Payroll on Geowork Blog - GPS Time Tracking for Field Crews

How Much Are Bad Timesheets Actually Costing You?

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

You know your guys are probably adding a little extra time to their sheets. You figure it’s just the cost of doing business. You think, “Eh, it’s just a few minutes, no big deal.”

But the math says you’re wrong.

The “Small Leak” That Sinks the Boat

The American Payroll Association did a big study on this. They found that “buddy punching” and time theft cost owners about 2.2% of their total payroll. That sounds like a small number until you pull out a calculator.

The $22,000 Hole in Your Payroll (Most Owners Don't See It)

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Mike runs a 10-man drywall crew in Phoenix. He’s a good boss. He pays his guys well and treats them with respect. He thinks his business is doing great.

But Mike has a hole in his pocket.

The Money That Just Vanishes

Every morning, Mike’s guys show up at the job site. They’re supposed to start at 7:00 AM. But usually, they’re finishing their coffee or talking about the game. They don’t really start hanging rock until 7:20 AM.

Why Your Payroll Takes All Friday and Still Feels Wrong

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Friday should be the best day of the week. You finished the jobs and you’re getting paid. But instead, you’re stuck in the office. You’re staring at a pile of greasy paper scraps and blurry text photos.

The Friday Afternoon Headache

You spend three hours trying to read messy handwriting. You’re trying to remember if Sam was at the Smith job or the Jones job on Tuesday. You call him, but he doesn’t pick up.

Your Guys Say They Were There. Were They?

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

You’re out at the supply house picking up a load of lumber. You get a text from the homeowner. She says nobody showed up to her house today. You check your texts and your lead says the whole crew was there at 7:00 AM.

Now you’re stuck in the middle. Someone is lying to you, and it’s usually your wallet that takes the hit.

The Lie That Costs You a Fortune

Most guys on your crew are good people. But let’s be real. If a guy is running 15 minutes late, he’s not writing that down. He marks 7:00 AM on the paper every single time.

How to Stop Time Theft on Construction Job Sites

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Time theft is when workers get paid for hours they didn’t actually work. On construction sites, this happens more often than most owners realize—and it adds up fast.

How Much Does Time Theft Cost?

Time theft can cost employers a meaningful percentage of payroll—industry estimates vary widely, and the actual impact depends on your company’s current controls and culture. For a construction company with $1 million in annual labor costs, even 2-3% in losses represents $20,000-$30,000 per year.

Construction Payroll Integration: Automating Timesheets to QuickBooks

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Processing construction payroll manually takes hours. You’re collecting paper timesheets, deciphering handwriting, fixing errors, and typing everything into QuickBooks. There’s a better way.

Integrating your time tracking with QuickBooks automates this entire process. Here’s how it works.

The Manual Payroll Problem

Most construction companies still process payroll like this:

Collect paper timesheets from every worker
Review each one for errors or missing info
Chase down workers with questions
Type hours into QuickBooks manually
Double-check for data entry errors
Run payroll

For a 20-person crew, this can take an estimated 3-5 hours per pay period. That’s potentially 6-10 hours per month on data entry (your actual time will vary based on your current process).

How to Calculate Labor Burden Rate for Construction Projects

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

If you’re bidding construction jobs based on hourly wages alone, you’re losing money. Labor burden—the additional costs beyond wages—typically adds 30-55% to what you pay workers for most construction companies.

Understanding and calculating your true labor burden rate is essential for profitable bidding.

What is Labor Burden?

Labor burden is the total cost of employing a worker beyond their base wage. It includes:

Employer taxes (Social Security, Medicare, unemployment)
Insurance (workers’ comp, liability, health)
Benefits (PTO, retirement, etc.)
Equipment and tools
Training and safety

When you pay a carpenter $30/hour, your actual cost might be $40-45/hour after burden.

Construction Overtime Tracking: FLSA Compliance for Field Crews

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Overtime violations are among the most common wage and hour complaints in construction. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) has specific rules for when overtime applies and how to calculate it. Getting it wrong can mean back pay, penalties, and lawsuits.

This guide covers FLSA overtime requirements for construction crews and how to stay compliant.

FLSA Overtime Basics

The Standard Rule

Non-exempt employees must receive overtime pay of at least 1.5x their regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.