pretty sure you won't lose anything. On the contrary, you can only benefit from it.

In the ever-evolving landscape of remote work, implementing a time-off tracker is not just a practical choice but a strategic move for fostering accountability, work-life balance, and transparency. Tools like IceHrm can play a pivotal role in seamlessly integrating this solution into your remote team management, ensuring efficient tracking and enhancing overall productivity.