Check location at the punch, not all day
The most useful version asks the phone for one location reading when the employee clocks in and compares it to the worksite. That catches most problems and is easy to explain to a crew.
Constant background tracking is hard to justify, hard to explain and unnecessary for payroll.
Use a worksite radius and choose how strict to be
Each site gets a center point and a radius. A punch inside is verified. A punch outside can be ignored, flagged for review, or blocked.
Phone GPS drifts near tall buildings and indoors, so set radii generously, often 100 to 200 meters, and treat flags as a reason to ask rather than proof of wrongdoing.
Roll it out in four steps
Tell the crew exactly what is collected: one location reading at clock-in.
Start in flag mode for a pay period and review the flags.
Widen radii that flag honest employees before you tighten enforcement.
Move to block mode only for sites where being on location matters.
How Gates Timekeeping handles it
The browser asks for location permission only when the employee clocks in. The reading is compared to the worksite geofence and the punch records whether it was inside. Your company setting decides whether outside punches are flagged or blocked.
Gates does not track employees between punches. Native app-store apps and offline punching are separate work and are not included today.
Questions from small teams
Does the app track employees all day?
No. Location is read once, at clock-in, with the employee's permission.
What if GPS is inaccurate?
Use a larger radius and flag mode first. Managers can review flagged punches before payroll.
Product guidance for the current early-access pilot. Keep your existing payroll records while evaluating the workflow. Last reviewed October 17, 2026.