PunchBlog
Time tracking, payroll, and field-team operations
Guides and how-tos from the team building Punch, FLSA overtime rules, geofencing, biweekly pay, split shifts, and everything else small field teams actually deal with.
- 12 min read
Connecteam Alternative for Small Field Crews: Why Teams Switch to Punch (2026)
Looking for a Connecteam alternative? Here is why small construction, landscaping, cleaning, and service crews switch to Punch: flat per-org pricing with owners free, geofencing on every plan instead of a higher tier, no separately-priced hubs, offline punching, and automatic overtime.
Read post - 11 min read
The Regular Rate of Pay: How Overtime Is Actually Calculated (2026)
Overtime is not 1.5 times the hourly wage. It is 1.5 times the regular rate, which folds in nondiscretionary bonuses, commission, and shift differentials. Learn how to calculate the regular rate under the FLSA, what to include, what to exclude, and worked examples.
Read post - 10 min read
How Long Do You Have to Keep Employee Time Records? (FLSA Recordkeeping Guide 2026)
Under the FLSA you must keep payroll records for 3 years and the time records behind them for 2 years. Here are the 14 fields the law requires, why the burden of proof falls on you, and how to keep records that hold up without a filing cabinet.
Read post - 10 min read
QuickBooks Time Alternative: Leave the Per-User Bill, Keep QuickBooks (2026)
Looking for a QuickBooks Time alternative after the 2026 price increase? Here is why small field crews switch to Punch: flat per-org pricing with owners free, every feature on every plan, geofenced punch-in, and a native QuickBooks Online integration so you keep your books and drop the per-user meter.
Read post - 11 min read
What Counts as Hours Worked Under the FLSA? (Small Business Guide)
Which minutes do you actually have to pay for? A plain-English guide to compensable time under the FLSA: waiting time, on-call, rest breaks, meal periods, prep and cleanup, training, and travel, plus how to keep a record that holds up.
Read post - 7 min read
Do You Have to Pay Employees for Travel Time? (FLSA Guide for Field Crews)
Learn when you must pay employees for travel time under the FLSA. Commute vs. job-site-to-job-site travel, overtime impact, and how to track paid travel hours.
Read post - 7 min read
Introducing CRMb: the office side of Punch, now in beta
CRMb is Punch's office companion — clients, scheduling, inventory, and invoicing that runs on the hours your crew already punches. Now in beta on Mac and iPad, plus a new 25% discount and multi-org support in Punch.
Read post - 9 min read
What Is a Workweek Under the FLSA? (And Why It Decides Your Overtime)
The workweek, not the pay period, decides overtime. Learn the FLSA definition of a workweek, why each workweek stands alone, the semi-monthly payroll trap that underpays overtime, and how to set your workweek start day correctly.
Read post - 9 min read
How to Convert Minutes to Decimal Hours for Payroll (2026 Guide)
Payroll runs on decimal hours, not hours and minutes. Learn the divide-by-60 method, the conversion chart, the mistake that quietly underpays your crew, and why the safest option is to never convert time by hand.
Read post - 10 min read
ClockShark Alternative for Small Field Crews: Why Teams Switch to Punch (2026)
Looking for a ClockShark alternative? Here is why small construction, landscaping, and service crews switch to Punch: flat per-org pricing with owners free, every feature on every plan, geofenced punch-in, offline support, and automatic overtime.
Read post - 10 min read
Exempt vs. Non-Exempt Employees: A Small Business Guide (2026)
Exempt or non-exempt decides who gets overtime. Learn the federal salary threshold ($684/week in 2026), the three-part test, why a salary alone does not make someone exempt, and how to track non-exempt hours correctly.
Read post - 10 min read
Time Tracking for HVAC and Plumbing Techs (Field Service Guide 2026)
Field service techs drive between customer homes all day. Here is how to track HVAC and plumbing hours with geofenced punch-in per call, paid travel time between stops, per-ticket job costing, offline support, and automatic overtime.
Read post - 9 min read
How to Calculate Labor Cost Per Job (Job Costing for Field Crews)
Job costing starts with accurate hours. Here is how to calculate true labor cost per job for a field crew, add labor burden, and use per-site time tracking to see which jobs actually make money.
