What is TimeKeeper and how can it help businesses with hourly paid employees?

TimeKeeper by Bright is a cloud-based time and attendance platform built for businesses with hourly paid employees. It replaces paper timesheets with GPS-verified digital clock-ins, eliminates time theft through facial recognition, and sends accurate hours directly to payroll software — including BrightPay — in a few clicks. For construction and field service businesses, it is one of the most practical ways to reduce payroll admin, protect margins, and gain real-time visibility of your workforce.

This blog is part of our series on Payroll Management Systems: Connecting Cloud Payroll Software with Other Tools.

What is TimeKeeper by Bright?

TimeKeeper by Bright is a time and attendance platform designed specifically for businesses that employ hourly paid workers across multiple sites or locations. It is used by construction companies, field service businesses, cleaning firms, landscaping teams, and mechanical and electrical contractors across the UK and Ireland.

Where most time tracking tools are built for office environments, TimeKeeper is built for the field. Employees clock in and out via a mobile app or an on-site shared kiosk — no desktop required. Everything is recorded in real time, and managers have full visibility of attendance, hours, and job costs from a single web portal. The same shift away from manual, disconnected admin applies to payroll itself, not just time capture. See how cloud payroll software improves payroll efficiency in 2026/27 for the wider picture.

TimeKeeper by Bright is part of the Bright ecosystem, which includes BrightPay, one of the most widely used payroll platforms in the UK and Ireland. The two products integrate directly, meaning verified timesheet hours flow into payroll with minimal manual input. You can learn more about the integration at brightsg.com/timekeeper-brightpay-integration.

What problems does TimeKeeper by Bright solve for businesses with hourly paid employees?

For businesses that rely on hourly paid workers — particularly in construction and field services — manual time tracking is one of the most persistent and costly operational problems. Here is what TimeKeeper addresses directly:

• Paper timesheet errors. Illegible handwriting, rounded hours, and missed submissions lead to payroll discrepancies that cost money and create disputes.

• Buddy punching. One worker clocking in on behalf of another is rampant on sites where manual or basic systems are in place. Even 15 minutes of inflated time per worker per day adds up to thousands of pounds across a year.

• Chasing timesheets. Payroll administrators spend hours every week gathering, checking, and correcting data before they can process a payroll run.

• Limited site visibility. Without a live system, operations managers have no reliable way to know who is on site, when they arrived, or whether jobs are adequately staffed.

• Compliance risk. UK and Irish labour regulations require accurate records of hours worked, breaks, and overtime. Manual systems leave businesses exposed.

For a detailed breakdown of the business impact, read our guide: Key Benefits of Implementing a Time and Attendance System Like TimeKeeper.

What are the key features of TimeKeeper by Bright?

TimeKeeper by Bright is built around a set of features designed specifically for field-based teams with hourly paid workers:

Triple Lock clock-in verification

Every clock-in is verified through three layers: a photo confirms the right person is present, GPS confirms they are at the correct location, and a server-side timestamp records the exact time. This eliminates time theft, buddy punching, and disputes at source.

Mobile app and shared kiosk

Employees can clock in via the TimeKeeper mobile app on their own device, or through a shared tablet installed on site as a kiosk. Both options support PIN entry and optional facial recognition.

Real-time workforce dashboard

Managers can see at a glance who is on site, where they are, and how long they have been there — across all sites simultaneously. No phone calls, no chasing.

Job time tracking and cost codes

Hours can be tracked against specific jobs and cost codes, giving businesses real-time data on job profitability and helping to prevent projects from running over budget.

Leave management

Leave requests are submitted and approved digitally. Holiday entitlement is tracked in real time, and employees can view their own records through the app.

Rota planning and scheduling

Build rotas, assign workers to jobs, and send clock-in reminders — all from the same platform.

Payroll integration

Verified hours export directly to BrightPay, Sage 50, MoneySoft, and other payroll platforms. No manual re-keying, no spreadsheet gymnastics.

How does the TimeKeeper and BrightPay integration work?

For businesses already using BrightPay, connecting TimeKeeper removes the manual step between time tracking and payroll processing entirely. Here is how it works in practice:

1. Employees clock in and out using the TimeKeeper mobile app or on-site kiosk. Their location and identity are verified automatically.

2. Hours are recorded in real time on the TimeKeeper dashboard, with regular and overtime calculations applied according to your rules.

3. At the end of the pay period, the payroll administrator reviews and approves timesheets in TimeKeeper.

4. Verified hours are exported directly into BrightPay with a few clicks. No manual data entry, no re-keying, no errors carried over from paper.

5. The payroll run is processed in BrightPay as normal — but in a fraction of the time.

Lyndsay Rendall, Accounts and HR Manager at Interlink, summed it up simply after connecting TimeKeeper with BrightPay: everything is mapped seamlessly, and a few clicks later, the job is done.

Find out more about the integration: TimeKeeper and BrightPay Integration.

What do TimeKeeper customers say?

TimeKeeper by Bright is used by construction and field service businesses across the UK and Ireland. Here is what some of them have experienced:

Stockdale Construction Limited, a civil engineering firm based in Yorkshire, switched from paper timesheets to TimeKeeper and eliminated human error in hours tracking and holiday entitlement calculation entirely. The team described the setup process as “very easy” and validated the system with their employees before going live. Read the full Stockdale Construction story.

How does TimeKeeper by Bright compare to other time and attendance software?

Several time and attendance tools exist in the UK market, including Clockify, Timetastic, and Deputy. These platforms offer general time tracking functionality and suit businesses looking for a broad workforce management tool.

TimeKeeper by Bright is differentiated by three things that matter most to construction and field service businesses with hourly paid employees:

• Native BrightPay integration. TimeKeeper is the only time and attendance platform that integrates directly with BrightPay Cloud. For the large number of UK and Irish businesses already using BrightPay for payroll, this removes a significant manual step. This kind of direct, API-based connection is what payroll software integration should look like, not just for time and attendance. See the best payroll software for UK accountants and payroll bureaus for what else this applies to at bureau scale.

• Built for field-based teams. The Triple Lock verification system (photo, GPS, timestamp) is designed specifically for multi-site environments where buddy punching and time theft are real operational risks.

• Part of the Bright ecosystem. As a Bright product, TimeKeeper benefits from the same support infrastructure, development roadmap, and integration depth as BrightPay. Businesses get a connected payroll and time tracking solution from a single provider.

Frequently asked questions

Ready to see TimeKeeper by Bright in action?

TimeKeeper by Bright gives businesses with hourly paid employees accurate, verified timesheets — and sends hours directly into BrightPay. No paper, no chasing, no payroll errors.

• Start your free 14-day trial — no credit card required

• Book a demo with the TimeKeeper team

This content may have been developed with the assistance of AI tools. Content is reviewed by a member of the Bright team before publication. Guidance on legislation can be obtained from your industry body.