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When I Work is a web-based employee scheduling and time tracking application designed for small businesses. It allows managers to create schedules, assign shifts, track time, communicate with employees, and more. Here's an overview of When I Work and who it's best suited for:

What When I Work Offers

When I Work has a range of features that make scheduling and time tracking simple for small business owners and managers:

- Shift Scheduling - Easily create and edit schedules and assign shifts to employees. Set repeat schedules for regular hours.

- Time Tracking - Employees can clock in and out on the web or mobile app. Managers can see when people are working in real time.

- Time Off Requests - Employees can request time off and managers can approve or deny requests.

- Communication - Send schedules, time off approvals, reminders and more via text, email or in-app messaging.

- Mobile Apps - Native apps for iOS and Android allow employees to clock in/out, view schedules, request time off and communicate on the go.

- Reports - Review hours worked, overtime, projected labor costs and more with reporting. Export reports to PDF or Excel.

- Integrations - Integrates with point of sale systems, accounting software, payroll providers and more to eliminate dual data entry.

- Multiple Locations - Manage schedules and time across unlimited locations all in one account.

- Access Levels - Control what managers, employees and sub-contractors can view and edit in the system.

When I Work offers a 30-day free trial so you can test it out risk-free. After the trial, paid plans start at $4 per person per month when billed annually.

Who When I Work is Best For

When I Work is designed for small business owners, managers and employees in industries like:

- Restaurants & Hospitality - Manage front and back of house staff across multiple locations. Integrates with POS systems.

- Retail & Service - Schedule store associates and field/service technicians. Track time at remote sites.

- Healthcare - Create nurse schedules and assign caregivers. Coordinate between facilities.

- Nonprofits & Churches - Schedule volunteers and staff. Streamline scheduling and time tracking.

It's best suited for businesses with hourly, shift-based scheduling needs. The system is easy to use and doesn't require extensive training, so it's ideal for managers and employees without heavy IT backgrounds.

With unlimited locations and employees, When I Work can scale beyond just "small" businesses to companies with up to hundreds of employees across multiple sites. But the interface remains simple and intuitive.

When I Work Alternatives

There are a number of other players in the online employee scheduling and time tracking space. Here are a few top alternatives to When I Work:

- Homebase - More focused on restaurants. Offers integrated POS, inventory management and HR. Pricing starts at $20/month base fee.

- Deputy - Higher end solution with advanced scheduling optimization, demand forecasting and more analytics. Starts at $2.50/month per user.

- TSheets - Specialized time tracking with GPS tracking, job costing and integrations tailored for field service businesses. Starts at $8/month per user.

- Shiftboard - Enterprise-level solution for healthcare organizations with advanced scheduling rules, overtime reduction and open shift management. Custom pricing.

- Paycor - Full-suite HR and payroll platform with scheduling and time as add-ons. Only available as part of their broader system. Starts at $4/employee/month.

For most small businesses, When I Work hits the sweet spot between features and affordability. But businesses with advanced requirements may benefit from a more robust platform like Deputy or Shiftboard.

Key Benefits of Using When I Work

From saving time creating schedules to streamlining payroll, here are some of the top benefits companies see from using When I Work:

1. Spend Less Time Scheduling

When I Work makes it fast and easy for managers to create schedules and assign shifts based on role, location or other criteria. The ability to copy and paste schedules week to week is a huge time saver. Automated shift suggestions also reduce the legwork in making schedules.

2. Improved Communication

The messaging features in When I Work keeps everyone in sync. Last minute schedule changes or reminders can be sent instantly. Employees can communicate availability or send time off requests. This improves transparency and coordination.

3. Real-Time Visibility into Work Hours

With employees clocking in and out through the mobile app, managers can see who is working and where at any given moment. This insight enables better decision making to keep things running smoothly.

4. Eliminate Payroll Data Entry

Hours tracked in When I Work integrate seamlessly with popular payroll systems like QuickBooks, ADP, Gusto and more. This eliminates double entry and ensures accuracy for payroll.

5. Access Anywhere via Mobile

With iOS and Android apps, employees can view schedules, clock-in and communicate on the go. Managers can make changes and send updates whether they're in the office, at home or on the road.

6. Affordable Pricing

When I Work keeps pricing simple and budget friendly. Plans start at just $4 per person per month. There are discounts for annual subscriptions too. No hidden fees or overly complex pricing.

7. Scales with Your Business

Whether you have 5, 50 or 500 employees, When I Work can power scheduling and time tracking across your entire workforce. But the interface remains intuitive and easy to use.

When I Work Integrations

One of the strengths of When I Work is its integrations with other business software commonly used by small companies. Integrating these systems eliminates duplicating data entry and keeps everything synced automatically:

- Accounting - Integrates with QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop to push hours directly into payroll and reduce data entry.

- Payroll - Send hours and employee data to leading payroll systems like ADP, Gusto, OnPay and more to streamline payroll processing.

- POS - Attendance hours sync with point of sale systems like Square, Toast, Breadcrumb, Vend and others to eliminate duplicate entry.

- Job Costing - Connects with FreshBooks, QuickBooks and TSheets for assigning hours to specific clients or jobs.

