Frequently asked questions
Compliance, privacy, and security
How does Hubstaff address privacy concerns?
Protecting employee privacy is one of Hubstaff's cornerstones. Employees have complete control over when they want to track time. You will also receive a notification when you start tracking time and when Hubstaff takes screenshots.
Additionally, employees have full access to their tracked data. For instance, if you accidentally tracked time to non-work-related tasks, you can delete the data (including screenshots) in your activity dashboard — even without admin permissions.
Transparency, access, and control over your own data are some of our guiding principles. Read more about how tracking with Hubstaff works.
Is Hubstaff legal?
Yes, Hubstaff is legal and does not violate any privacy guidelines and regulations when used correctly. We will not track your activity without your consent, and protecting your data is one of our top priorities.
We highly recommend disclosing when and how you are using Hubstaff to any employees or contractors before they download the app. This helps ensure transparency and gives them a chance to fully understand what the software does.
Please note: This is not legal advice. Consult with your legal counsel should you have concerns regarding your business and its employees.
US employee monitoring laws
Employee monitoring is generally legal in the United States, with the requirement being employee consent. This is covered in the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986, which allows monitoring in the workplace under 18 U.S. Code § 2511:
“(iv) such use or endeavor to use (A) takes place on the premises of any business or other commercial establishment the operations of which affect interstate or foreign commerce; or (B) obtains or is for the purpose of obtaining information relating to the operations of any business or other commercial establishment the operations of which affect interstate or foreign commerce;”
Federal laws don’t require businesses to get permission to monitor their employees, but it ultimately depends on the state in which you’re operating.
For instance, New York requires businesses to provide a written notice to employees upon hiring — and once per year — that they will be monitored (NY A1920A). How they will be monitored should also be clearly specified.
Hubstaff does not violate any laws in this scenario (or in other states with the same guidelines as New York), as only your team members have control over when to track their work. They’ll also have to give consent and grant permissions when they download the apps.
However, it’s best to consult with legal counsel before proceeding should you have questions or concerns.
EU monitoring laws
EU monitoring laws are heavily dependent on the GDPR law, which permits the act as long as employee consent is present and users have full access to their data. Hubstaff will never track activity without your knowledge and you are given full control over your data. Read more about our GDPR compliance.
Canadian monitoring laws
Businesses in Canada are also allowed to record their employees’ work, provided that you establish a clear monitoring policy and get consent from your employees. Employees have the right to refuse to be monitored and they should be given full access to their collected data.
In Hubstaff’s case, this would mean their tracked time, screenshots taken from their devices, and activity reports. According to section 5(3) of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA):
“ An organization may collect, use or disclose personal information only for purposes that a reasonable person would consider are appropriate in the circumstances.”
Best practices for employee monitoring
Employee monitoring laws are different in each country, but a good rule of thumb is to make sure your employees know why, how, and when you're tracking their data. The best thing to do is to have them review and sign a written consent form before proceeding.
- Create a policy. Having clear guidelines on employee monitoring is essential. This includes specifying which devices and software they're allowed to use and what data you'll be monitoring.
- Be transparent with your intentions and expectations. Your team should know the exact reason behind the monitoring, what you aim to achieve, and if the tracked data impacts their performance reviews.
- Don't go beyond your scope. If you agree that you will not track your team's screens or keyboard activity, then don't — no exceptions, even if you do have the means to do so.
TL;DR: Obtain written consent from all your team members before monitoring their devices — even if they are company-provided. Keep in mind: Written consent shouldn’t be a factor in whether you hire someone or keep them on your team. Be as clear and transparent as possible but also flexible should you need to modify expectations.
Disclaimer: This information is not professional legal advice. Please refer to your specific state or country policies or dedicated legal counsel.
Is Hubstaff HIPAA compliant?
Yes, Hubstaff is HIPAA-compliant. For teams working in the health care industry, Hubstaff can blur screenshots to protect medical records and confidential patient information. Screenshots can easily be deleted through the web app if needed.
Is Hubstaff GDPR-compliant?
Yes, Hubstaff is GDPR-compliant. The GDPR requires businesses to get a person's consent before collecting their data. Hubstaff tracks your data only when the app is actively running, which you have control over. Users can access, delete, or export the data collected by Hubstaff. Read more or request your data.
Is Hubstaff SOC-2 compliant?
Yes, Hubstaff is SOC2 Type 2 compliant. We have taken steps to ensure that our data is strongly protected against unauthorized access, especially customer information. All of our team members have taken security training programs and are equipped with the proper tools.
What companies use Hubstaff?
