Track Labor Hours Per Job Without Timesheet Chaos
Most manufacturers know their total labor cost. Few know labor cost per job. Without job-level labor tracking, you're guessing at margins. Jolted lets workers clock into jobs from the floor in seconds—and that data flows directly into job costing.
Seconds
To Clock In
Real-Time
Job Cost
No
Timesheets
THE LABOR TRACKING PROBLEM
Why Labor Is Your Biggest Cost Blind Spot
Current Reality
Paper timesheets or Excel get filled out at end of week from memory
Workers can't remember which jobs they worked on or for how long
Labor costs are allocated by guessing or spreading evenly across jobs
No real-time visibility into which jobs are consuming labor
Accountant calculates labor cost months later—too late to act on it
Timesheet system tracks attendance, not job-level hours
Jolted Labor Tracking
Workers clock into jobs as they work—data captured in real time
System records exactly which jobs, when, and for how long
Actual labor hours tracked per job—no allocation guessing
Dashboard shows labor hours by job updating as work happens
Job costs calculate automatically—see margins before invoicing
Time tracking and job costing in one system, not separate data
LABOR DRIVES JOB COSTING
Labor Is Usually 40-60% of Job Cost
For most manufacturers, labor is the largest cost component—and the hardest to track accurately. Without job-level labor tracking, you're missing the biggest piece of the profitability puzzle. Accurate labor tracking is the foundation of accurate job costing.
Real-Time
Labor Cost Per Job
See labor costs accumulating as workers clock time
Automatic
Cost Calculation
Hours × rates = labor cost—no spreadsheets required
Direct
Margin Impact
Labor flows into job margin calculations instantly
See how much spreadsheets are costing your shop
Calculate Your SavingsHOW IT WORKS
Labor Tracking That Actually Works on the Floor
Simple enough for every worker, accurate enough for job costing
Simple Clock-In/Clock-Out
Workers tap to clock into a job. Tap again when moving to the next one. No timesheets to fill out. No end-of-week data entry.
Barcode Scanning
Scan a job barcode to start tracking. Even faster than tapping. Works with work order travelers or job labels.
Automatic Cost Calculation
Hours multiply by labor rates to calculate job labor cost. No manual calculations. No spreadsheet formulas to maintain.
Works on Any Device
Tablets on the floor, kiosks at workstations, or workers' phones. Capture time wherever work happens.
Real-Time Visibility
See labor hours accumulating per job as work happens. Know if a job is running over budget before it ships.
Feeds Into Job Costing
Labor tracking isn't separate from job costing—it IS job costing. Hours flow directly into job profitability calculations.
PART OF JOB COSTING
Labor Tracking Powers Job Profitability
Work Order Integration
Time tracked against work orders. Workers see job details, operations, and notes. Labor data ties to specific work order operations for detailed analysis.
Material Tracking
Labor plus materials equals job cost. Track both in one system. See complete job profitability including all cost components, not just labor.
Estimated vs. Actual
Compare quoted labor hours to actual hours. Identify where estimates are wrong. Improve quoting accuracy over time with real data.
FAQ
Labor Tracking by Job: FAQ
What if workers forget to clock in or out?
Supervisors can see who's clocked into what in real time and remind workers who forgot. If time needs correction, authorized users can adjust entries with notes explaining the change. The system flags anomalies (like unusually long times) for review. Most shops find that after a few days of use, workers remember because it's so simple.
Does this replace our payroll time system?
It can work alongside or replace it. If you use a payroll system for attendance only (in/out times), Jolted adds the job-level detail you need for costing. If you want to consolidate, Jolted time data can export to payroll. The key difference: payroll systems track when workers are present; Jolted tracks what they're working on.
How does labor tracking connect to job costing?
Labor tracking is the foundation of job costing. Hours tracked per job multiply by labor burden rates to calculate labor cost. This labor cost, combined with materials, gives you job cost and margin. Without accurate labor tracking by job, job costing is guesswork. With it, you have actual cost data.
What about indirect time like cleanup or meetings?
Create indirect time categories for work that doesn't tie to specific jobs. Workers can clock into "Shop Cleanup" or "Team Meeting" just like a job. This time shows up in reporting so you see how much productive vs. indirect time occurs. You can choose whether to allocate indirect costs to jobs via overhead rates.
Can we track by operation, not just job?
Yes. Jobs can have multiple operations (e.g., CNC, Welding, Assembly). Workers clock into job + operation. This gives you time data at the operation level for more detailed analysis. See which operations run over estimate, identify where time is lost, and refine routing estimates.
What if workers don't want to be tracked?
Most workers adapt quickly because the interface is simple and doesn't feel like surveillance. Frame it as improving job visibility, not tracking individuals. In practice, workers often prefer it because there's no arguing about who did what—the data speaks. Some shops find it actually reduces workplace friction.
How accurate is the labor costing?
As accurate as your labor rates. If a worker is clocked into a job for 4.5 hours and your burden rate is $45/hour, job labor cost is $202.50. The time tracking is precise. The cost accuracy depends on whether your burden rate correctly captures wages plus benefits plus overhead. Most shops find the tracking improves estimate accuracy significantly within a few months.
Know Your Labor Cost Per Job
Labor is probably your biggest cost—and probably your biggest blind spot. See what real labor tracking looks like with job-level visibility.
Workers clock in with one tap
Costs calculate automatically
Feeds directly into job costing
No timesheets to chase
No credit card required
14-day free trial
Setup in 5 minutes