When you enable the virtual time clock for time tracking, employees can record their working time via the time clock in their user account in Timebutler. Because you can use Timebutler on a smartphone, employees could start the time clock from home or on the way to work.
So there is a desire to limit clocking in on the virtual time clock to certain locations/areas or IP addresses (so-called geofencing).
Restrict access to IP addresses
An admin can [restrict access to specific IP addresses(/frequently-asked-questions/sign-in-and-sign-out/access-restriction-by-ip-address/). This can help ensure that employees can use the time clock only when they are on the corporate network.
However, note that this will completely block access to Timebutler from outside the corporate network. Employees therefore cannot, for example, request vacation from home or check colleagues’ absence status for the next day.
There are other ways to restrict access specifically to the time clock, as follows:
Geofencing via location data
Geofencing based on employees’ location data is very problematic technically and legally: for data protection reasons, employers may not monitor or collect employees’ location data without further justification.
Several technical reasons also speak against it. Some employees may not have a smartphone or a device with GPS, or they may have disabled or blocked GPS. It is also easy to manipulate GPS location. Employees can download free “Fake GPS” apps from Google Play or the Apple App Store that let them set any GPS location.
We therefore intentionally do not offer geofencing via location data to protect companies from legal consequences and because it does not provide reliable security. Instead, use the following solutions:
Alternatives
Spot checks
When you sign in to Timebutler with an admin user, the top of the home page shows time clock information, i.e., which time clocks are running, idle, or paused. Click it to go to the [time clock status view(/time-tracking/real-time-clock-status/open-time-clock-status/), where you can see each employee’s start time of the currently running time clock. If you run spot checks here to see who is not yet in the office but has already started the clock, you can address those colleagues directly. Often it is enough to speak to the person once to solve the issue for good.
Time tracking terminal
Alternatively, you can enable the Timebutler [time tracking terminal on a tablet(/time-tracking/time-clock-terminal/time-tracking-terminal-on-a-tablet/) and place the tablet at the office entrance. You can then require that only the time tracking terminal may start (or stop) the time clock. This ensures employees are in the office when they start time.
For field staff or employees working from home, you can allow clocking via the time clock in the user account.
Read here how to let some employees clock working time [only at the time tracking terminal(/time-tracking/time-clock-terminal/allow-only-the-time-tracking-terminal/).
Restriction to IP addresses
An admin can [restrict access to specific IP addresses(/frequently-asked-questions/sign-in-and-sign-out/access-restriction-by-ip-address/). However, this restricts all Timebutler functions to that IP range, not just the time clock.