It’s 8AM; Do you know where your employees are?

Whether employees are supposed to start working a shift at 7am, 8am, 2pm or midnight it’s unlikely the boss is waiting to observe a grand entrance into the workplace. He just wants to know that Sue came in on time, as scheduled, ready for work. The watch dog at the door is usually a time clock system; employees are responsible for following procedures to record their arrival.

Long gone are the days when workers routinely lined up to take their time card out of its appointed spot in order to punch into one clock. Today’s employees swipe bar coded ID cards into a variety of clocks, use hand held devices, log on web based programs, check into point of sale systems and scan a finger or hand into a biometric device.

The Sign-In Sheet

It’s easy to find employers who eschew technology and rely on paper and pencil for timekeeping. Management verifies multiple sheets with repeated manual checks and reviews between supervisors, accounting and payroll. During my first days in human resources at Hyatt Hotels I learned that the company philosophy favored time sheets as more personal and user friendly. It did not take long for personal and user friendly to be trumped by accurate and time saving as time clocks emerged that fed information directly to payroll. Getting a correct paycheck is very user friendly!

Sign-in sheets can also raise wage and hour questions about overtime exempt status. If the person is not eligible to earn overtime why do I need to know that they worked 47 hours last week? Not a problem if there are no questions about the correct classification, a potential minefield if the classification is murky.

What happens when they lose the card?

Time cards get lost as easily as cell phones and keys. They are also misplaced, forgotten and damaged. Savvy employers charge employees to replace expensive lost time cards embedded with bar codes or magnetic strips. Smart policies also recommend discipline for employees who repeatedly fail to record their time. Funny how the customer service rep who always seems to leave her card at home is the same person who never answers any 8am calls.

Employees can be pretty creative in their approach to time keeping systems. One of my favorite examples came from two employees who worked an overnight shift setting up conference center meeting rooms. Supervisors and security suspected that in the middle of each shift one left work, leaving his friend to complete the work and punch out for both. The employee entrance security video caught one leaving right after he swiped a card that was not his. He explained, “I borrowed my friends’ uniform pants and his ID card must have been the one in the pocket, not mine!”

The Hills and Valleys at the End of a Finger

Biometric time clocks prevent the “buddy punching” described in my tale. These devices include readers of fingers or hands that match a map of each individual. Jose Gaona, Director of Product Management & Operations for Qqest Software Systems, makers of TimeForce, a software based time and attendance system, has seen a world of changes with more than 25 years in the industry. Biometrics became more popular after 9/11 because as Gaona describes, “They identify the person in a more secure way.”

Big brother fears are overcome with enhanced security and accuracy. Employees can be told, “This is your time and your pay.” All kinds of time keeping systems can be adapted to the environment with clocks available that perform outside in sub zero temperatures and others that are protected from spills and crashes.

Time Clocks and Small Employers

Timekeeping systems are common in large work sites but can also be practical for small employers. Gaona reports, “It’s not really the size of the company but rather the complexity of the operation that justifies the investment.” He described a 15 employee security company that used a biometric system to track not only ins and outs but also rounds during shifts. A security staffer can’t sit in a chair all night and send someone else to point their finger at a biometric device; they have to get up to get to the area.

None of the bells and whistles will help if they don’t meet your needs. If you are considering a time clock system for the first time or a change in an existing one ask not only for references but try to see the product in operation. Don’t wait for a ghost story to implement a system but if you have any great tales, share them. They provide a chuckle and tips for improving time and attendance.