As a Danish business owner, have you ever considered how your firm’s success and employees’ well-being are related? It is time to reflect on this connection with Denmark’s new work time rules or lov om tidsregistrering coming in July 2024.
Companies must track how many hours their employees work daily. The law ensures employees balance work and rest to avoid burning out and other mental health issues.
In this article, we’ll talk about the lov om tidsregistrering, how time tracking has benefited large, medium and small-sized accounting firms, the ways time tracking boosts companies and employees, the struggles of implementing tidsregistrering apps and lastly, how to choose the best tidsregistrering app for your accounting firm.
Why the new rule, lov om tidsregistrering exists?
Have you ever felt the stress of long hours affecting your personal life and work performance?
The new Danish rule on work time tracking, lov om tidsregistrering, starting in July 2024, is a part of the EU’s approach to labour laws, particularly the principles established by the 1993 Working Time Directive (WTD).
The WTD applied broad standards for working hours across the EU. Denmark’s daily working time tracking law is more detailed to ensure the standards are met. Denmark is setting an example that could influence future labour regulation within the European Union.
As a business owner, now is the time to start looking at options and planning how to implement time-tracking software in your firm.
The business benefits of tidsregistrering apps
While initially seeming like a hassle, lov om tidsregistrering is a chance to improve your firm’s operations. Employees will likely be frustrated at first, but time tracking can actually be a benefit instead of a burden. Read more on how to explain the benefits of time tracking to your employees.
Most profit increases come from identifying areas where employees could use time more effectively. For example, a client gives extra tasks to an accountant that are not included in the provided service.
Time tracking helps firms to optimize operations and increase billable hours.
Example: Time tracking in a large accounting firm – Leinonen Group
The 300 employees of Leinonen Group have implemented time tracking in their workflows:
- To speed up their invoicing process,
- Standardize services,
- Guarantee work-life balance,
- Manage vacations and overtime better.
Külli Kink, Leinonen Estonia’s head of accounting, said:
“Many people have found they have more time.”
The operations director of Leinonen, Pille Reiljan, is the advocate of work-life balance. “Give your best during working hours and focus on yourself and your family in your spare time,” Pille taught us. the balance between family and work has helped her become the successful leader she is.
The benefits of time tracking for employees
Employees often think of time tracking as a punishment or micromanaging.
Lov om tidsregistrering or the time-tracking law is about making your firm a healthier place for employees. If done right, time tracking protects the employee’s mental health and provides a work-life balance.
Read more about how time tracking protects employees.
One of the essential parts of the new rule is that employees must have access to their work time records. They can point it out if something’s wrong and get compensated. Businesses must keep time records for 5 years, to protect employee rights.
What does lov om tidsregistrering mean for accounting firms?
The deadline for implementing the new time-tracking system is fast approaching. You have a choice:
- Do you go for a quick fix that meets the requirements?
- Do you take the opportunity to rebuild how you manage time and productivity in your firm?
Example: Time tracking in a medium-sized accounting firm – Grow Finance
One of Estonia’s most successful accounting firms, Grow Finance OÜ, doesn’t use Uku’s time tracking to check how much work accountants are doing but to measure how much time a task or a client takes to see if the workload follows the client’s agreement.
Grow Finance partner Helari Pallas said:
“Everyone has benefited from using Uku – our clients, employees and management.”
What does the business owner have to do according to lov om tidsregistrering?
If you’ve never tracked employee hours, by July 2024, you need to choose a system to record your employees’ daily working hours.
Your new time-tracking app must:
- Meet the government’s legal requirements,
- Enhance your firm’s productivity,
- Improve employee satisfaction,
- Be reliable,
- Give employees access to their time entries.
The good part is that you can choose how to track time in your firm because the rule doesn’t force one specific type of system.
The challenge of implementing new tidsregistrering software
Setting up a new system to track work hours is a lot of work. Accounting firm owners must look into different systems, decide which one to use, and ensure everyone knows how to use it.
Ethical considerations include:
- Respecting employees’ privacy,
- Fostering trust,
- Avoiding a surveillance culture.
To successfully implement a time-tracking system, be transparent to employees and emphasize its purpose to support their well-being rather than micromanaging.
Example: Time tracking in a small accounting firm – Alpaca Office
Alpaca Office from Poland uses time-tracking to provide remote work and flexible working hours. Some of their clients require assistance after the universal working hours, and helping them is always accounted for in the invoices.
