Thüga AG needed a structured, legally compliant time tracking solution. With timeghost Time Tracking, Thüga employees now track their work and project hours directly in Microsoft Teams – company-wide and without cumbersome approval processes.
User
tracked working hours
The Thüga AG is a leading network of municipal energy providers in Germany that connects over 100 municipal utilities and supply companies. With 18,000 employees and over 10 million end customers, it focuses on sustainable energy solutions and digital innovations to make municipal energy supply efficient and future-proof.
Industry: Energy supplier
Company size: Large company (18,000+ employees)
Revenue: €54.41 billion (2023)
Location: Germany
Use Case:
👉 Introduction of legally compliant time tracking
👉 Integration into Microsoft Teams & Microsoft 365
👉 Cross-company use of timeghost Time Tracking
Products
👉 timeghost Time Tracking
👉 Microsoft Teams
👉 Microsoft 365
Why a modern time tracking solution became essential for Thüga
The upcoming legal requirement for tracking working hours made a compliant and digital solution indispensable. Without a central, automated tracking system, compliance with legal requirements could have entailed significant administrative effort. Furthermore, it was essential to integrate time tracking directly into Microsoft 365 & Teams to avoid unnecessarily complicating the everyday work of employees.
With timeghost Time Tracking, a works council-compliant, Microsoft 365-integrated solution was implemented that meets legal requirements and simplifies work processes.
The challenges ahead for timeghost Time Tracking
Acceptance of Employees
Although Thüga implemented trust-based working hours, it was a challenge to convince employees of the necessity of time tracking. Many were initially skeptical of the new regulation.
High administrative effort & error-prone processes
The tracking of working hours was done using Excel spreadsheets and various manual methods. This resulted in high administrative effort, erroneous entries, and difficult traceability.
Missing standardization & transparency
Different departments used their own methods for time tracking, resulting in a lack of a unified and transparent overview. Employees and supervisors did not have central access to current time tracking data.
No direct integration into Microsoft 365 & Teams
Working hours were not tracked in the existing Microsoft 365 environment. Employees had to log into separate systems, which made the process inefficient and hindered acceptance.
Unclear legal framework conditions
The legal requirements for time tracking had not yet been finalized at the time of implementation. The uncertainty about future changes posed a challenge for planning and execution.
Legal Requirements & Works Council Approval
Compliance with legal requirements was difficult to ensure with the previous solution. Additionally, a solution had to be found that met the needs of several works councils to enable a smooth implementation.
The introduction of a digital time tracking system was an important but challenging step for us. In particular, the acceptance of the employees played a major role, as we had previously relied on trust-based working hours. At the same time, it was unclear how the legal requirements would develop. With timeghost Time Tracking, we were able to create a solution that is not only legally compliant, but also easy and efficient to use from the beginning due to its integration into Microsoft 365.
Kenan Salihovic – HR Generalist at Thüga AG
Thüga introduces time tracking – compliant with the law & integrated into Microsoft Teams
To address these challenges, Thüga AG opted for timeghost Time Tracking, a solution fully integrated into Microsoft 365 and Teams for work and project time tracking. With timeghost Time Tracking, it was possible to establish a seamless time tracking solution that is integrated into Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365, meets legal requirements, and is easy to use for all employees.
Why Thüga found the optimal time tracking solution with timeghost
Integration in Microsoft 365 & Teams
Work and project times are tracked directly in the familiar Microsoft 365 environment. This saves employees from switching between different tools and allows them to work more efficiently.
GDPR- & EU-compliant
The solution has been specifically developed for the high data protection and security requirements of municipal companies. All data is securely stored, processed, and complies with current legal regulations.
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Thanks to Single Sign-On (SSO), manual logins are eliminated, allowing employees to focus directly on their core tasks.
Central & transparent
Projects and working hours are tracked on a unified platform, so all relevant information is available in one central location. Employees and supervisors have a clear overview of the current status at any time and can generate reports with just a few clicks.
Support & close collaboration
From the initial consultation to the complete implementation, Thüga was closely supported. Individual requirements were quickly implemented, and even after the launch, timeghost is available as a partner for continuous optimizations.
simple operation for employees
The user interface of timeghost Time Tracking is intuitively designed, allowing employees to quickly get oriented. Time entries can be tracked and edited without the need for training, significantly increasing acceptance within the company.
Collaboration and individual customization
The close collaboration between Thüga and timeghost enabled a quick implementation and targeted adjustments to the company's requirements. Regular exchange ensured that the solution was optimally integrated into the existing workflows and can continue to evolve.
So Thüga benefits from timeghost Time Tracking today.
Compliance with Labor Time Tracking
👉 All legal documentation obligations & data protection regulations are automatically adhered to.
Reduction of Administrative Effort
👉 Automated processes enable massive savings in administrative time.
Better Control & Transparency
👉 Real-time data on work and project times are always available to managers & employees.
Friendly & Approved by Works Councils
👉 Already approved by three works councils
Successful rollout in other municipal companies
👉 Since timeghost Time Tracking has already received the approval of several works councils, the solution could be quickly & easily rolled out.
Fast Support & Close Cooperation
👉 Short communication channels, quick response times, and individual adjustments ensured that Thüga AG can use timeghost Time Tracking super efficiently and no longer has to worry about compliant and easy tracking of work and project times.
