Employees clock in using the iOS and Android app or a shared PIN tablet. Authorized managers review times, breaks and schedule deviations in the browser.
No credit card · Hosted in Frankfurt · For small and medium-sized shift businesses
Optionally one location point when clocking – no continuous tracking.
Real Shiftdesk product interfaces
Time-tracking duty 2026
Many employers start with a timesheet because they quickly need a traceable working-time record. This hub bundles the most useful free resources and shows when a manual sheet is still enough and when a system with review, approval and schedule comparison becomes more useful.
Excel and PDF working-time record with start, end, break, monthly total and German mini-job check.
Open templateCheck which break and rest-time notices become relevant for individual shifts.
Check breaksCalculate roughly how many hours are possible with an hourly wage and the 2026 earnings limit.
Calculate mini-jobGuide to the BAG ruling, acceptable forms, practical checklist and common employer questions.
Read guideThree tracking methods
Mobile teams, fixed locations and managers at a computer work differently. Shiftdesk brings their time data together in one operational workflow.
Employees start and stop work or breaks in the app. Schedule changes and their personal time data remain in the same place.
Authorized managers use the desktop dashboard, review entries, handle justified corrections and keep track of their status.
A tablet at the entrance, in the warehouse or in the kitchen becomes a shared time clock. Employees identify themselves using a personal PIN.
Clocking currently requires an active internet connection. An offline queue with later synchronization is not currently part of Shiftdesk.
From clocking to handover
Capturing time is only the beginning. What matters is how a record is matched to the schedule, reviewed and prepared for the monthly process.
Start and end times come from the app, browser or PIN terminal.
Start, end and actual break duration remain traceable.
Shiftdesk connects the entry to the corresponding shift.
Managers see deviations and the processing status.
Approved times feed the hours account and exports, depending on the plan.
Schematic representation of the Shiftdesk workflow – not an additional product interface.
The Shiftdesk advantage
Standalone time clocks often only know when someone arrived and left. Shiftdesk also knows the scheduled shift. Managers can see what was planned, what was actually recorded and where a review is needed.
Example target-to-actual workflow
Jonas · Early shift
Scheduled target
08:00–16:30
8:00 h planned · 30 min break
Clocked actual time
08:03–16:34
8:01 h recorded · 30 min break
Result
+0:01 h · reviewed for approval
The values illustrate an example workflow. Review and approval remain the responsibility of the authorized people in the business.
Features and plan boundaries
Transparent boundaries make selection easier. Core tracking is available in every plan; advanced monthly and export workflows start with Pro.
Clock working time and add justified manual entries in the browser for review.
Compare planned shifts and recorded times in the same system.
See processing states and trace changes with timestamps.
One location point can be captured when clocking, with no continuous tracking.
Plus/minus balances, locked periods and CSV, Excel, PDF and DATEV files for payroll preparation.
A shared terminal and extended configuration for different operational workflows.
Intentional product boundary: Shiftdesk is not project time tracking, client billing or a complete payroll system. It focuses on working times in shift businesses and payroll preparation.
Compare all plansPrivacy in everyday work
When the location check is enabled, Shiftdesk captures one location point at the time of clocking. No movement data is recorded. The employer decides whether and how to use it while observing operational and data-protection requirements.
Read the privacy policyPersonnel data is hosted in Frankfurt within the EU.
The location check is optional and configurable per workplace.
Roles and permissions limit access to time data.
No background tracking and no movement profile.
Built for shift businesses
The right method depends more on the workplace than on the industry. These examples show typical workflows without broad promises or misleading links.
A PIN tablet in the kitchen or service area and the mobile app for changing shifts.
Industry solutionClock in at the store and review times by location.
Industry solutionA shared terminal at the entrance for early, late and night shifts.
Industry solutionBring front desk, housekeeping and service together in one time workflow.
Industry solutionMobile tracking at changing sites with an optional location check.
Industry solutionIntroducing it in the business
The actual setup time depends on team size, plan, works agreements and your previous workflow. We therefore do not promise a universal setup in just a few minutes.
Decide who uses the app, browser or PIN tablet and who reviews entries.
Add employees, locations, weekly hours and appropriate time tracking rules.
Run through clocking, breaks, corrections and approval in the real workflow.
Distribute access, train managers and review the first accounting periods deliberately.
Transparent calculation
Basic includes the central tracking functions. PIN terminal, hours account, month-end close and advanced exports are available from Pro.
per month · 6 employees included
per month · 12 employees included
per month · 30 employees included
All prices exclude VAT · Cancel anytime · No credit card required
Guidance before choosing
Employee time tracking documents the start, end and duration of daily working time. Shift businesses also have to handle breaks, changing workplaces, corrections and comparisons with planned shifts.
A useful solution therefore collects more than clocking events. It shows which shift an entry belongs to, whether it has been reviewed and which data is ready for an hours account or payroll preparation.
The employee app suits personal and mobile use. A shared PIN tablet fits fixed workplaces where not everyone has a company phone. In Shiftdesk, the browser dashboard is for authorized managers to enter and review data, not general self-service for every employee role.
Many businesses combine several methods. Define responsibilities before launch and test the workflow with a small team.
In addition to starts, ends and breaks, it should know scheduled shifts, surface deviations and keep corrections traceable. A review status, hours account and clear export paths are especially useful for the monthly process.
Shiftdesk focuses on this operational workflow. Project budgets, client billing and complete payroll are intentionally outside its scope.
Employers must record working times systematically. The organizational and technical setup required for a particular business should be assessed separately.
Shiftdesk can take configured rules into account and display notices. Automated notices do not replace the operational check of whether a break was actually taken or a legal review of an individual case.
Questions before you start
Try the app, browser dashboard and connected schedule free for 14 days. We will be happy to demonstrate the Pro PIN-terminal workflow.