Companies rely on a variety of factors when planning projects and creating production schedules. They need to be certain the necessary tools, supplies and employees are available.

Humans can be a little trickier to keep track of than inanimate materials. Happy and productive workers require time-off to fight illnesses and spend vacations with friends and families. A business has to know how many workers are available for future tasks. NoLo, a resource for small business legal queries, encouraged companies to enforce advanced scheduling policies for vacations or other time-off.

Employees that aren’t given time-reporting flexibility often try to cheat the system. While companies can warn workers of the penalties of incorrect use of sick or vacation days, it’s better to cut the problem off before it begins.

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015 R2 Time Management App is simple to use and provides visibility for employee time-reporting. The software is available on Windows 8, iOS iPad devices, and Android tablets, so employees can use their preferred device to interact with the program.

The Microsoft Dynamics GP Community stated the Time Management App allows employees to manage their schedules in the company GP system. Workers can enter time while referencing pay codes for vacation or sick days. Active time cards, current balances and two months of scheduling history are available to the user as they enter information. Having relevant data and codes visible mitigates the major causes of honest time-reporting mistakes.

Once the time card information is entered into the system, it can be viewed by all users granted access. Management, supervisors and HR representatives can check the data against company standards to ensure everything is correct.

Employees can report illnesses from home using their mobile devices. The simplicity of the new feature makes it easy to schedule vacation time far in advance of the actual date. Giving workers software that puts the responsibility of reporting in their hands while providing complete visibility of HR requirements for work schedules allows for a stress-free scheduling process that doesn’t require a lot of back and forth communication.

A stress-free scheduling environment may lead to fewer sick days. MindTools, a career advice blog, suggested making vacation and sick time easily accessible is a great way to get employees working with a company’s schedule. When employees believe a company is committed to their health and well-being, they are more likely to be productive and content in their work instead of looking to squeeze in as many days away as possible.