Time and Attendance

Time has become the equivalent of money for most professionals in the world of business. Therefore if a company can save time it can save money. This is a profit-increasing strategy employed by most companies in operation today. In order to save time employers have to implement ways in which to track an employee’s time. Companies are focused on tracking their employee’s time and attendance electronically. Software designed to track time is able to save a company millions of dollars. The software is able to accomplish this by reducing “buddy punching,” a fraudulent act of one person punching the time clock for an individual who is not presently working. Software time tracking has also put a halt to payroll and timesheet tampering.

There are four newly advanced options to track time and attendance. These primary ways are: proximity badge readers, bar code label badge readers, biometric readers and magnetic strip badge readers. Each of these new forms of technology allows companies to become more efficient through time management.

A badge reader will read employees’ magnetic badge noting the time of their arrival, the time of their departure, and their lunch break if they clock out. This is a less expensive way to track time and attendance. A radio frequency chip is imbedded in proximity badges allowing for user convenience. The wearer of a proximity badge only has to come within six inches of the badge reader for their time to be noted. Bar code badge readers do just what the title describes. On an employee’s identification badge there will be a barcode that the barcode reader scans as the automated system notes the employee’s time. The latest technology is biometrics. Biometrics reads the geometrical make-up of the hand, finger, or the eye’s iris. These are more costly devices but the amount of money saved is greatly increased.

In relatively small organizations a lot of time is lost through the translating of work hours into pay. Many times employees of a small business are responsible for the managing of their own timesheets, with or without the advantages of a time clock. Towards the end of a pay period employees are expected to add up the number of hours they have worked. The hours are then submitted to the payroll department, supervisor or bookkeeper. Many employees keep their timesheets accurately and honestly. Still, this allows for the chance of time tampering which could cost a small business a lot of money. Many times the employees do not even realize they wrote down the wrong time, many times this is just a simple mistake of human error. When a person first arrives at work they are focused on the tasks before them and then when they are leaving they are usually tired. This allows for a mistake to be easily made. These mistakes add up and the company loses out on profit.

There are steps that can be taken to prevent these mistakes. Small businesses can employ time management software. This allows for business owners to manually track their employee’s time instead of the employees tracking their own time. With this system the mistakes are quickly avoided. Companies may also want to install electronic time clocks for their employees to swipe when they are coming or going. This takes the manual labor out of time management. Whatever solution a business chooses they both are designed to save the company valuable time and money.

Online time management is an easy system to install that allows a business to track time and attendance by using a Web Browser. With online software employee time can be entered from virtually any computer, anywhere, any time of day. The only thing needed is a Web Browser and internet connection. There are many different types of online software to choose from such as, online time sheets, an online time clock, a slot reader, and a biometric system. Each of these time tracking systems are designed to accurately record an employee’s time. This allows the company to start saving money almost immediately after the system is installed. When using any online system employee time can be reviewed before the timesheet is submitted. This reduces any errors.

The benefits of an online system including: tracking employee absenteeism, being able to approve time off and personal time, a mass approval of submitted timesheets, and the advantages of receiving reports that allow managers to accurately analyze employee time and attendance. The system will notify a manager of any missed time or attendance through e-mailed reports. This results in fewer calls to payroll departments. The report informs a manager of overtime, shift deferential and variations in wage rate. This allows time issues to be recognized and resolved.

The practice of using an online timesheet can be done with a single click, saving time and increasing productivity. Business managers are capable of checking the status of a timesheet through their e-mail, which allows for greater accountability. A manger can easily view and either approve, reject, or cause a timesheet to be put on hold. The advantage of an online timesheet is that multiple sheets may be submitted at one time. This way the business manager does not have to painstakingly submit each sheet by hand. This system enables a manager to edit employee timesheets more accurately therefore improving record keeping. Also, the centralized location of all the employee information is convenient and saves administration time, giving managers more time to focus on other pressing business issues. When using an online timesheet the business benefits from the rise in productivity levels and the increase in profit.