Read post - 10 min read
Meal and Rest Break Laws: What Small Employers Get Wrong (2026)
Federal law does not require meal or rest breaks, but many states do, and California owes an hour of premium pay for a missed break. Here is how break rules work and how to keep the records that prove compliance.
Read post - 10 min read
California Overtime Rules: Daily Overtime, Double Time, and the 7th-Day Rule (2026)
California overtime is daily, not just weekly. Learn the 8-hour and 12-hour rules, double time, the 7th consecutive day rule, and how to calculate it correctly in 2026.
Read post - 10 min read
Shared iPad Time Clock: How a Kiosk Punch Station Works (2026)
A shared iPad kiosk lets a whole crew punch in from one tablet. Here's how a kiosk time clock works, why a personal PIN beats facial recognition, and how to set one up in 2026.
Read post - 8 min read
Time Clock Rounding Rules: The 7-Minute Rule and Why Exact Time Wins (2026)
Time clock rounding and the 7-minute rule are legal under the FLSA, but the law is moving toward paying exact time. Here's how rounding works, where it goes wrong, and why recording the real punch is safer.
Read post - 6 min read
What's New in Punch 3.8: a Payroll Role, Manager Hierarchy, and 50 Countries
Punch 3.8 adds a dedicated Payroll role, second-tier managers, overtime and local currency for 50 countries, and more dependable offline punches. Every feature, every plan.
Read post - 11 min read
How to Track Hours for a Cleaning Business (2026 Guide)
The best way to track hours for a cleaning crew: geofenced punch-in at every property, pay by the visit or the hour, offline support, weekly approvals, and automatic overtime.
Read post - 9 min read
How Much Does a Time Clock App Cost? Per-Employee vs. Flat Pricing (2026)
Most time clock apps bill per employee, so your bill grows every time you hire. Here's how per-employee pricing adds up in 2026 and why flat per-org pricing wins.
Read post - 10 min read
How to Stop Buddy Punching on a Small Team (2026 Guide)
Buddy punching quietly inflates payroll on small teams. Here's how to stop it with geofenced punch-in, manager approval, and a shared-iPad PIN, without putting a camera in your crew's face.
Read post - 11 min read
How to Set Up an Employee Time-Off Request Process (Small Team Guide)
A clear time-off request process keeps PTO out of group texts and spreadsheets. Learn the five steps, what the law requires, accrual vs. lump-sum, and how to track balances.
Read post - 4 min read
What's new in Punch 3.7: Square, overtime for 40 countries, and a guided path to payroll
Punch 3.7 adds a native Square integration that posts approved hours straight to Square timecards, completes the eurozone for overtime in 40 countries, and points you to the export the moment you connect.
Read post - 6 min read
What's new in Punch 3.6: QuickBooks Online, kiosk mode, team photos, and 30 countries
Punch 3.6 adds a native QuickBooks Online integration that pushes approved hours straight to your books, kiosk mode for a shared iPad, employee photos across the app, and overtime rules for 30 countries.
Read post - 4 min read
What's new in Punch 3.5: a guided welcome, team-based management, and managers who punch
Punch 3.5 adds a role-aware first-run walkthrough, team-based management so each manager sees only their crew, managers who can punch their own hours, and a Settings deep-dive that shows how the pay math works.
Read post - 5 min read
What's new in Punch 3.4: commission, bonuses, travel pay, and reminders that respect privacy
Punch 3.4 ships commission and bonuses with honest overtime math, paid travel time, private on-device punch reminders, pay-period last call, and 5 new countries (25 total).
Read post - 5 min read
What's new in Punch 3.3: pay by the visit, solo workspaces with pay, and 20 countries
Punch 3.3 is live: per-location pay for photographers and multi-site crews, solo workspaces with earnings and self-serve payroll, and time tracking in 20 countries.
Read post - 5 min read
Free Time Clock Apps: What's Actually Free in 2026 (and What Isn't)
Free time clock apps exist, but most cap employees, show ads, or lock the features you need. Here's what's actually free in 2026, the catches, and the cheapest full option.
