Employee time theft can’t be ignored. It’s far too costly for any sized business. While there is no way to completely eliminate this problem, there are ways to monitor your employees for time theft.
1. Biometric Devices Paired with Time & Attendance Software
One of the most common types of time theft is “buddy punching.” This occurs when a colleague clocks in a late or absent coworker.
Biometric devices deter this form of employee theft. These devices use physical or behavioral characteristics in order to identify an employee. Here are a few examples:
- Hand punch scanners – Verify a workers’ attendance using a three-dimensional scan of that person’s hand. It measures the length, width and height of the hand and then uses this information to analyze the shape of their hand for comparison in the future. It’s considered to be more accurate than fingerprint scans.
- Retinal scanners – Scan retinal blood vessels because these patterns are unique to the individual. Light is more readily absorbed in this portion of the eye and the scanner’s lighting system picks up on those patterns – storing that information for future comparisons.
- Voice recognition devices – Compare voice clips with your employees’ previously recorded vocal patterns.
- Fingerprint scanners – Digitally capture a snapshot of your employee’s fingerprint pattern. This approach is considered to be about 99% accurate.
Pros of Biometric Device Use
- Prevents buddy punching because the employee has to be present for the scan
- Electronically connects to time and attendance software
- More accurate record of employee attendance – less dollars lost
Cons of Biometric Device Use
- If one of these devices is also used for entry into a high security area, it’s possible for an employee to be forced to wrongfully use their credentials for someone else’s gain.
2. Global Positioning System (GPS) Tracking
When you have off-site employees, it’s harder to track their attendance. You might never know if they’re late to arrive at scheduled appointments, or if they choose not to show up altogether. They may even run personal errands or complete side jobs on company time.
With location technology, you can record mobile employees’ position and arrival and departure times. This information can be accessed from your electronic device – like a laptop, tablet, desktop computer, or smartphone – and often in real time.
Pros of Location Technology
- Real time recording of employees’ location
- Ability to send text alerts to update client address or a change in itinerary
Con of Location Technology
- Your employee can be in the right location, doing the wrong thing
3. Telephone Time Monitoring
With telephone time monitoring, your off-site workers can use a mobile phone or landline to clock in for work. They would simply call in and follow the necessary prompts and the system would record their work hours.
Pro of Telephone Time Monitoring
- Option to use voice recognition for increased accuracy
Con of Telephone Time Monitoring
- There’s no way to know if they’re actually working
Monitoring employees for time theft may seem invasive, but when done respectfully and within clear boundaries, using one of these approaches can protect your assets.