Understanding GPS Verification

Understanding GPS Verification

GPS verification is the core of Geowork’s time tracking. Here’s how it works for both crew members and supervisors.

How GPS Verification Works

When a crew member clocks in or out, Geowork:

1. Captures their GPS coordinates at the moment of the clock event
2. Compares the location to the job site’s geofence boundary
3. Marks the entry as Verified or Unverified
4. Records the coordinates for supervisor review

The Crew Clock-In Process

From the crew workspace:

1. Select a job from your assigned jobs list
2. Refresh your current location (if needed)
3. Tap Clock in—Geowork automatically verifies your location against the job site
4. See your time card update with the clock event

Each time entry shows:

• Event type (Clocked in, Clocked out, Break started, etc.)
• Timestamp
• Verification status (Verified or Unverified)
• Site session information

What Gets Tracked

Geowork captures location data at specific events:

• Clock in: GPS coordinates recorded
• Clock out: GPS coordinates recorded
• Break/lunch start and end: Timestamps recorded

We do not track continuously. Location is only captured at clock events, not throughout the workday.

Verification Statuses

• Verified: Clock event happened within the job site’s geofence
• Unverified: Clock event happened outside the geofence boundary

Supervisor Clock Event Audit

Supervisors can review detailed GPS data in the Workers panel:

• Last clock-in: Time, date, and GPS coordinates
• Last clock-out: Time, date, and GPS coordinates
• Clock event audit status:
  • Same area: Clock-in and clock-out locations match
  • Moved: Worker moved significantly between clock events
  • Outside geofence: Clock event happened outside the site boundary
  • Missing location: GPS data unavailable
  • No clock-out: Worker hasn’t clocked out yet

Compliance Alerts

The supervisor dashboard highlights potential issues:

• Meal break due/overdue: Worker hasn’t taken required meal breaks
• Rest break due/overdue: Worker hasn’t taken required rest breaks
• Long shift: Worker has been clocked in for an extended period
• Overtime approaching/started: Worker is nearing or in overtime

Privacy and Transparency

Crew members can see:

• Their own time card with all clock events
• Verification status for each entry
• Today’s hours and weekly totals
• Which job site they’re clocked into

Geofence Edge Grace

Geowork adds a 10-meter edge grace to all geofences. This prevents verification failures when a phone’s GPS drifts slightly at the edge of a site.

Handling Edge Cases

• Poor signal areas: Basements or dense urban areas may have GPS issues—try refreshing location outdoors
• Large sites: Supervisors can increase geofence radius (up to 250m for campus sites)
• Site boundary issues: Supervisors can drag the map pin to better center the geofence