Time tracking and workforce management for growing businesses
When I Work strikes a great balance between ease of use and power for multi-location businesses. Its employee scheduling and time clock features are particularly strong for hourly workforces.
Time & Attendance and HR modules. Minimum 5 users.
When I Work is a cloud-based employee scheduling and time tracking platform built for hourly and shift-based workforces in retail, food service, healthcare, hospitality, and other industries where managing staff schedules is a daily operational task. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Minneapolis, When I Work serves over 200,000 businesses and 2 million users across industries where shift scheduling is a critical management function. The platform is mobile-first: both managers building schedules and employees viewing and claiming shifts operate primarily through the When I Work app.
Pricing: From $2.50/user/month (Essentials) | $5/user/month (Pro) | $8/user/month (Premium) | 14-day free trial available
When I Work addresses a specific and persistent pain point for small-to-medium shift-based businesses: creating, publishing, and communicating employee schedules. In businesses without scheduling software, managers typically build schedules in Excel or on paper, communicate changes via text messages or phone calls, and manage shift swaps manually. This process is time-consuming, prone to errors, and frustrating for both managers and employees. When a shift goes uncovered because a notification was missed, the business faces service disruption.
When I Work replaces this manual process with a dedicated scheduling platform: a drag-and-drop schedule builder for managers, automatic schedule notifications to employees via the mobile app, and tools for employees to request time off, swap shifts with colleagues, and pick up open shifts. The time tracking module (time clock with clock-in/clock-out via the app) connects to scheduling data for payroll export. The team messaging feature centralises work communication in the app rather than informal text threads.
The platform is designed for simplicity over depth — When I Work does scheduling and time tracking well without trying to be a full HRIS. This focus makes it accessible to small business managers who don’t have dedicated HR staff and need to learn a new software quickly. The trade-off is that organisations with complex workforce management needs — multi-location operations, advanced labour forecasting, or deep compliance requirements — often graduate to more powerful platforms like Deputy or Workforce Management modules within UKG Pro.
Ratings are consistently positive across review platforms. When I Work is reliably included in best-of scheduling software lists for small businesses. The most common positive themes are ease of use, mobile experience, and schedule communication quality. The most common negative themes are occasional software bugs, limited advanced features, and variable customer support responsiveness.
The schedule builder is the core of the When I Work manager experience. Managers view the weekly or monthly schedule as a grid with employees on rows and time slots in columns. Shifts are created by clicking or dragging, assigned to employees, and colour-coded by role or position. Templates save recurring schedule patterns; auto-scheduling can suggest shifts based on employee availability and role requirements. Schedule conflicts (overtime, unavailability, qualification mismatches) are flagged in real time as the manager builds. Once complete, the schedule is published with a single click, triggering push notifications to all scheduled employees.
The employee-facing features are central to When I Work’s value proposition. Employees set their availability in the app, which flows to the schedule builder to prevent scheduling conflicts. Time-off requests are submitted through the app and routed to the manager for approval. Shift swap requests allow employees to propose swaps with colleagues, with manager approval required before the change is confirmed. Open shift claims let employees pick up available shifts directly from the app. These self-service features reduce manager overhead by moving scheduling transactions from phone calls and text messages to the app.
The When I Work time clock allows employees to clock in and out via the mobile app, a web browser, or a shared tablet kiosk. Clock-ins can be restricted to scheduled shift times (employees can’t clock in more than X minutes before their shift) and restricted by proximity to a designated location using IP address or WiFi network verification — though not GPS tracking. Overtime alerts notify managers when employees are approaching overtime thresholds. Timesheets are automatically compiled from clock-in/clock-out data and reviewed by managers before export to payroll.
When I Work integrates with payroll platforms for timesheet export: Gusto, ADP, Paychex, QuickBooks Payroll, and others. Approved timesheets export in the format required by each payroll provider, eliminating manual timesheet re-entry. The export integrations are straightforward but require the manager to review and approve timesheets before each payroll run. When I Work does not process payroll directly — it is a scheduling and time tracking layer that feeds into a separate payroll provider.
The in-app messaging feature allows direct messages between managers and employees and group messages to teams or the entire organisation. Messaging is integrated with scheduling — managers can message everyone scheduled for a particular shift, send announcements about schedule changes, or share operational updates. The messaging feature keeps work communication in a managed, compliant channel rather than informal personal text messages, which matters for businesses that need to maintain communication records or manage communication boundaries between work and personal life.
Employees submit recurring availability preferences (e.g., not available Monday mornings) and one-time time-off requests through the app. Managers review requests and approve or deny them. Approved time off is blocked in the schedule builder so the employee cannot be scheduled during that period. The system tracks accumulated PTO hours where configured, though PTO policy management is basic compared to dedicated HRIS platforms. For businesses with complex leave management requirements (FMLA, multi-state compliance), a dedicated HRIS or full HR platform is still needed.
The open shift feature addresses one of the most time-consuming aspects of managing hourly teams: filling last-minute schedule gaps. When a shift is uncovered — due to call-out, understaffing, or unexpected demand — the manager posts it as an open shift. Eligible employees receive a notification and can claim the shift, which routes back to the manager for approval before confirmation. The shift marketplace on the Pro and Premium plans extends this to shift swaps between employees: an employee who can’t work a scheduled shift posts it for swap, a colleague claims it, and the manager approves the exchange. Both features reduce the manager’s time spent on phone calls finding shift coverage to minutes rather than hours.