Adrian Grajczak, the founder of Alpaca Office, revealed:
“We have sped up our processes by 40% and save about 30% of the time with everyday tasks.”
Accounting is where precision meets practicality. Selecting the right time-tracking software is a strategic decision to boost an accountant’s success. Here’s a guide to choosing the best time-tracking software or tidsregistrering app in Danish for an accountant in Denmark.
Let’s start by comparing 5 popular time-tracking software for accountants.
Comparing tidsregistrering apps
| Feature | Timeular | Uku | Harvest | Clockify | Time Analytics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Available in Danish | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Time Tracking | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Easy to Set Up | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Billing | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Project Management | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Reporting | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Team Collaboration | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Client Management | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Workflow Automation | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Client Portal | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Integrations with Accounting Software | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Mobile App | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Customisation | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Free Onboarding | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Free Trial | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Timeular
Timeular automates time tracking, provides accurate reports for billing, and helps in budget monitoring. Its integration with other tools can support an accountant’s workflow, though it might require familiarisation with its various functions.
However, the software setup can be time-consuming due to its comprehensive features and reliance on physical hardware, which might not be ideal for those seeking a simple, straightforward solution. Also, the software is not available in Danish, so it’s not ideal as an tidsregistrering app.
List of features:
- Automated Time Tracking
- Billable Hours Reporting
- Budget Monitoring
- Tool Integration
- Physical Time Tracker Device
- Integrations
Uku – easy tisregistrering app in Danish
Uku is the best option for Danish accounting firms. It’s tailored explicitly for accounting practices, stands out with its comprehensive workflow automation capabilities. It offers intuitive time tracking, task management, automated billing based on time tracking data, and insightful business analytics, all within a user-friendly interface.
Uku is available in Danish, making it perfect for a Danish tidsregistrering system.
The accounting practice management software is excellent for enhancing team collaboration and streamlining client interactions, making it an ideal choice for accounting professionals. The initial time of customising Uku to match your accounting firm is worth the effort for optimal workflow efficiency.
List of features:
- Workflow Automation
- Time Tracking
- Task Management
- Automated Billing
- Automated Emails
- Business Analytics
- CRM
- Team Collaboration
- Client Portal
- Integrations include e-conomic integration
Harvest
Harvest time-tracking simplifies time tracking and project management. It has a good reporting and automated invoicing system. Harvests mobile app enhances on-the-go tracking, making it a comprehensive solution for remote accountants. However, the initial setup can be time-intensive, a factor to consider for those needing an immediate solution. The software is not available in Danish, which is not perfect as a tidsregistrering software.
List of features:
- Time Tracking
- Project Management
- Automated Invoicing
- Reporting
- Mobile App
- Integrations
Clockify
Clockify offers extensive time tracking with manual time entering and project management features. Clockify’s simple interface is available in an app as well. It helps you see business insight and has many integration options. However, Clockify’s broad range of features might need a significant time investment for setup. Clockify is not the best choice for Danish accountants because it’s unavailable in Danish.
List of features:
- Time Tracking
- Manual Time Entry
- Project Management
- Business Insights
- Integrations
- Mobile App
Time Analytics
Time Analytics optimises time tracking and billing processes. It also offers a straightforward approach to managing project profitability and client relationships. The software stands out for its automated timesheet generation and detailed client management features, though it may require customisation and setup time. The software is not available in Danish.
List of features:
- Time Tracking
- Billing
- Project Profitability Management
- CRM
- Automated Timesheet Generation
- Integrations
Finding the tidsregistrering app for Danish accountants
The new Danish law on tracking employees’ working time, lov om tidsregistrering, is coming in July of 2024, and it’s inevitable. It’s for a good cause – to help enhance employees’ mental health and prevent burnout.
Making the changes can be challenging, but tracking working time has benefits. Selecting the right tidsregistrering system is important for the efficiency and success of any accounting practice.
Whether you prioritize comprehensive features, Danish language support, or workflow automation, each software option — Timeular, Uku, Harvest, Clockify, and Time Analytics — offers unique benefits.
Ultimately, the right choice will streamline your time tracking and elevate your overall accounting practice. Make the changes before the last minute; start evolving your work processes now. When July comes, you can happily enjoy your vacation while others struggle to implement software.
