In recent years, there have been a lot of changes in business and workplace environments. Digital advancement and the rise of freelance and flexible work are only some of the factors contributing to such changes. As a result, businesses have learned to adapt in terms of keeping records of attendance and tracking the amount of time spent by employees on different projects.
If you want to have a clocking in system installed for your business, companies like Egress Systems can provide you with high-quality, high-performance attendance tracking solutions. You can choose among the options available to you depending on your business’ unique needs and circumstances.
Read on to learn more about clocking in systems and some of the ways you can use one to keep an eye on your employees’ attendance and improve the productivity within your enterprise.
Biometric Time Clocks
This system uses biometrics—the unique behavioural and physical attributes of your employees—in recording their attendance. Most modern biometric time clocks now have cloud-based databases allowing business owners and supervisors to access data online. Data export through the Internet is also possible.
The most popular types of biometric time clock are:
- Fingerprint Time Clocks: As the name suggests, the identifying mark that an employee can use to clock in and out with this machine is their fingerprint. It’s a straightforward way of recording the time your staff spends at work. It’s also convenient for your team members because modern fingerprint time clocks can now accommodate multiple fingerprints. This means employees can use any finger from either hand to clock in using the machine.
- Facial Recognition Time Clocks: A more powerful biometric time clock, facial recognition clocking systems identify employees based on their face’s defining characteristics. All your team members have to do to clock in and out is to step in front of the machine’s built-in camera, and the software will start recording.
Reasons Firms Are Switching To Biometric Time Clocks
- Reduce time theft: If you have a biometric terminal, your employees won’t be able to cheat the system, be it clocking in for others who are running late or deliberately taking long lunch hours. This will save you a lot of money in the long run.
- Improves security: Although it can be a relief knowing that only the employees who are physically at work are clocking in, you may employ the same biometric system to prevent unauthorised entry to restricted rooms.
- It’s easy to clock in: With biometric systems, there are no PINs to remember or cards to safeguard, simplifying the process of clocking in.
Are There Any Laws Surrounding Biometric Clock Systems?
As an employer, it’s vital for you to understand some of the rules and regulations governing the usage of any data gathered from employees. These control how you collect consent, store data, and how and when you can destroy the collected data. Conduct extensive research to understand the rules and policies in your state and avoid conviction should you accidentally violate any of them.
Proximity Readers
Long-established options for clocking in machines are proximity readers. What makes this particular device stand out from the other clocking systems is its simplicity. It minimises the time that employees have to spend using the clock. All they need to do is to bring their key fob or access card within close proximity to the machine. Some key fobs and access cards can even work from inside the employee’s pocket or wallet, providing extra convenience.
Similar to using biometric time clocks, you can also instantly access employee attendance data online with proximity readers. They have real-time ethernet connectivity that allows you to send data continuously throughout a given workday to a third-party payroll service provider as your staff members clock in and out.
Proximity readers may have existed for quite some time now, but today’s machines are no doubt built for modern businesses. In addition to being able to export data to their payroll partner, business owners can also:
- Calculate overtime
- Customise overtime
- Perform staff scheduling
- Export reports to Excel and other software
Benefits Of Employee Clocking In Systems
- Correct Time Recording
The process of clocking in and out allows your employees to state their start and finish times accurately. In case they need a break, they should clock in and out so you can track the time they’ve spent on a particular project.
- Improved Payroll Accuracy
Clocking in systems may eliminate errors associated with tracking time manually, ensuring that you keep a correct record of working hours for each employee. This will make the process of payroll generation much easier.
- Fairness And Transparency
Avoid assuming that some employees and departments might be more productive than others. Time clocks give an accurate report of each employee’s working hours and patterns, improving their sense of justice.
Bottom Line
Clocking in machines create an indisputable record of when your team members clocked in and out on any workday. This won’t only result in an accurate payroll but also make staff scheduling and data reporting more straightforward for your company’s management team. That’s why it’s crucial to choose the right clocking system for your organisation in order for you to know the accurate working hours of each employee. That way, mistakes will be reduced, disputes can be avoided as much as possible, and your team members can focus on being productive at work.
