Hours reported, not recorded
A contractor sends a weekly total. You can accept it or argue about it, and neither feels good.
See step 1: Invite contractors to your projects- Home
- Use cases
- Companies with contractors
Contractor time tracking
Contractor time tracking: verify hours before you pay.
Contractor time tracking in Staffic runs on the contractor’s own computer: the desktop app records time on your projects with activity levels and, on Standard and Elite, screenshots. On Elite, you approve each day’s hours and pay from them in Payroll.
- Free for up to 3 members
- No credit card
- Windows, macOS and Linux
- Where they track
- Their own Windows, macOS or Linux computer
- Proof of work
- Activity on every plan, screenshots from Standard
- Approval and pay
- Timesheet approval and Payroll on Elite
- Price
- Free for 3, then $5.50
Contractor challenges
Where contractor hours get hard to check.
Four problems that come with paying people you don’t see at work.
No sign of what the time was for
The invoice lists hours on your project but not the work in them, so a slow week looks the same as a busy one.
See step 2: See the work behind the hoursPaid before anyone checks
Hours go straight from the contractor’s invoice to payment, and a mistake only turns up after the money has left.
See step 3: Approve each day before you payContractor and staff pay in one sheet
Hourly contractors and salaried staff share a spreadsheet, and working out who is owed what eats a payday afternoon.
See step 4: Pay from approved hoursHow Staffic helps
How Staffic fits paying contractors.
Time tracking software for contractors, from the invite to the payment, with the hours checked before anyone is paid.
Step 1 of 4
Invite contractors to your projects
Invite each contractor by email and add them to the projects they work on. They install the desktop app on their own Windows, macOS or Linux computer and start the timer on your project and task. On Standard and Elite, a Contractors team keeps them apart from staff.
Fixes: Hours reported, not recorded
Step 2 of 4
See the work behind the hours
Each session records activity levels from keyboard and mouse and the apps and sites used. On Standard and Elite, screenshots are taken only while the timer runs (2 per 10 minutes, or 1, 2 or 3 on Elite), and each contractor sees their own.
Fixes: No sign of what the time was for
Step 3 of 4
Approve each day before you pay
On Elite, turn on timesheet approval for all members or for each contractor in Timesheet Settings. Each day’s hours then wait in Timesheet Approval until an approver accepts them or rejects part of the day.
Fixes: Paid before anyone checks
Step 4 of 4
Pay from approved hours
On Elite, give each contractor an hourly pay rate and Payroll multiplies it by their approved hours, day by day, while salaried staff sit on the Monthly tab. Pay them your usual way, then mark the payment as paid.
Fixes: Contractor and staff pay in one sheet
Recommended plan
The plan for your contractors.
Screenshots start on Standard. Timesheet approval and Payroll need Elite, so the picker starts there. Set the number of people you track to see the price.
Your team needs
Billing
Recommended for 10 members
Elite
$5.80per user per month, billed yearly
$58.00 a month for 10 members, $696.00 a year.
Elite adds the payroll you picked.
- Everything in Standard
- Screen Recordings
- Payroll Management
- Clients & Invoicing
Free$0Up to 3 members
Standard$1.00Per user, offer price
Customer stories
What teams say about Staffic.
Staffic.io brings transparency without micromanagement. Our team feels trusted, and productivity has never been higher. The balance between oversight and autonomy is perfect for building strong remote culture.
Staffic.io transformed how we track productivity. Our remote team is now more accountable and transparent than ever. The detailed reports and activity monitoring have been game-changing for us.
FAQ
Contractor time tracking, answered.
What companies ask before they pay contractors from tracked hours.
Explore the live demoHow do I track hours for independent contractors?
Invite them to your Staffic organization and add them to the projects they work on. They track time with the desktop app, and their hours land in the same daily, weekly and bi-weekly timesheets as everyone else’s, on every plan.
How do I verify contractor hours before paying?
Check the work behind the hours, then approve them. Contractors don’t submit timesheets: the desktop app builds them as they work, with activity levels, apps and URLs and, from Standard, screenshots. On Elite, timesheet approval holds each day’s hours until an approver accepts them or rejects part of the day.
Can contractors track time from their own devices?
Yes. Contractors install the Staffic desktop app on their own Windows, macOS or Linux computer and sign in to your organization. The app records only while their timer runs, so time outside your work stays off the record.
How do I separate contractor and employee time?
Put contractors in their own team and on their own projects; teams are on Standard and Elite. In Payroll on Elite, give contractors an hourly pay rate and staff a monthly salary, and they’re paid from the Hourly and Monthly tabs.
Can I pay contractors from tracked time?
Yes, on Elite. Payroll multiplies each contractor’s tracked hours by their pay rate, and with timesheet approval on it counts approved hours only. Staffic doesn’t send money: you pay as usual, mark the payment as paid, and the contractor gets an email statement.
Can I see screenshots of contractor work?
Yes, on Standard and Elite. Screenshots are taken only while the contractor’s timer runs, 2 per 10 minutes unless Elite sets 1 or 3, and they’re kept for 365 days. Admins, and anyone you give Remote Track access in Access Control, can view them.
Is contractor time tracking legal?
Generally yes, when the contractor knows what Staffic records and agrees to it in your contract: U.S. federal wiretap law permits interception with a party’s prior consent (18 U.S.C. 2511). The IRS also weighs whether you control how a contractor does the job when deciding if they’re an employee (irs.gov; both read October 12, 2026). This is general information, not legal advice: rules differ by state and country, and our employee monitoring laws guide covers the U.S., EU and UK.
Free for up to 3 members
Track your first contractor free.
Invite a contractor, have them install the desktop app and see their hours in today’s timesheet. Free for up to 3 members.
- No credit card
- 7-day trial on paid plans
- Windows, macOS, Linux
