Clock-in options explained: PIN, geofence and kiosk
A clock-in method is there so the timesheet matches who was at work. Three patterns come up again and again. They solve different problems.
A site pin, checked on the phone
Each workplace has a map pin and a radius. The phone is checked when someone clocks in and when they clock out. It is a good fit when people already carry a phone and work at known sites. It is a weak check if the pin is in the wrong place, or if someone clocks in from the street on purpose.
Shiftbrook works this way today. Clock-in is in the phone browser, on the signed-in account. Each location has a pin. The default radius is 100 metres, and it can be set from 25 to 1000 metres. The phone is read only at clock-in and clock-out. Shiftbrook does not follow it between punches.
A time a manager types is flagged and needs a note, so it is obvious on the timesheet.
Clock-in does not ask for a staff PIN.
A PIN
A PIN is a short code, often typed on a shared tablet or a till. It is simple when phones are not allowed on the floor. It is also easy to share, so it does not prove who is standing there. It suits a team that shares one device at the door more than a team that is spread across sites.
A kiosk
A kiosk is a tablet fixed at the door, sometimes with a list of names, a PIN, or a photo. It suits one front door and a team that walks past it. It is awkward when people start work at different sites, or away from the tablet.
Shiftbrook does not include a kiosk.
The timesheet is still the record
Clock-in stores a start and an end. The hours are then submitted, a manager approves them, and the timesheet can be locked. On the free plan you can download a CSV. On the paid plan, a UK organisation can send approved hours to Xero Payroll UK.
Shiftbrook does not calculate pay or tax. Pick the check that matches how people actually arrive, then use that same check every day.