11 Best Online Scheduling Software for 2020

Employee scheduling technology is a management tool for workplace and scheduling that helps owners and managers control their hourly employees. Its core function allows automatic allocation of shifts, automation of alerts for new schedules and shift changes, clock-in and clock-out functionality, development of timetables, and importation of payroll files.

Creating schedules for employees can be complicated and time-consuming – a fact recognized by all business owners. Automation of the scheduling system produces consistent results, decreases delays, results in cost reduction, increases productivity, and enhances employee satisfaction.

Employee scheduling software makes collaborative scheduling easier where employees can set their own availability and shift trades, allowing managers to approve time-off requests and ensure all shifts are covered. Remote 24/7 access to their schedules helps to improve the work-life balance of employees and reduce the rate of employee turnover. The software also has built-in alerts to prevent overtime working by employees and allows for better communication between managers and employees, thereby improving the efficiency and profitability of the business.

Here’s a list of ten of the best online scheduling software solutions for 2020:

1. When I Work

When I work works best when used for small enterprises, non-profit businesses, and multi-site businesses. For When I Work, the price ranges from free to $2.25 per worker, per month, depending on the specific characteristics wanted.

From between $1 and $2 a month, per worker, time and attendance monitoring can also be added. It offers a scheduler, accessibility/time-off management, trading of shifts, group messaging, and Android/iOS apps. It can even be used to add job site locations and details like entry codes and directions for the employer to worker schedules.

2. Tsheets

TSheets works best for service businesses and offers a free trial period of 14 days. Pricing starts at $5/user and a $20 base fee every month for organizations that have between 2 and 99 employees.

Scheduling by shift or task, using drag & drop options, submitting shift change updates, copying the previous week’s schedule, receiving reminders of overtime or missed shifts are all possible with TSheets. The “Who’s Working” feature allows one to view who is eligible for urgent jobs. It provides a time clock, GPS time tracker, a mobile application, and timesheets for payroll that can be conveniently imported into the payroll program.

3. Buddy Punch

Buddy Punch is essentially a customer-approved employee time tracking software, which one function is for employee scheduling purposes. The software allows you to manage your employees in real time with ease.  Not only that, but you can also integrate it with your accounting and payroll software.

You can access the 30-day free trial offer to have a look-see at what this software can do for you. Once you’ve decided, you can always opt for the premium version, which pricing depends on the number of employees that you have, staring from $25/month.

4. Deputy

Deputy works best for small companies and businesses with multiple locations. It has a free 14 days trial period, and pricing begins at $2.50/user/month, requiring at least $10 per invoice per month to be paid. Some scheduling features include auto-scheduling, breaks for lunch and rest, making, copying or publishing schedules, switching shifts, and finding substitutions for shifts.

Deputy can be used to integrate invoicing and accounting software with its timesheets, exempting you from hiring or billing processes that are time-consuming. Using metrics that affect staffing, it also allows detailed reporting for scheduling plans, sales transactions, and productivity of workers.

5. Homebase

With a 14 days free trial period, Homebase works best for brick and mortar businesses. It allows one to easily drag and drop team schedules, update changes from one’s mobile phone, copy last week’s schedule, and use automatic scheduling while accounting for the availability of teams and roles. Updating availability or requesting for shift trades is possible as well as accessing figures for total hours and overtime worked minus time for breaks.

Pricing is based on location with Essentials at $19.95, Plus at $49.95, or Enterprise at $99.95, all with unlimited users per month per location.

6. Connecteam

Connecteam is best for businesses with desk-less employees and small enterprises. Starting at $29/month for up to 200 users, Connecteam makes it easy to dispatch jobs and schedule shifts. Managers may single, multiple, or group shifts, or use Excel to import large files, saving valuable time by viewing the calendar, drag & drop option, and copying the shifts of last week.

As they clock in and out, Connecteam also marks the GPS location of employees and configures status updates to allow workers to sign in, refuse, or complete their shift. Workers can also insert attachments like photos, images, and notes related to shifts.

7. Jolt

Jolt is priced starting at $99/month/location and is best for restaurant businesses. There is no free trial for Jolt, but it can be used for several tasks for employee scheduling, including swapping of shifts, distribution of schedules, messaging, mobile access, reports as well as an in-app time clock, features that raise compliance and employee accountability, thereby, boosting performance.

8. MhelpDesk

Best for field service businesses, mHelpDesk has 14 days free trial period and offers features like quick access to information about the availability of everyone, scheduling field technicians, automatic assignment notifications, viewing of job and customer details, and removal of overbooking and under-booking. It can also be integrated with Google Calendar, Home Advisor, and QuickBooks.

9. Shiftboard

Best for the hourly workforce, Shiftboard offers plans starting at $3/user/month. The app is versatile to adapt to different processes, whether part-time, contractual, full-time, by-the-hour, or fixed pay rates. Shiftboard also offers the tracking of professional positions by keeping information about employee expertise and performance rating.

Matching tasks with the right staff is made possible. Other characteristics include online job application platform, account profiles for employees, centralized monitoring, and evaluation.

10. 7shifts

7shifts pricing ranges from free to $69.99 per month, per location. All of its plans allow for the following tasks: scheduling and tracking staff clocks, requests for time off, availability of staff and reporting, customer support, and mobile apps. Paid plans include the incorporation of payroll technology, automated reporting, weather and sales forecasting for departments.

11. HotSchedules

HotSchedules works best for the management of time. It offers a 14 days free trial period and has two pricing plans: $2/month/user or $4/month/user. Its simple interface facilitates the management of employee scheduling. Employees can ask directly from their mobile phone to switch, unlock, or pick up shifts, and supervisors can authorize the move.

This software is aimed at retail, restaurant and hospitality industries and also provides training, recruitment, business intelligence, labor, and inventory management features.

Making use of scheduling software not only makes it easier for managers and business owners to run operations but also improves employee efficiency and productivity, ensuring smooth business operations.