The Premium plan adds demand forecasting and labour cost management tools: managers can view projected labour costs against schedules before publishing, set labour cost targets as a percentage of revenue, and receive alerts when schedules exceed cost thresholds. For retail and food service managers where labour cost management is a key operational metric, these tools connect scheduling decisions to financial outcomes in a way the basic plans don’t support.
When I Work is one of the easiest scheduling platforms to use in the market. The manager interface requires minimal training — most managers are building schedules within 30 minutes of account setup. The employee mobile app is similarly intuitive: employees set availability, view schedules, request time off, and communicate with the team without any documentation. Business.com’s 9.6/10 rating and the PCMag 4.0/5 editorial scores both cite ease of use as a primary positive. Onboarding a new employee into When I Work takes less than 10 minutes by most manager accounts — a key metric for businesses with high turnover where new employee onboarding frequency is high.
When I Work implementations are fast: most businesses are scheduling within 1–2 days of account setup. The process involves importing employees (via CSV or manual entry), configuring roles and locations, setting up payroll integration if applicable, and inviting employees to download the app. When I Work provides onboarding guides and chat support for the setup process. For businesses with existing schedules, historical timesheet data can be imported. There is no implementation consultant required; the platform is designed for self-service setup.
When I Work offers customer support via live chat and email. Support quality receives mixed reviews: most users describe adequate support for standard questions, but some report slow response times and inconsistent depth of knowledge for more complex issues. The help centre knowledge base is comprehensive for common configuration and troubleshooting questions. Phone support is not offered on standard plans. For a scheduling platform where downtime or failures can directly impact business operations, the lack of phone support is a limitation for some businesses.
When I Work integrates with payroll platforms (Gusto, ADP, Paychex, QuickBooks Payroll, Rippling, Paycor), point-of-sale systems (Square, Clover), and HR platforms (BambooHR, Zenefits). API access is available for custom integrations. The integration library covers the most common payroll and HR platforms used by small businesses; larger enterprises with more complex tech stacks may find gaps.
When I Work offers three pricing tiers billed per active user per month:
Pricing is billed annually; monthly billing is available at a premium. For a 30-person business on the Pro plan, the annual cost is approximately $1,800/year — an accessible investment relative to the manager time saved on scheduling. For businesses with higher headcounts (100+ users) on the Premium plan, costs approach $9,600+/year, at which point Deputy or more feature-rich platforms may provide better value per dollar.
Deputy is the most capable scheduling platform in the market, with stronger demand forecasting, GPS time tracking, compliance management for specific industries, and deeper analytics. Deputy is better for multi-location operations and businesses needing advanced labour cost management. When I Work is simpler, more affordable at small employee counts, and easier to implement. For businesses under 100 employees that don’t need GPS tracking or advanced analytics, When I Work’s lower price and faster setup are advantages. For growing businesses or those with more complex scheduling needs, Deputy is worth the additional investment.
Homebase is a direct competitor with similar scheduling and time tracking features. Key differences: Homebase offers a free plan for a single location, which undercuts When I Work’s pricing at the entry level. Homebase also includes basic payroll processing in its paid plans, making it a more complete solution for small businesses wanting scheduling + payroll in one tool. When I Work has a better multi-location experience in its paid plans and a broader integration library. The choice often comes down to whether payroll integration within the scheduling tool (Homebase) is worth the trade-off versus When I Work’s stronger multi-location scheduling features.
7shifts is a scheduling platform specifically built for the restaurant industry, with features like tip pooling, compliance with restaurant labour laws, and integrations with major restaurant POS systems (Toast, Lightspeed, Revel). For restaurants and food service businesses, 7shifts’ industry-specific features often make it the better choice. When I Work is more broadly applicable across industries (retail, healthcare, service businesses) but lacks the restaurant-specific depth of 7shifts.
When I Work is used for employee scheduling, shift management, time tracking, and team communication for hourly and shift-based workforces. It helps managers build and publish work schedules, enables employees to view their schedules and manage availability on mobile, and tracks time for payroll purposes.
When I Work costs $2.50/user/month (Essentials), $5/user/month (Pro), and $8/user/month (Premium) billed annually. A 14-day free trial is available. Monthly billing is available at higher rates.
No — When I Work does not offer GPS tracking for time clock verification. Clock-ins can be restricted by IP address or WiFi network to verify employees are at the worksite, but there is no GPS location verification. Businesses needing GPS-verified time tracking should consider Deputy or Timeero.
No. When I Work handles scheduling and time tracking but does not process payroll. It integrates with payroll platforms (Gusto, ADP, Paychex, QuickBooks Payroll) to export approved timesheets. Businesses need a separate payroll solution alongside When I Work.
When I Work works for restaurants and food service businesses, but 7shifts (purpose-built for restaurants) may be a better fit due to its restaurant-specific features including tip pooling, restaurant POS integrations, and compliance tools for restaurant labour laws. When I Work is more broadly applicable across industries but less specialised for food service.
When I Work is a solid scheduling platform that genuinely delivers on its core promise: making shift scheduling faster, more organised, and less error-prone for small-to-medium shift-based businesses. The mobile-first employee experience, intuitive schedule builder, and open shift features reduce the operational friction of managing hourly teams in a way that paper or Excel scheduling can’t match.
The limitations are real: no GPS tracking, no payroll processing, occasional platform glitches, and limited advanced workforce management features for complex operations. For businesses that have outgrown basic scheduling tools and want something simple and affordable, When I Work is a strong choice. For businesses with GPS requirements, advanced labour analytics needs, or integrated payroll requirements, Deputy or Homebase may be better fits. The 14-day free trial makes it easy to evaluate for your specific team.