How site attendance works with location and a geofence
Last reviewed: 2026-10-25
In short
Staff check in, check out and log site visits from their phone. The server records the time, compares the phone’s location with the project’s site, and flags check-ins made outside the geofence, which then need a reason. Lateness and absence come from one company work schedule.
What a check-in records
Each log has a type, a project, a location and an optional selfie.
- The time is the server’s clock, never the phone’s.
- The geofence is the project’s radius; when none is set it is 150 meters.
- Outside the geofence the log is still recorded, but a reason is required and it is flagged with its distance.
- Check-ins and check-outs alternate within a local day.
- The selfie is optional, images only, stored privately.
How the day is judged
One company schedule sets the rules.
- Start and end time, grace minutes and weekly days off.
- Public holidays are never counted as absence.
- Present: checked in by the start time plus grace. Late: after it, counted from the start time.
- Absent: no log on a working day. Pending: today, before the grace has run out.
Reports
The monthly report per employee shows present days, late days and minutes, absences, worked hours and logs outside the geofence, with an Excel export.
Common questions
- Can people cheat the time with their phone clock?
- No. The time comes from the server.
- What if someone checks in from outside the site?
- The log is recorded, a reason is required, and the log is flagged in the reports with its distance.
- Are selfies visible to everyone?
- No. They are stored privately and shown only to their owner and to people allowed to view all attendance.
See it on your own projects
Ask for a demo and we will walk through this with your cheques, custodies and contractors.