Changing shifts, peak hours, overtime and last-minute schedule changes make time tracking in hospitality complex and error-prone. Yet many hospitality businesses still rely on Excel spreadsheets, loose notes or WhatsApp messages.
That may seem practical, but in reality it leads to wasted time, mistakes and frustration. In this blog, you’ll discover why Excel time tracking is not suitable for hospitality and how a staff planning system with time tracking can save you 10 to 15 hours of work per month.
Why accurate time tracking in hospitality is crucial
In hospitality, staff costs are one of the largest expenses. That’s why it’s essential to:
Accurately record worked hours
Have clear insight into overtime and deviations
Pay salaries correctly and on time
Prevent discussions with employees
Maintain control over your profit margins
A small mistake in time tracking can quickly lead to overpayment or dissatisfied employees who are paid too little. Both situations negatively affect team morale.
Time tracking in Excel in hospitality: why it often fails
Excel is still widely used for time tracking in hospitality, but it doesn’t match daily reality.
Common hospitality challenges
Hours are shared via WhatsApp, notes or verbally
Time tracking is forgotten during busy shifts
Excel files become outdated or cluttered
Formula or input errors go unnoticed
In a busy restaurant, café or hotel, guest experience comes first. Administration comes later. The result: reconstructing hours afterward, chasing staff and endless corrections.
The consequences of poor time tracking
When time tracking isn’t set up properly, chaos quickly follows:
Hours get lost
Employees submit too many or too few hours
Payroll errors occur
Employees complain and lose motivation
You spend extra time explaining and fixing mistakes
And let’s be honest: correcting hours is nobody’s favorite task.
How much time does manual time tracking cost in hospitality?
For an average hospitality business with 20–30 employees, manual time tracking costs:
Collecting hours
Checking and correcting
Processing in Excel
Communicating with the accountant
10 to 15 hours per month.
Time better spent on:
Guests
Team development
Revenue
And peace of mind.
Staff planning system with time tracking: the hospitality solution
A staff planning system with integrated time tracking does match the reality of hospitality.
How it works
Employees clock in and out or register hours via the planning app
Hours are recorded automatically
Deviations and overtime are immediately visible
You only need to approve the hours
With one click, export everything to your accountant or payroll system
No multiple Excel schedules. No loose notes. No chaos.
Benefits for hospitality businesses
Saves 10–15 hours per month
Fewer payroll errors
Real-time insight into staff costs
Less stress and administration
Happier, more motivated employees
Easy collaboration with your accountant
Especially during peak seasons and rotating schedules, this is a huge advantage.
Excel time tracking vs staff planning system
Excel time tracking | Staff planning system |
Manual input | Automatic registration |
High error risk | Minimal error risk |
Time-consuming | Time-saving |
No real-time insight | Always up to date |
Many corrections | One approval moment |
Conclusion: clarity and calm in your hospitality administration
Time tracking in hospitality doesn’t have to be frustrating. Using Excel and loose notes costs time and increases the risk of errors. During busy periods, this leads to chaos and dissatisfied employees.
With a staff planning system including time tracking, you save 10–15 hours per month, stay in control of labor costs and create calm on the work floor.
Less administration. More clarity. Better atmosphere.
Olaf Smit
Financial advisor
Co-owner Tiemdo Staff Planning
Is time tracking in hospitality still costing you unnecessary time?
With Tiemdo, time tracking in hospitality becomes simple, clear and error-free — even during the busiest shifts.
Tiemdo offers 4 ways to track hours:
Via a fixed tablet – ideal for use in the venue
Via the POS system (with internet connection)
Via employees’ smartphones – always linked to the schedule
Register hours afterward – perfect for corrections, without Excel
All hours automatically come together in one overview.
You only need to approve them and send them to your accountant or payroll with one click.
Staff planning doesn’t have to be expensive
Planning and time tracking with Tiemdo costs €2.00 per employee
Still using Excel? Try Tiemdo free for 1 month
Already using a planning system? Save over 50% on planning costs