Last updated October 28, 2026
Short answer: eTimesheets.com is anti-spyware. We never capture screenshots, keystrokes, mouse movement, apps or websites, and we never score employee productivity. DCAA doesn't ask for any of that. It asks for accurate, daily, approved time records with a history of every change. That's what we keep, and it's all we collect.
A growing number of time tracking tools double as employee monitoring software. They run in the background, photograph screens, count keystrokes and grade how "active" each person is. eTimesheets.com doesn't do any of this, and we never will.
No screenshots. We never capture or store images of employee screens.
No keystroke or mouse tracking. We don't log typing, clicks or mouse movement.
No app or website monitoring. We don't record which programs or sites employees use.
No productivity scoring. We don't rate employees as "active," "idle" or "productive."
eTimesheets.com records what a compliant timesheet needs. Employees enter it themselves and managers review it.
Hours worked. The hours each employee enters by day, with optional clock in and out on the mobile web app.
Charge codes. The contract, project or task each hour is charged to.
Signatures and approvals. The employee's electronic signature and each manager's approval.
An audit log. A record of every change to every timesheet: what changed, who changed it and when.
Employees know exactly what's recorded, because they're the ones entering it.
DCAA audits your timekeeping practices, not your employees' screens. Auditors look for time recorded daily, every hour accounted for, hours charged to the right contract, employee certification, supervisor approval and documented corrections.
None of that calls for screenshots, keystroke logs or activity scores. Monitoring software doesn't make a timesheet more compliant, and a timesheet without it isn't less compliant.
The hard part of government contract timekeeping is allocation: making sure each hour lands on the contract, task or indirect account it was actually worked on. Activity tracking can't tell you that. A keystroke count doesn't know whether someone was writing a deliverable for one contract or a proposal that belongs in overhead.
During a floor check, a DCAA auditor asks employees what they're working on and compares the answer to their timesheet. What holds up is a clear process: employees recording their own time every day against the right charge code, and supervisors who know the work approving it.
Screenshots capture whatever is on the screen. For a government contractor, that can include Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), export-controlled technical data, or personal information about employees and customers.
When a monitoring tool sends those images to a vendor's servers, sensitive data can end up outside the systems you've secured for NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC, and you may have to account for it. The simplest way to avoid that problem is to never capture it. eTimesheets.com stores time entries, not screen contents.
Several states regulate electronic monitoring at work. New York, Connecticut and Delaware, for example, require employers to notify employees before monitoring their electronic activity, and other states have considered similar rules.
Because eTimesheets.com doesn't monitor computer activity, it doesn't add that kind of monitoring to your workplace. Your obligations depend on your state and the other tools you use, so check with your counsel.
Accurate timesheets come from good controls, not surveillance. eTimesheets.com gives you the controls DCAA expects.
Daily entry. Employees enter time on web or phone, with automatic reminders for anyone who hasn't.
Exact charge codes. Charges go up to 10 levels deep (client, contract, project, task, sub-task), so employees pick the right one.
Sign-off and approval. Employees sign electronically, and up to three managers can approve.
Locked records. Approved timesheets are locked, and the audit log captures every change.
Payroll sync. Approved hours sync to QuickBooks, ADP, Gusto and Paychex.
Can managers see what employees are doing on their computers? No. Managers see the hours employees entered, the charge codes and the approval history. They can't see screens, apps, websites or activity levels.
How do I know hours are accurate without monitoring? The same way DCAA does: daily entry, a supervisor who knows the work approving each timesheet, and an audit log that shows any later change. Reviewing hours against deliverables and project budgets tells you more than an activity score.
Does this work for nonprofits? Yes. Nonprofits with federal awards need time-and-effort records under Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200). The same daily entry and approval controls support a Single Audit, without monitoring staff.
Will you add monitoring features later? No. Being anti-spyware is a product decision, not a missing feature.
What makes a timesheet DCAA compliant? A 10-point checklist
DCAA compliance for timekeeping: what contractors need
eTimesheets.com has provided DCAA-compliant timekeeping for small government contractors since 1999, for $10 per user per month. Start a free trial with no credit card required.
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