During the Aug. 29 special meeting, Griggs County officials agreed to implement a web-based timekeeping and time clock module already included in the county’s payroll software contract.

County staff reported that Sam, Chad and Madison attended a vendor webinar demonstrating the module. Staff said the module was part of the existing software package and that no additional license fee would be required to activate and configure it. The county has begun setup work with the vendor and staff said the module could be ready for use by the next payroll cycle or, if preferred, rolled out on Oct. 1.

Under the planned configuration, employees would be able to view pay stubs and vacation and sick balances online; department heads would review and approve punches before payroll is processed; and supervisors could edit missed punches. Staff proposed placing an iPad at the county shop to allow shop employees to clock in when they arrive. Employees who begin work from home or at remote townships could use a phone app to clock in, but staff said township billing will still require the current handwritten detail used for invoicing townships.

Commissioners and staff discussed connectivity and practical issues. Wayne and others raised concerns about employees who start work from home and who travel to remote townships (for example, Helena or Ball Hill), stressing that billing detail for townships still needs to be recorded for invoicing. Staff said the timekeeping module handles payroll hours for paychecks while the township billing detail can continue to be collected separately in written form and passed to the billing clerk.

Staff also noted local connectivity limits: building Wi‑Fi and cell coverage in some areas is unreliable, and a previously installed cell booster is not currently working. County staff said they will train supervisors and employees, troubleshoot connectivity or access settings (including whether remote clock-ins are allowed off the county network), and monitor the first payroll cycles to identify any problems.

No formal motion was required; commissioners indicated support and advised staff to proceed with setup and implementation. Staff said the system will reduce manual payroll entry and make W‑2s and pay history accessible online going back multiple years.