Guide
A geofenced time clock: clock in only at the job site
A geofence is a virtual boundary around a job site. A geofenced time clock checks whether a clock-in happened inside it. Here is what that means in practice and how to set it up so it helps without getting in the way.
What geofencing means for a time clock
Instead of asking someone to write down where they were, the time clock compares the phone's location with a circle around the site. Inside the circle, the clock-in is normal. Outside, it is flagged.
Setting up a geofence in HourStake
Search the site's address, check the pin on the map, and choose a radius. HourStake accepts radii from 50 meters to 2 kilometers and starts at 150 meters. A project that does not need a location check skips the geofence entirely.
- A single building or small house: a smaller radius, around the default.
- A large property, a campus or a construction site: a larger radius so people on the far side are not flagged.
- A site with weak signal: err on the larger side, and use the flag as a prompt to look, not as proof.
What happens when someone is outside the boundary
The clock-in is saved, not rejected. Rejecting it would mean the worker loses time they genuinely worked, and the argument lands on your desk anyway. Instead the entry is marked outside the site on the live view and the timesheet, so a manager can decide.
Workers choose a location or project when they clock in, so every punch is tied to a place.
Geofencing across several sites
Each site has its own radius, and each clock-in records which site it was for. That makes it simple to see hours by person and by week, and to spot someone who clocks in at a site they were not scheduled for.
Try it with your crew
HourStake is free while we launch. Set up your locations and projects and clock in from your phone today.