When I Work vs Jolt

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Our analysts compared When I Work vs Jolt based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Employee Scheduling Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

When I Work is a cloud-based platform that helps design, communicate and track work schedules for hourly workers. It replaces the hassle of spreadsheets and paper schedules with a user-friendly interface for creating and publishing schedules in minutes. You get features like drag-and-drop tools, schedule and timesheet templates, customizable automation, and reporting.

It offers built-in time tracking, communication tools and payroll integrations. Employees can clock in and out directly through the native app. They can also swap shifts and submit time-off requests from their profiles. It lets you access timesheets, identify labor cost trends and control overtime expenses.

Team messaging helps you coordinate staff members and avoid over or understaffing during peak seasons. While pricing varies based on company size and required features, the platform offers a free trial and multiple subscription tiers. This allows you to choose a plan that fits your budget and specific needs.

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Jolt is a tablet and smartphone-based operations execution solution that helps businesses achieve digital food safety compliance, team accountability and boost employee performance. It offers audit management, personnel tracking, performance review, time, attendance and learning and goal management.

Team leaders can track daily operations in real time to keep staff accountable. It offers a training library, drag-and-drop schedule builder and task checklists for every shift. Organizations can decrease labor costs and improve staff efficiency.
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$2.50/User, Monthly
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$89.99 Monthly
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Product Assistance

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24/7 Live Support
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Product Insights

  • Top-Ranked Scheduling Solution: When I Work stands out as a leader in employee scheduling, with an analyst rating of 85 in our research. This puts it alongside industry heavyweights like Deputy (87) and 7Shifts (86). It offers a comprehensive set of features, including scheduling, time tracking and team communications, all of which are ready to use immediately, reducing setup time.
  • Effortless Shift Management: Our research shows that When I Work offers 96% of tools for creating and managing employee shifts out-of-the-box. These include everything from creating recurring shift templates and customizing layouts to features like open shift bidding and automatic vacant shift assignment. You can also add feedback, task notes, swap shifts and receive automated reminders.
  • Powerful Mobile App: The mobile app keeps everything you need for streamlined scheduling at your fingertips. It offers mobile scheduling, time tracking, geofencing, customizable push notifications and built-in chat for easy team communication.
  • Seamless Integrations: When I Work scored 92 for integrations in our analysis, effortlessly connecting with a wide range of business tools. These include accounting solutions like QuickBooks Online, Google and Apple Calendars, HR and payroll software like Rippling and Gusto, Square POS systems, and integration platforms as a service (iPaaS) such as Zapier and Tray.io.
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  • Streamlined Scheduling: Create efficient work schedules while centrally managing multiple location shifts. Customize task checklists for every shift while automatically sending them to employees. 
  • Efficient Time Tracking: Employees can punch in from any device using the built-in time clock capability. Use GPS facilities to ensure employees clock in from designated locations. 
  • Accessibility: Use the information library to distribute company announcements promptly. Make general announcements or notify a policy change with ease. Get reports when employees view urgent announcements. 
  • Secure Team Communication: Relay company information faster and securely. Use message blasts for urgent announcements and setting event reminders. Set filters to communicate with specific roles or groups of employees. 
  • Simplify Compliances: Use forms and inspections to build custom audits and inspections. Create CLIA compliance checklists, inspections and equipment auditing to keep pace with industry regulations. Pinpoint deficiencies while boosting accountability using real-time task review options. 
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  • Employee Scheduling: Create work schedules in one click based on employee availability and eligibility. View team availability, manage time off and track shift trades from one place. Allow employees to pick up and trade shifts while boosting workplace efficiency and productivity. Schedule multiple teams across job sites while preventing unnecessary overtime.
  • Time and Attendance: Track attendance, time off and breaks while turning any internet-connected device into an online time clock. Integrate schedules to control costs while applying pay rules. Implement an online time clock with a GPS facility for uniform clock-ins and outs across devices. Let remote employees log in and out using any device while receiving attendance data in real time.
  • Timesheets: Record weekly attendance changes into timesheets while setting differential pay rates for multiple positions. Monitor labor costs while auditing time records with labor distribution reports. Audit and approve timesheets from mobile or desktop while preventing overtime before it happens. Configure paid and unpaid breaks on schedule and time clock.
  • Shift Planning: Plan, swap and approve shifts using a mobile or desktop while empowering teams to collaborate on schedules. Ensure cost-effective shift coverage while creating schedules that work for the entire team.
  • Scalability: Start with a single team or location and scale to multiple teams across geographical locations as per business growth. Schedule multiple teams across various job sites.
  • Push Notifications: Send important messages to the entire staff in one go. Employees get email and text alerts for missed logins or outs. Notify all employees when you update or create new schedules.
  • Geo Check-In: Use GPS tracking and live map views to ensure that employees log in from their designated job sites. Monitor field staff’s real-time location, eliminating the need for employees to update their locations constantly in the office.
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  • Employee Scheduling: Use a drag-and-drop scheduler to build employee schedules while managing breaks. Send shift reminders via text messages and push notifications. Employees can request shift swaps and get approvals. 
  • Team Accountability: Achieve cleaner stores, faster service and consistent processes. Standardize procedures for staff to follow with on-the-spot training. Deliver fast service across locations with real-time alerts, reports and message notifications. 
  • Digital Food Safety: Serve fresh and hot meals with automated temperature monitoring, quick temperature logs and food and date labeling. Use sensors to protect inventory while keeping ingredients fresh. Receive notifications when temperatures fall out of range. 
  • Employee Performance: Train employees to complete tasks with perfection to achieve high standards. Improve order accuracy with employee quizzes and an accessible training hub. Deliver friendly service by ensuring employees aren’t overworked or understaffed. 
  • Training Hub: Incorporate training materials while providing access according to employee roles. Create scorable employee quizzes while reviewing performance using templates. 
  • Checklists: Create daily, repeatable and time-based task checklists. Customize daily food safety and HACCP checklists. Assign work by role while naming and time-stamping every task. Receive checklist completion alerts in real time. 
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Product Ranking

