In office environments, tracking employee activities like attendance, project engagement, and goal achievements is straightforward. However, for workers who aren't tied to a specific job site, managing these elements can be more challenging.

Lumber, a software company tailored for the construction industry, is addressing this issue. It offers an automated management system designed to streamline scheduling, payroll, and time tracking, saving users valuable time. The platform also incorporates a gamified aspect that rewards workers for punctuality, taking required breaks, following safety protocols, and completing tasks ahead of schedule.

Cris Rivera, general superintendent at Level 5 Drywall in Northern California, emphasizes the importance of tracking schedules and job details. He particularly appreciates Lumber's intuitive scheduling feature, which he finds easy to navigate even for those less familiar with technology. Employees can access the system via a mobile app or a job site kiosk.

"It automatically tells you what task you're doing and where you're going to be — there's no need to call the office to ask, 'Hey, where am I going to be today?'" he explains. "It also helps the guys understand where they spend their time. In the past, when we had paper and pen time cards, they would call me every day and ask me, 'Where did I work yesterday or last week?' I don't have to remind them that they worked in San Francisco on Monday and Palo Alto on Wednesday — it saves us all that trouble and keeps everybody organized."

As a new father, Rivera values any opportunity to reclaim time for family, and he wants his workers to enjoy the same benefit. The construction industry typically involves 40-hour workweeks, but shifts can extend up to 12 hours, especially during busy projects. Improved recordkeeping also enhances compliance and budgeting. Gerardo Rivera, Level 5's COO and Cris's father, shares that at a previous company without time-tracking technology, employees would often log 40 hours weekly even when they worked fewer. The detailed tracking from Lumber sometimes reveals actual hours closer to 33 or 34, resulting in potential savings that can drive more business.

"This is one of the reasons a lot of companies should switch over to digital time cards and an app to track their time, because not only are you more accountable for the hours, but in the backend we estimate the projects better," Gerardo Rivera states. "When a contractor comes to you and says, 'Hey, I've got this $4 million project, but you're 15% over budget, or you're 15% higher than everybody else,' now you can go and see your estimated data, compare it to your real data, and then from there you can make a decision of, 'Yes, I can reduce it.'"

Compliance, especially concerning safety, is also a top priority for construction firms. It's crucial to monitor employees completing safety training and certifications. Workers earn badges for tasks like clocking in on time and completing training, which they can share on social media, with employers able to offer rewards such as cash or gift cards.

In addition, if an employee or team receives commendation for exceptional work, leaders can store this positive feedback within the platform.

To ensure accessibility, the platform is available in both English and Spanish, catering to the approximately 30% of Hispanic workers in the construction field.

By providing a platform that simplifies administrative tasks while promoting positive outcomes, Lumber allows construction companies to enhance workflow and engage their workers, which aids in retention. The industry faces an average turnover rate of 54%, particularly high among younger workers, according to employee recognition platform Awardco.

"If it's just a paycheck, if it's just benefits, especially if you're a skilled worker, you frankly have other options, so that's not enough," says Oleg Pravdin, Lumber's head of product management. "We see younger folks joining the construction workforce, and it's becoming more important that engagement is not just lip service, but true engagement is top of mind."

Overall, having essential resources readily available has greatly improved the employee experience at Level 5.

"They love it," says Cris Rivera. "Lumber is like having HR in your pocket."