Companies of all sizes from several industries use Hubstaff every day to save time and increase their profitability. Some examples:
- Rise, a Philadelphia-based web development agency with remote staff, was losing track of who was doing what. As a result, they found it difficult to deliver on client demands. With Hubstaff, they were able to accurately track where time was being spent and manage their remote team much more smoothly.
- ENC Construction, a Chicago-based construction company, struggled with tracking their crew members' attendance. They also found the process of collecting and verifying time cards time-consuming and unreliable. Hubstaff's geofencing feature made it possible to track when and where crew members were working. Clocking in and out and managing timesheets became fully automated, saving them a lot of time.
- Terran is an e-commerce business that spent too much time on team management processes like time tracking, attendance scheduling, and payroll management. Since they were performing these processes individually, everything was disconnected and complicated. Hubstaff made it possible to perform all of these functions (and more) in one platform, making their workflow much more efficient.
Read more customer case studies here.
Can I hide Hubstaff from my staff?
No. There is no way to monitor your employees' activity unless they track time on their devices.
Operating systems and connections
Does Hubstaff work offline?
Yes, you can use Hubstaff without an internet connection. Hubstaff will store your time and activity data locally while you're offline and will upload it to the server once a connection is available.
Which operating systems does Hubstaff support?
Hubstaff runs on macOS, Windows, Linux, and Chrome OS. You can also track time using the web app or the Chrome browser extension, but these versions don't offer proof of work features.
Does Hubstaff offer mobile apps?
Yes, Hubstaff has apps for iOS and Android. Hubstaff's GPS location tracking and geofencing capabilities are only available on our mobile apps.
What are Hubstaff’s integrations?
Hubstaff integrates with over 30 platforms so you can streamline your workflow even further. Some of these apps include:
- Project management: Hubstaff Tasks, ClickUp, and Asana
- Payments and accounting: PayPal, FreshBooks, and Gusto
- Help desk: Freshdesk and Zendesk
Hubstaff also integrates with popular apps like Zapier and Slack, and we're always working on adding more. See our full list of integrations.
Does it work via proxy?
No, Hubstaff does not work with connections run through a proxy server. Check out this page for more information.
In what countries is Hubstaff available?
Hubstaff is available in all countries.
Pricing
Can I use Hubstaff for free?
Yes. Hubstaff offers a free plan with basic time and activity tracking features for solo users. See our pricing page for more details.
Can I cancel at any time?
Yes. There are two ways to cancel your Hubstaff subscription:
- Contact [email protected] and request for your subscription to be canceled.
- Archive the organization associated with your subscription. Doing so will automatically cancel it.
Can another entity redistribute Hubstaff?
No. We do not allow the renting or redistribution of our products or services (i.e., Hubstaff Time, Hubstaff Desk, Hubstaff Field, Hubstaff Tasks, and Hubstaff Talent), as stated in our terms of service:
"You may not rent, lease, lend, sell, redistribute or sublease the Service. These Terms will govern any upgrades provided by Hubstaff that replace and/or supplement the original Service. You agree to use your best efforts to protect the Service and upgrades from unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, publication, or alteration."
Do you offer a la carte pricing?
No, we do not. Hubstaff offers affordable pricing plans for different team sizes and needs, plus annual payment options so you can get the most value out of our products.
Is there a Hubstaff affiliate program?
Yes, Hubstaff offers an affiliate program. Affiliates earn 30% of revenue from referrals who sign up for a Hubstaff paid plan for one year. Joining the program is completely free. It only takes a few minutes to sign up for our affiliate program.
Do you offer a money-back guarantee?
Yes, we offer a 60-day money-back guarantee, excluding our 14-day free trial. You can reach out to us at [email protected] and request a refund within 60 days after getting a paid plan.
What happens if I cancel my annual plan?
Depending on the circumstances (e.g., if you haven’t been using the app for months but forgot to cancel your subscription), you may be eligible for a limited refund. If you decide to cancel your annual plan, please contact our support team at [email protected].
What happens if I remove or add users during my annual plan?
If you add users in the middle of an annual plan, you will be charged the prorated fee per user from the time you added them until the end of the current billing period. When you remove a user, the unused time will show up as credits on your next bill.
As an example, let's say you're using Hubstaff's Premium plan, which costs $100 per user when paid annually. If your billing period started in January and you added a new member halfway through the year, the amount to pay will be $50.
I don't track time. Do I need to pay for myself?
Yes. Hubstaff charges per user. This means that even if only two out of your three team members are using its tracking features, you will still have to pay for all three members.
Users who don't want to track time and only want to view activity reports can be assigned the Project Viewer role, which is free. Please read our guide on Hubstaff roles and permissions for more information.
More questions
Can we help with anything else?
If you have other concerns that we weren't able to address, please reach out to us at [email protected] or go to our support page.
For media inquiries, check out our press page or contact us at [email protected].
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