#3

among all
Employee Scheduling Software

#9

among all
Employee Scheduling Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

86
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91
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Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

When I Work
Jolt
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Collaboration Employee Management Leave And Absence Management Mobile Capabilities Platform Capabilities Reporting And Analytics Schedule Management Security And Compliance Shift Management Time And Attendance Management 74 78 91 98 84 83 88 89 89 77 0 25 50 75 100
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Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 1454 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 371 reviews
90%
of users recommend this product

When I Work has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 90% when considering 1454 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

93%
of users recommend this product

Jolt has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 93% when considering 371 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

5.0 (11)
4.9 (30)
4.4 (286)
4.5 (83)
n/a
4.7 (246)
4.5 (1093)
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4.4 (64)
4.5 (12)

Awards

When I Work stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

Jolt stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Intuitive and Efficient: Users appreciate the user-friendly interface and comprehensive features that centralize managing all scheduling needs from a single app.
Prompt Customer Support: Users report getting timely and helpful assistance from the vendor’s support team through live chat and email.
Enhanced Employee Experience: The app boosts staff productivity by offering them flexible tools to control their work schedules.
Improved Integration and Accessibility: Most users have had a positive experience connecting the platform with other necessary third-party tools.
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Functionality: Around 94% of users who mentioned functionality said that the system provided a robust suite of helpful tools that helped them save time.
Ease of Use: The system’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to manage and understand, as noted by 100% of reviewers who mentioned ease of use.
Customer Service: More than 88% of reviewers referring to customer support noted that included professional services were helpful and provided follow-up tips and corrections.
Tracking/Monitoring: All users who refer to monitoring state that it helps boost employee accountability, inventory organization and scheduling.
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Pricing and Transparency Issues: Users have complained about the vendor’s pricing practices, which include hidden costs and a lack of clear information before signing up.
App Glitches: Users reported issues with iPhone and Android apps, particularly with tasks like staff punch-ins and location tracking using the phone’s GPS.
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Initial Setup: Its initial setup is time-consuming, as noted by nearly 100% of users who mentioned setup.
Slow Application: Around 55% of the users who mentioned it’s mobile application report that it can be slow/glitchy and at times would crash.
Communication: Text and emails can only be sent to employees through its time-card feature, as observed by 60% of reviewers who referred to communication.
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According to the reviews, users praise When I Work’s user-friendly design and all-in-one features for scheduling and time tracking. The customer support team is another win — responsive and helpful via chat and email. However, the pricing structure is a point of contention for some users, with complaints about hidden fees and a lack of transparency before signing up.What truly set it apart was its affordability for small and medium businesses. The starter plan, costing just $1.50 per location per month, offers unlimited employee scheduling and auto-scheduling — features usually reserved for top-tier plans in competitors like 7Shift and Homebase.However, communication features are restricted. During testing, I could send individual and group messages, but there's no bulletin board or newsfeed functionality, and message read receipts are absent.Security is another concern. The platform lacks biometric clock-in options, opening the door to potential time theft through buddy punching. Additionally, it doesn’t support geofencing or GPS tracking. I couldn’t remotely track staff shifts to ensure they were following established procedures.Overall, When I Work offers a compelling solution for small and medium businesses with a user-friendly interface, robust features and a budget-friendly starter plan. However, be mindful of the pricing concerns and other limitations, which can be a problem for growing teams and businesses.

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Jolt helps its users keep up with daily tasks and track who completes what with a time stamp. It is an easy-to-use solution that satisfies food safety guidelines with automated temperature checks, temperature logs and food labeling by date. Reviewers mentioned that its initial set-up takes time, and printer issues are difficult to solve. The application does not allow users to send messages to a single employee, but they can send a message to a large group of people at once. Overall, it is a cost-effective software solution with seamless training and support.

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Screenshots

Top Alternatives in Employee Scheduling Software


7shifts

Deputy

Findmyshift

Homebase

Humanity

OpenSimSim

Planday

Quinyx

ScheduleFlex

Shiftbase

Shiftboard

Sling

TimeForge

WhenToWork

ZoomShift

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