GPS Tracking, Time Theft & Mobile Crews – Payroll Pitfalls for Field Teams in Oklahoma

If your business depends on mobile crews — cleaning teams, HVAC techs, lawn care staff, or pest control — managing payroll accuracy can be a daily challenge. Between time theft, inaccurate job logs, and compliance risks with GPS tracking, it’s easy to make mistakes that cost time, money, or even trigger legal issues.

In this guide, we’ll break down the most common payroll pitfalls for Oklahoma field-based employers and explain how to protect your business while keeping your crew happy and your records clean.

1. The Problem With Trust-Based Time Sheets

Many Oklahoma service companies still rely on:

• Paper timecards
• Verbal start/stop reports
• Manager-entered hours at the end of the week
• “Job logs” filled out after shifts

These methods create:

• Inflated hours
• Missed overtime
• Incorrect job costing
• Wage disputes with no paper trail

Time theft is often unintentional — but it still affects your bottom line.

2. GPS Time Tracking – What’s Legal in Oklahoma?

You are allowed to use GPS tracking to:

• Confirm employee location at clock-in/out
• Tag jobs by location
• Generate location-specific reports for payroll or billing

But you must:

• Disclose GPS use in your employee handbook or policy manual
• Only track during working hours
• Avoid tracking off-the-clock activity unless required for legal or safety reasons

We help Oklahoma employers implement mobile time tracking systems that comply with privacy and wage laws.

3. What Counts as Time Worked? (Hint: More Than You Think)

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employers to pay for:

• Travel between job sites during the day
• Waiting time between jobs (if not free to leave)
• Loading and unloading equipment before or after a shift
• Work-related calls or prep time at home

If your crew is:

• Picking up gear at 6:30 AM
• Driving to their first job
• Sitting in a truck waiting for the next appointment

You may owe them wages for that time — especially if they’re hourly.

4. “Buddy Punching” and Fraud – A Hidden Risk

Without GPS or biometric controls, mobile crews may:

• Clock in for absent coworkers
• Start their time from home instead of the jobsite
• Pad lunch breaks
• Round up daily totals without employer knowledge

Solutions include:

• Photo clock-in
• Biometric verification (fingerprint/face scan)
• Geofencing (must be within X feet of job site to clock in)

We help you deploy smart time tracking tech that prevents fraud without micromanaging your crew.

5. Mileage Logs & Travel Time – Are You Doing It Right?

If your team uses their own vehicles, you must:

• Track mileage for each job
• Reimburse using the IRS standard rate (67 cents/mile for 2024)
• Keep proper logs for audit defense

For payroll:

• Mileage reimbursement is non-taxable
• Travel between jobs is paid time
• Commutes to/from home are not (unless reporting to an unusual site)

We automate this inside your payroll platform for consistency and tax compliance.

6. Overtime Still Applies – Even With Flexible Schedules

Mobile crews often work:

• Split shifts
• Last-minute schedule changes
• Extended days due to traffic or job overruns

If they work over 40 hours in a workweek, you must pay overtime at:

• 1.5x the regular rate (including bonus or commission earnings)
• Even if they didn’t “clock in” traditionally

Common mistake: Missing overtime when crews stretch a 5-day schedule into 6 or 7 due to rescheduling.

7. How Time Tracking Impacts Payroll Accuracy

Time tracking feeds:

• Overtime calculations
• Job costing and margin analysis
• PTO tracking
• Compliance with local and federal wage laws
• Final paycheck calculations at termination

Poor time tracking = poor payroll = audit risk.

8. Employee Rights and Tracking Consent

Under Oklahoma law:

• GPS tracking is allowed, but you should disclose it
• Employees have a right to view their time records
• Any deductions from pay (e.g., for damaged equipment) must follow proper wage rules

Never track without informing employees — and always provide a clear written policy.

Explore our blog on Payroll Deductions in Oklahoma »

Oklahoma Payroll Systems That Keep Mobile Teams Honest and Compliant

At Boulanger CPA, we help service businesses:

• Set up GPS-based time tracking
• Prevent time fraud and misreporting
• Stay FLSA-compliant
• File accurate payroll with IRS, OTC, and OESC
• Deliver clean job costing and mobile pay support

Schedule Your Free Field Payroll Compliance Review
View Per-Employee Pricing

FAQs – Payroll & GPS Time Tracking in Oklahoma