- Background Checks - Initiate and review background checks on applicants and employees via Checkr integration.

- HRIS - Push new hire data and status changes to BambooHR to keep HR systems up to date.

These integrations really maximize the value small businesses get from using When I Work and eliminating manual processes between platforms.

Getting Started with When I Work

Ready to give When I Work a try? It's easy to get started:

1. Start Your Free Trial - Go to wheniwork.com and click Start My Free Trial. No credit card required for 30 days.

2. Add Your Team - Input your locations, employees, job roles and any other departments.

3. Set Your Schedule - Build out schedules, assign shifts and set recurring hours based on roles.

4. Employees Begin Tracking Time - Have employees log hours worked via web clock-in/out or mobile app.

5. Review Reports - Check out hours tracked, labor costs, overtime and more via reporting.

6. Integrate with Payroll & More - Connect to your payroll, POS, accounting and other software.

7. Continue (or Cancel) - After the trial, continue or cancel without obligation. Paid plans start at $4/person/month.

When I Work offers free onboarding and support to get you up and running quickly. Join the over 100,000 businesses using When I Work to simplify scheduling and time tracking. The risk-free trial lets you experience the benefits firsthand.

Visit wheniwork.com to start streamlining employee scheduling and time tracking for your small business today!

Tips for Making the Most of When I Work

To get the biggest return on your investment from using When I Work, keep these tips in mind:

1. Set Up Roles

Take advantage of the ability to assign employees different roles with different configurations like schedules, pay rates, permissions, etc. For example, setup roles for servers, hosts, chefs, managers, etc.

2. Use Schedule Templates

Create schedule templates for regular shifts like mornings, closes, weekends, etc. Then assign the templates instead of manually configuring each schedule.

3. Enable Schedule Swapping

Let employees swap shifts amongst themselves in a controlled way to accommodate schedule conflicts and requests. Just set the parameters.

4. Configure Time Clock Rules

Set rules like required clock-in/out times, enforce late clock-ins, lockouts after missed clock-outs, etc. to fit your policies.

5. Review Overtime Alerts

When I Work sends alerts when overtime is approaching or exceeded. Stay on top of OT to avoid surprise costs.

6. Manage Time Off Requests

Have employees submit PTO requests which managers can quickly approve or deny based on scheduling needs.

7. Use Multiple Views

Switch between Day, Week, Team, Location, Schedule and other views to optimize managing, viewing and reporting on schedules.

8. Enable Geofencing

If using the mobile app for clock-in/out, enable GPS geofencing to restrict clock-ins based on location.

9. Configure Payroll Sync

Make sure payroll integrations are pushing all necessary data like hours, wage rates, reimbursements, etc. to minimize payroll entry.

10. Automate Reminders

Setup automatic reminders for upcoming shifts, approved time off, schedule changes and more via text or email.

11. Take Advantage of Support

When I Work offers excellent email and phone support included with your subscription. Leverage them to optimize your configuration.

12. Review Reports Frequently

Run reports like payroll, overtime, projected hours, etc. regularly to stay on top of labor costs and headcount planning.

13. Survey Employees

Gather feedback from employees on the scheduling and time tracking experience to identify areas for improvement.

14. Share Best Practices

Take part in When I Work's online community forums to connect and share best practices with other customers.

While simple to use at the surface, When I Work offers deep customization and optimization for those who take full advantage of its features and capabilities. The tips above will help ensure you maximize the value from the platform.

Top When I Work Alternatives

While When I Work is a top choice for employee scheduling and time tracking, here are some other top options to consider:

Homebase - Designed specifically for restaurants, Homebase offers integrated POS, hiring, inventory management and HR along with scheduling and labor cost tracking. Plans start at $20/month.

HotSchedules - Focused on the restaurant and hospitality industries, HotSchedules provides workforce management beyond just scheduling, like inventory management, training and social media marketing. Pricing starts at $3/user/month.

Deputy - A feature-packed solution with schedule forecasting, task management, timesheets, advanced reporting and more. But pricing is relatively high starting at $2.50/user/month.

Humanity - Known for an intuitive interface and unique shift-trading capabilities. Integrates with payroll, accounting, POS and other HR systems. Starts at $2/user/month.

Nimble Schedule - Budget-friendly option good for small businesses, but lacks some advanced capabilities. Very easy to use with plans starting at $2/user/month.

Paycor - A full payroll and HR solution with scheduling built-in as an optional add-on starting at $4/employee/month.

Each platform has unique strengths and weaknesses, but When I Work provides a strong balance of features, ease of use and affordability. It's a great fit for most small business use cases.

Conclusion

With its robust scheduling and time tracking features, affordable pricing, mobile access and deep third-party integrations, When I Work is a compelling solution for small business employee management.

The intuitive interface makes onboarding and training fast and easy without extensive IT resources required. And unlimited locations, employees and customer support provide ample room to scale.

While not as full-featured as some enterprise-level options, When I Work seamlessly handles the scheduling and time tracking needs of most small businesses. The free trial makes it easy to experience the benefits firsthand.

Visit wheniwork.com today to start streamlining scheduling, managing labor costs, and coordinating your workforce better with When I Work. The system pays for itself in time and efficiency gains.