Over ten-thousand research labs, blood banks, day care centers, factories, ATM’s, computer rooms, military institutions, and vaults are using the latest technology in tracking time and attendance, called biometric systems. These biometric devices scan an employee’s unique behavioral or physiological characteristics. Biometric use is increasingly on the rise as it provides businesses with the highest level of security. For several years the only companies that employed biometric technology were military and government institutions. The decrease in price of biometric products allows more and more businesses to take advantage of this growing opportunity. Biometric technology is the leader in fraud, human error, and security breach prevention. This is vastly becoming the most popular way for a company to track time and attendance.

An employee’s time and attendance is tracked through the automated reading of an employee’s retina, iris, fingerprint, or signature. These types of measurements are unalterable by employees. Now, biometric technology has also created devices that read a person’s voice, keystroke dynamics, or signature. Behavioral characteristics tend to change over a period of time, so the biometric machine must be updated each time it is in use. Behavior-based biometric products are relatively less expensive then the physiological based machines. Physiological biometric machines offer a greater protection of security and accuracy.

There are many advantages to the usage of biometric technology in the application of time management. There are no longer forgotten passwords, stolen pin numbers, or lost cards. This saves companies money on replacement costs. Plus biometric products offer the highest level of security. The positive identification identifies the individual, not their name badge or timesheet. It is impossible for an employee to commit fraud or forgery when using the biometric system to record time and attendance. It is non-intrusive, mobile and serves as a “key” that cannot be coerced or transferred. These are the top reasons why a biometric product, the technology of the future, is becoming the technology of today.

Electronic time recorders are used to manage time and attendance through an electrical device usually attached to a wall somewhere in the office or business. There are specific electronic time recorders that are designed for small businesses. These recorders allow businesses to keep up with their essential
time keeping needs. The smaller electronic recorders allow for businesses to more affordably record time for job and document tracking and payroll. Some of the electronic time recorder models employ the technology of NASA as they are made to synchronize with the National Institute of Standard’s and Technology’s atomic clock. This enables the recorder to automatically adjust for Daylight Savings Time. Some time recorders use punch cards that automatically punch the time, in or out, on an employee’s time card. In purchasing an electronic time recorder a smaller business is able to use the art of time management to effectively increase their profit margins. This allows for small businesses to grow into large businesses.

A nightmare is created when someone is given the task to manually record and track thousands of employees’ time and attendance hours. Any of the above mentioned products can make this job a hundred times easier. Without this technology larger companies could lose millions through hand-written timesheets or “buddy punching”. Plus a company is not able to efficiently track an employee’s tardiness or absenteeism. Attendance software and biometric technology erase fraud, reduce time wasting and provide more effective use of human resource and financial departments.

Some companies have implemented a tracking system that applies two or more of time tracking technologies. These companies usually combine a biometric scanner with a bar code reader. The way this system works is that a person must swipe their id badge and then insert two fingers into the biometric device. The device reads their one-of-a-kind whorls and ridges of their fingers. The company database is first activated with the swipe of the id badge and then the employee time is recorded through the biometric reading. If an employee goes from one work site to another, it will be easy for them to swipe in and out, as long as each site is equipped with the same system. This allows an employer to track employees that are sent outside of the office to work. Some systems are so advanced that if an employee does not show up at a particular site that day the system will notify whoever is in charge by way of e-mail.

Companies that hire temporary employees can also use this attendance verification software. To utilize this type of technology the temporary employee’s information needs to be put into the software and then removed when the employee finishes their working term. Payroll data no longer has to be manually entered and an employer does not have to manually track down an employee. The system works well with most human resources and payroll software. The benefits are endless and so are the savings.

It is not only necessary to employ the proper devices to effectively track time, but time management practices must also be used to keep track of time and attendance. By following a few simple and easy time management tips an employer will save even more time and money. It is very important to know the difference between “felt time” and “clock time”. “Felt time” includes the effects on your health and productivity in relation to peak experiences. Once you understand the concept of “felt time” you are able to transform your time into a level of timelessness. This takes away the “felt” pressure of deadlines and allows a worker to work more efficiently. Another factor to remember is to increase your level of absorption into each activity you perform. Do not look at the time clock but instead put yourself one hundred percent into the project at hand. Complete an overview of your time used and make sure that you time was used effectively. All of these time management tips can lead to decreases in stress levels and increases in productivity levels. Whatever practice of time management you use, whether it is electronic devices, biometric products or online timesheets just remember all of your options. There is definitely an option out there to suit all of your business needs.