When I Work
by When I Work · Time & Attendance
Scheduling, time clock and team messaging platform built for shift-based, hourly workforces.
Updated August 2026 · By the ERP Research Editorial Team · Independent and vendor-neutral.
- Works with
- QuickBooks OnlineRipplingGustoPaychexSquare PayrollOnPaySimplepay.caGoCo+2 more
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Company size
- SMB, Mid-market, Enterprise
- Pricing
- Per-user subscription, billed in blocks of five seats
- Headquarters
- Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Overview
When I Work is a cloud-based workforce management platform for scheduling, time tracking and team communication, aimed at businesses with hourly, shift-based staff such as restaurants, retail, healthcare, hospitality and call centers. It combines a scheduling tool, a time clock, and an in-app messaging tool (WorkChat) into one product rather than selling them as separate add-ons.
The scheduling module supports one-click auto scheduling, reusable schedule templates, multi-location views, shift trading through OpenShifts, and real-time labor forecasting that compares scheduled hours against budget. The time clock layers on GPS geofencing and photo verification to curb off-site punches and buddy punching, digital timesheets with edit logs, break tracking, and overtime alerts, and can be toggled on or off independently of scheduling. Team messaging lets managers and staff message one-on-one, by group, or company-wide without exchanging personal phone numbers.
When I Work does not process payroll itself; instead it exports approved timesheets to connected payroll and HR systems including Gusto, QuickBooks Online, Rippling, Paychex, OnPay, Square Payroll and Simplepay.ca. It is sold as a per-user subscription in three tiers -- Essentials, Pro and Premium -- billed in blocks of five seats, with API access, webhooks and SAML/SSO reserved for the top Premium tier.
Screenshots & demo
Screenshots sourced from When I Work.
Features & capabilities
Employee Scheduling
Building and distributing shift schedules across one or many locations.
- One-click auto scheduling based on availability and eligibility
- Reusable schedule templates applied to any week
- Multi-location and multi-week scheduling
- Shift trades and OpenShifts for employee self-service shift pickup
- Time-off request submission and manager approval
- Task lists with shift-specific checklists
- Availability and qualification tracking per employee
Time & Attendance
GPS- and photo-verified time clock with auditable timesheets.
- GPS and geofencing to block early or off-site clock-ins
- Photo verification at clock-in to prevent buddy punching
- Digital timesheets with edit logs
- Real-time overtime alerts
- Break tracking and scheduling around required breaks
- Clock-in via iOS, Android and web
- Labor cost reporting by job, role or location
- Time tracking can be toggled on or off independently of scheduling
Team Messaging (WorkChat)
In-app group and direct messaging tied to the schedule.
- One-on-one, group and all-staff messaging
- Automatic alerts for new, changed or open shifts
- Manager-controlled permissions for who can create group chats
- Photo, note and document sharing with built-in storage
- Read receipts on sent messages
- No personal phone numbers required to message coworkers
- Encrypted conversations visible only to invited team members
- Synced message history across mobile and desktop
Labor Forecasting & Compliance
Tools to keep scheduled hours within budget and labor rules.
- Real-time scheduled-vs-budgeted hours comparison
- Overtime and max-hours warnings during schedule building
- 24-hour callout reporting (Pro and Premium plans)
- Custom unit forecasting (Pro and Premium plans)
- Scheduling rules and role permissions (Pro and Premium plans)
- Labor Share to match staffing capacity to demand across locations
Enterprise & Platform Access
Integration and identity features reserved for the top plan tier.
- API key access (Premium plan)
- Webhooks (Premium plan)
- SAML/SSO (Premium plan)
- Dedicated solutions engineer support for API integrations (enterprise)
- Timezone toggles for distributed teams
Common use cases
- Building weekly shift schedules for a multi-location restaurant or retail chain with one-click auto-assignment
- Preventing time theft and buddy punching with GPS-geofenced, photo-verified clock-ins
- Giving hourly staff self-service shift swapping and time-off requests through OpenShifts
- Coordinating shift changes and all-staff announcements without managers or employees sharing personal phone numbers
- Comparing scheduled versus budgeted labor hours in real time to control overtime costs
- Exporting approved timesheets directly into payroll providers such as Gusto, QuickBooks Online or Rippling
- Giving enterprise customers with hundreds of employees across many locations API/webhook access and SSO for centralized identity management
Strengths & considerations
Strengths
- Every plan tier includes the full scheduling, time-clock and messaging feature set -- the tiers add depth (advanced rules, API/SSO) rather than gating core modules
- Purpose-built for shift-based hourly workforces (restaurants, retail, healthcare, hospitality) rather than salaried-workforce HR platforms
- Time tracking/attendance is an on/off toggle on any plan, so a business can start with scheduling and messaging only and add the time clock later
- Team messaging (WorkChat) is built directly into the scheduling workflow rather than sold as a separate communication tool
- Entry pricing of $2.50/user/month sold in five-seat blocks with a 14-day free trial and no long-term contract
Considerations
- Does not process payroll itself -- approved hours must be exported to a connected payroll provider such as Gusto, QuickBooks Online, Rippling, Paychex, OnPay or Square Payroll
- API access, webhooks and SAML/SSO are only available on the Premium plan ($8/user/month); Essentials and Pro do not include them
ERP integrations
Listed in the QuickBooks App Store as a When I Work integration for timesheet/payroll data sync
Syncs HR, time and compliance data to avoid double entry when running payroll
Onboarding, payroll, insurance and team support
Small-business payroll, taxes, HR and benefits
Canadian payroll processing
HR, benefits and payroll workflow automation
Automated data movement between When I Work and other apps
Pricing
Three tiers: Essentials $2.50/user/month, Pro $5/user/month, Premium $8/user/month. Time tracking/attendance can be toggled on or off on any plan. Premium adds API key access, webhooks and SAML/SSO. 14-day free trial, no credit card required; no long-term contract. Get an independent shortlist with pricing guidance below.
Technical & security
- Hosting
- SaaS (multi-tenant), hosted on AWS
- Mobile app
- Yes
About the vendor
- Headquarters
- Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
- Notable customers
- Elephants Deli, Metro Dental, San Jose State University, Kay Pharmacy, Comfort Dental, Caring Transitions
Alternatives to When I Work in Time & Attendance
When I Work — frequently asked questions
Does When I Work handle payroll processing?
No. When I Work is a scheduling and time-tracking platform, not a payroll processor. It exports approved hours to connected payroll providers such as Gusto, QuickBooks Online, Rippling, Paychex, OnPay and Square Payroll.
What does When I Work cost?
Three per-user monthly tiers billed in blocks of five seats: Essentials at $2.50/user/month, Pro at $5, and Premium at $8, which adds API/webhook access and SAML/SSO. A 14-day free trial is available with no credit card required.
Can time tracking be turned off?
Yes. Every plan lets an admin toggle time tracking and attendance on or off, so a business can run scheduling and messaging alone without a time clock.
Does the time clock prevent buddy punching?
Yes. Clock-ins use GPS geofencing to block off-site punches and require photo verification to confirm who is actually clocking in.
Does When I Work support API access and single sign-on?
API key access, webhooks and SAML/SSO are included on the Premium plan ($8/user/month); they are not available on the Essentials or Pro tiers.
Evaluating Time & Attendance?
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