To introduce time tracking, tell people why you need it, what is counted, what is never counted, and who sees it. Do that before anyone logs an hour, in a live conversation first and in writing second. Then give people a way to push back. Most pushback comes from people who don’t know what the hours will be used for.
This guide covers what to say, a message you can copy, the legal notice basics, and a short rollout checklist. It is not legal advice.
Why do employees push back on time tracking?
People push back when they do not know what happens to the data. Until someone explains it, counting hours and being watched sound like the same thing.
The numbers show the split. In an Axios and SurveyMonkey poll of workers, 87% said it is appropriate for employers to monitor behavior at work in person, such as clock-ins and tracking hours. Only 62% said the same about monitoring through technology, such as reviewing computer use, email or location (Axios and SurveyMonkey, checked October 2026; the page does not state the sample size or dates). Counting hours is widely accepted. Looking at what people did inside those hours is where support drops.
Concerns you will hear, which your message should answer in plain words:
- “Do you think I am slacking?”
- “Will you see what I browse or type?”
- “Is this going to be used against me in a review?”
- “Is this one more tool I have to remember?”
What should you tell staff before you start?
Tell them five things. If you skip one, people fill the gap with the worst guess.
- The reason. Pick a real one: accurate pay, billing clients, planning workloads, or seeing when a project runs over. “To keep everyone honest” will be heard as an accusation.
- What is counted. Hours, by project or client, and when work starts and stops.
- What is not counted. If your tool takes screenshots or logs keystrokes, say so and say why. If it does not, say that too.
- Who sees it. Name the roles. Say what a manager sees and what only the person sees.
- What it will not be used for. One sentence is enough: not a single measure of talent, and not a reason to discipline someone without a conversation.
OnTheClock makes a similar point in its rollout advice: explain the reasons in person, say what tracking will not be used for, and use email as a follow-up (OnTheClock, checked October 2026). Talk first, so people can ask questions; then send the email as the record.
What does a good announcement message look like?
It names the tool, the reason and the limits. Send it after you’ve talked to the team. Copy it and change the brackets. It works for any tool.
Subject: Starting [date]: how we will track hours
Hi team,
From [date], we will track working hours in [tool name]. I want to tell you why, what it covers, and what it does not.
Why. [Pick one or two: so everyone is paid for the hours they work / so we can bill clients correctly / so we can plan workloads and see when projects run over.] It is not a way to check whether you are busy.
What is counted. Hours worked, by [project / client], and when you start and stop. Your breaks are shown as breaks.
What is not counted. [No screenshots. No keystroke logging. No camera or microphone. If your tool does any of these, list exactly what it does, when, and who can see it.]
Who sees what. You see your own hours first. [Managers see team hours and status. Only [role] can edit time entries.] Nobody sees anything outside work time.
What it will not be used for. It will not be used as a single measure of your performance, and nobody will be disciplined over it without a conversation first.
What I need from you. [Install / open the tool] by [date] and log a normal day this week. Tell me what feels wrong. I will review how this is going on [date], and we will change what is not working.
Questions. Reply here or find me at [time and place]. I will answer every question I get, and I will post the answers for the whole team.
[Your name]
If your team uses Ruam, add this paragraph:
We are using Ruam. It counts hours by project and client and stops when work ends. It does not take screenshots and does not record keystrokes, audio or video. Everyone sees their own day in their Logbook, and the note in their Daily Recap is private. The site and page title Ruam notes during work time stay with you until you share them or the review date passes and our team’s sharing setting applies. Managers never see page titles.
Is it legal to track employee hours?
Usually yes, and for many employers it is required. What you must do is tell people. This is not legal advice; check your state or country and ask a lawyer for anything specific.
United States. The Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to keep accurate records of the hours worked each day and each workweek for covered employees. The US Department of Labor says no particular timekeeping system is required, as long as the plan is complete and accurate (US Department of Labor, Fact Sheet 21, checked October 2026). Records used to compute wages, such as time cards, should be kept for two years.
New York. Private employers with a place of business in New York must give prior written notice, on hire, to employees who are subject to electronic monitoring of telephone, email or internet use. The employee must acknowledge it in writing or electronically, and the notice must be posted where employees can easily see it. The attorney general enforces it, with civil penalties of up to $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second and $3,000 for each later one (New York Civil Rights Law 52-c, checked October 2026). Other states have their own notice rules. Check yours.
EU and UK. If you collect personal data about workers, GDPR Article 13 says you must tell them who you are, why you collect the data, the legal basis, who receives it, how long you keep it, and their rights, including the right to complain to a regulator (GDPR Article 13, checked October 2026). Some countries add works council or consultation rules. Ask local counsel before you roll out.
A short written notice that people acknowledge covers the basics of most of these rules.
How do you get employees to actually use it?
Make it easy to start, and treat the first month as a trial.
- Pick the lightest tool that does the job. A clunky tool makes people resent the whole idea.
- Run a short live demo. Show where the button is, what a normal day looks like, and what a manager can and cannot see. Let people ask questions out loud.
- Start with a trial period. Tell people the first two weeks are for fixing setup and rules. Nobody is judged on them.
- Close the loop. When someone raises a problem, fix it or explain why not, and tell the team.
- Keep the promise. If you said hours would not be used in reviews, do not use them in reviews. One broken promise undoes the rollout.
How does Ruam fit into this?
Ruam is automatic time tracking for teams, made by Kratuva Inc. It counts hours by project, client and shift, and stops when work ends. It never takes screenshots and never records keystrokes, audio or video, so the “what is not counted” part of your message is short. What it does record is the site name and page title during work time. The person sees that first, in their own Logbook, and managers never see page titles. More on this is on the privacy page.
Each person also gets a Daily Recap: a short end-of-day note, a plan for tomorrow, and mood and energy if they want. Managers never see any of it, which answers a lot of the “will this be used against me” worry.
On paid plans, hours count on their own, so nobody has to remember a timer. Team is $99 a month for unlimited people, so adding a person does not change the bill. Team plans have 7 days free with no card. See the pricing page for all plans.
A short rollout checklist
- Write down the reason in one sentence.
- List what is counted and what is not.
- Decide who sees what, by role.
- Check notice rules for every place your staff work.
- Hold a live session first; send the written message after it.
- Collect acknowledgments and keep them.
- Run a two-week trial and fix problems out loud.
- Book a review date at 30 days and keep it.
What to do next
Write your reason in one sentence, fill in the message above, and book the live session. If you want a tracker with no screenshots to announce, look at how Ruam handles privacy.