Read post - 6 min read
Construction Time Clock App: Track Crew Hours Across Job Sites (2026)
A construction time clock app lets crews punch in from the job site with GPS, tracks hours across every site, and calculates overtime. Here's how to choose one in 2026.
Read post - 6 min read
Time Clock App for Small Business: The 2026 Buyer's Guide
A time clock app lets employees punch in and out from a phone or browser, with hours that flow to payroll. Here's how to choose a time clock app for a small business in 2026.
Read post - 7 min read
GPS Time Clock App: The Field-Team Guide for 2026
A GPS time clock app confirms employees punch in at the job site, not from the couch. Here's how GPS time clocks work and how to choose one for a field team in 2026.
Read post - 8 min read
Web-Based Punch Clock: The Small-Business Guide for 2026
A web-based punch clock lets your team punch in and out from any browser, no app to install. Here's how online punch clocks work and how to pick one in 2026.
Read post - 6 min read
What's new in Punch 3.2: PTO accruals, two new plans, and 15 countries
Punch 3.2 adds automatic PTO accruals with tenure milestones, two new plans for the smallest teams, and eight new countries for 15 total, each with local currency and overtime rules.
Read post - 8 min read
How to Track Hours for a Roofing Crew (2026 Guide)
The best way to track hours for a roofing crew: geofenced punch-in at every roof, offline support for remote jobs, per-roof hour attribution, and automatic overtime for storm-season weeks.
Read post - 6 min read
What's new in Punch 3.1: 7 countries, currency clarity, and Add a shift
Punch covers 7 countries. Punch 3.1 ships currency clarity (CA$, NZ$, HK$, MX$), auto-applied overtime rules by country, and Add a shift on iOS for missed punches.
Read post - 13 min read
Geofence Time Tracking: How Job Site GPS Works for Field Teams
Learn how geofence time tracking works for job sites, why it only applies to punch-in, and how to set up GPS radius fencing for field crews.
Read post - 12 min read
How to Set Up an Employee Timesheet Approval Workflow (Step-by-Step)
Learn how to build a timesheet approval workflow that catches errors before payroll runs. Covers manager review, rejection reasons, mark-as-paid, and audit trails.
Read post - 9 min read
Landscaping Crew Payroll and Overtime: A Complete Guide for Small Operators
Learn how to handle landscaping crew payroll, overtime rules, and time tracking across multiple job sites. Covers FLSA basics, California rules, and weekly approval workflows.
Read post - 8 min read
How to Export Employee Timesheets to QuickBooks (Step-by-Step)
Export approved employee timesheets to QuickBooks Online in minutes. Learn the exact column format, how net hours are calculated, and which QBO import tools accept the file.
Read post - 12 min read
How to Track Restaurant Split Shifts (AM and PM Service)
Track AM and PM restaurant split shifts accurately. Learn how to record both segments, calculate overtime correctly, and approve time across a split-service day.
Read post - 10 min read
How to Track Employee Hours Without Cell Service
Track employee hours in dead zones and areas without cell service. Learn how offline time tracking works, what gets queued, and what still requires a signal.
Read post - 12 min read
The Best Time Tracking App for Small Businesses in 2026
The best time tracking apps and punch clocks for small businesses in 2026, compared. What to look for, what to avoid, and why pricing structure matters more than features.
Read post - 10 min read
How to Pay Employees Biweekly and Still Calculate Overtime Correctly
Paying employees biweekly doesn't change how FLSA overtime works. Learn how to calculate overtime correctly on a biweekly pay schedule with worked examples.
Read post - 10 min read
FLSA Overtime Rules for Small Business Owners (2026 Guide)
Understand FLSA overtime rules for small business owners in 2026. Learn the 40-hour threshold, state law differences, and how to calculate OT correctly.
Read post - 7 min read
How to Track Employee Hours on a Construction Crew (2026 Guide)
Learn the best way to track employee hours on a construction crew. Geofenced punch-in, offline support, and weekly timesheet approval, built for field teams.
Read post