Overview: The geofencing feature allows you to specify a radius around a location and only once an employee is with that radius can they punch time. Multiple geofences can be created and as long as an employee is within one of the assigned geofences they can punch in or out. If they try to punch time outside of the geofence, they will receive an error.
Important: Geofences use GPS coordinates, so employees are required to use our smartphone app if assigned a geofence.
The geofencing feature is an all-or-nothing type feature, which means an employee must punch in/out, within an assigned geofence. Unless when also assigned an IP address lock.
If your employee is assigned both a geofence and an IP Address Lock, they can use either one. IP address Locks can be used without the smartphone app. Learn more about IP Address Locks here.
Instructions:
Create A Geofence
1. To create a geofence or multiple geofences, start by going to Settings followed by Geofences:
2. On the Geofences page, click the +Add a New Geofence Rule button:
3. There are a few important fields to fill out/populate with data which include:
Name: The name of the geofence will be visible to the employee when they punch in/out of the geofence.
Address: This will be the location of your geofence. After you've entered your geofence address, click Search to populate the latitude and longitude. Alternatively, you can manually enter the latitude and longitude coordinates.
Radius: The radius is selected via a slider and specifies the area in meters around a geofence an employee is allowed to punch time.
Code assignments: If you're using locations or departments, they can be assigned to a geofence and employees will only be able to select the associated code when punching into the assigned geofence. If you want the employee to select their codes when they punch in, leave the option unchecked.
Note: The geofence shows radius size in meters, but should you need to reference how many feet your radius might be, we recommend using a unit converter such as this one.
Otherwise, a few quick, approximate meter-to-feet conversions are below for your convenience:
50 meters = 164 feet
100 meters = 328 feet
500 meters = 1,640 feet
1000 meters = 3,280 feet
1500 meters = 4,921 feet
4. Lastly, you'll want to check the Active box, assign employees and Save once done:
Once saved, you'll be taken back to the Geofences page where you'll find your newly created geofence and can create others as needed.
Change Geofence Assignments (Multiple Employees)
1. To change geofencing assignments for multiple employees at once, you'll want to start by going to Settings --> Geofences.
2. On the Geofences page, select Edit next to the geofence you need to change assignments for:
3. You then check or uncheck assignments for employees as needed. Save once done.
Change Geofence Assignments (Single Employee)
1. To change geofencing assignments for a single employee, start by clicking Employees in the top navigation and then View next to the employee in question. Clicking View will take you to their profile.
2. Click Geofences in the employee's profile from the left-hand menu. Once at that section, click Edit Assignment:
3. You can then quickly check or uncheck geofence assignments as needed. Save once done:
Important Things to Remember
Now that you've got your employees set up with geofencing, there are a few important things to remember:
Your employees can still log in from anywhere. A geofence will only restrict punching in and out.
The geofencing feature is an all-or-nothing type feature, and an employee must punch in/out within an assigned geofence. Unless when used with IP address locks.
Your employees will still need to punch in and out when they're in the geofence. We do not automatically punch employees in and out when they enter or leave.
Geofences require the use of our smartphone apps.
If you're using scheduling and have assigned a location or department to a shift, an employee cannot view that shift if it doesn't match their geofencing auto-assignments.
FAQ
Q: Why can't employees use geofencing from a website?
A: Most computers/laptops don't have GPS receivers and instead use the ISP or browser to determine location. This is not very accurate and so we've restricted geofence use to mobile apps to ensure the most accurate location is gathered.
Q: Are employees automatically punched in/out if they enter or leave a geofence?
A: Not currently, but we're looking to add it in the future!
Q: Can I receive a notification if an employee leaves a geofence?
A: No, we don't track employees at all times so we can't send a notification if they leave the geofence.
Q: What happens if an employee tries to punch time outside of a geofence?
A: If an employee tries to punch time outside of an assigned geofence, they will receive an error along with a map of their current location and the location of the geofence.
Q: Is there an error log that can let me know if an employee tried to punch time outside of the geofence?
A: Yes, the Employee Error Log can let you know if an employee tried to punch time outside of the geofence. This report is found under Reports in the top navigation.
Q: What are the different geofence radius options?
A: The smallest geofence radius we offer is 50 meters and the largest we offer is 1,500 meters.
Q. Can employees punch out for Lunch and/or manual Break(s) outside of Geofences?
A. No, employees must be within an assigned Geofence to punch any time including lunches and breaks.