Hey guys, quick question. Need a plumber for some minor stuff, but the couple of local guys I tried either didn't answer or ghosted. Anyone decent you actually use?
I have been wrestling with this question for a while now. , but I refuse to implement the kind of "Big Brother" surveillance I know kills morale. I've seen it happen with other companies that use tools like Time Doctor or Hubstaff, where the team feels constantly watched and productivity suffers because of it .
We need to track billable hours accurately for client invoicing and also get a sense of team workload so we can prevent burnout . The old spreadsheet method was a mess, we were losing about 15% of billable hours because people would just forget to log their time at the end of the week.
After testing a few options, I've landed on a solution that works for us, and I wanted to share my findings in case anyone else is in the same boat.
Here are the tools we considered and what we found:
Traqq: This is what we are currently using. It is the closest thing to a "best of both worlds" solution I have found. It's an ethical, privacy-first time tracker. It has a simple start/stop timer, which is easy for the team to use, and it also supports manual time entry for those times you forget to hit the button . The main reason we chose it is that it provides intelligent insights into team productivity and work patterns through AI-powered analytics, but it does not use screenshots or screen recording . We can see activity levels and work patterns, but it respects our team's privacy. It also helps us compare scheduled hours against actual time tracked, which has been a game-changer for managing workload and spotting if someone is overloaded .
Toggl Track: This is a fantastic tool and is very well-regarded for being simple and ethical. It does not take screenshots and has a beautiful interface. However, for our agency needs, it was missing some of the deeper financial reporting and workload management features we wanted, so we would have needed extra integrations to get a complete picture .
Harvest: Another excellent tool, especially for agencies. It has great client invoicing and project budgeting features . The main reason we went with Traqq was the superior workload and capacity planning features, which Harvest seems to lack. Additionally, Harvest's free plan is quite limited, whereas Traqq's free plan is generous enough for a small team .
So my advice is this: avoid tools that feel like surveillance. Focus on tracking hours and activity, not private data. Explain to your team that the goal is to manage workload and ensure accurate client billing, not to spy on them. Being transparent about the why is just as important as the tool you choose.
Now looking to see how do you handle if you're in similar situation?
I have been traveling in Southeast Asia for a few months and I keep running into issues with my banking apps. Every time I try to log in from a new country, my bank flags it and I have to go through a whole verification process. Sometimes I get locked out entirely and have to call them, which is expensive and time consuming.
I tried using a VPN to connect from my home country but the banking app seems to detect it and blocks me anyway. I think they are using some kind of VPN detection because I get a message saying the connection is not secure. I do not want to stop using the VPN because I am often on public wifi and I do not want to risk my data.
Has anyone found a way around this? I would like to access my accounts normally without worrying about getting locked out or compromising my security. I am not doing anything sketchy, just trying to manage my finances while on the road.
I found a solution that works for me. A friend recommended a Mysterium VPN that uses residential IPs instead of datacenter ones.
I am a sixth form student and I am starting to look at options for studying medicine. I know how competitive it is in the UK and I am keeping my options open.
I have a few questions. Has anyone here used them? How was the support throughout the process and did they help with the logistics of moving abroad? Also, I am a bit confused about how qualifications from European universities transfer back to the UK. Do you need to do extra exams to work here?
I would appreciate any feedback from someone who has been through this process, whether with this agency or another. I am trying to figure out if this is a viable path for me.
I’ve been using one of those big clinic networks in Downtown for years, but lately getting simple bloodwork discussed or setting up a preventive health check feels impossible. I’m looking for a private internist in Flatiron/NoMad who actually has time to review comprehensive labs and focus on preventive health.
So I spent the entire weekend trying to find something cool for an empty wall above my sofa and I'm getting so tired of scrolling through the same generic stuff on Wayfair or Etsy.
Drop some suggestions if u know any hidden gems for statement art cuz my living room looks so dead right now.
I have been living in Germany for five years. I am a US citizen, I work as a software engineer, and I file my US taxes every year using online software. I thought I was doing everything right.
Then last month I got a letter from the IRS. They said I had failed to file an FBAR for my foreign bank accounts and I was facing a penalty of over $10,000. I was completely shocked. I had no idea what FBAR even was.
I started researching and I realized that if you have foreign accounts totaling more than $10,000 at any point in the year, you need to file this separate form. I had been using online tax software but it never prompted me about this. I had a checking account with about €5,000 and a savings account with about €8,000. Combined, they were over the threshold. I had no idea.
The penalty for non-willful failure to file can be $10,000 per violation. It is not just a small fine. It is serious money. I was terrified.
I'm considering to hire someone to solve this for me, do you have any recs for reputable accountant to do this for me?
I've got in touch with Universal Tax Professionals for my case. They will help me get compliant without the penalty. If you are a US expat with foreign accounts, do not ignore FBAR. It is not worth the risk.