Hayley Mills, long-lost twins Susan Evers & Sharon McKendrick in “The Parent Trap” (1961).
We love it when our favorite characters from literature or cinema make elaborate imposter plots. However, posing as someone other than yourself is not always as bold as in a Shakespeare comedy or “The Parent Trap.” ”
Micro-deception is something that business owners may see in their daily work environment. Time theft through what we call “buddy punching” is one of the main ways companies lose money on payroll. ”
New research has shown that buddy punching is a major cost to US employers. It costs them more than $373 million annually.
Buddy punching is when coworkers (usually friends) pretend to be another employee and manipulate their friend’s time card. Buddy punching is common when one employee is late or absent from work. Even honest hourly employees can find it tempting to punch a buddy. Employees who don’t want to be reprimanded or lose valuable time on their paychecks may not like the idea.
You might be asking, “Is buddy punching possible even with digital timesheets?” Yep. Technology is one step ahead. One tracking feature at a moment solves the buddy punching problem.
1. GPS-Enabled Mobile Time Counter
Buddy punching becomes more difficult if your employees use a mobile app like TSheets for clocking in and out every day. Enable GPS tracking to track each employee’s location. The app will ping them when they clock in, out, or change their job codes.
You’ll know if an employee clocks in, but isn’t at the office or on the jobsite. This is ideal for mobile workforces and crews that travel from job site to jobsite. Employers can check on employees at all times to see who is working and where they are.
As you can see, employees will be less likely to clock into work if they know where their location is. Are you unsure how employees will react to GPS tracking around the clock? Find out the facts!
2. Biometric Time Tracking
Biometrics uses advanced technology such as facial recognition or fingerprints to identify who is clocking-in. This makes it impossible for fakes to buddy punch. Modern technology allows for facial recognition and retina scanning, or a combination of both, to keep track of employees clocking in/out.
Biometrics are not hack-proof. To prevent buddy punching, you don’t have to hire a cyborg workforce. There are many easier ways!
3. Photo Capture Functionality
A cloud-based time tracking system is the best method to review and approve employee hours quickly. You might wonder if employees can still buddy punch even if they have a unique password or PIN. Again, yes. Unfortunately. It’s as simple as employees sharing their login information to their friend.
AKiosk allows employees to punch in their time and capture photos. This feature can be enabled on your kiosk by requiring employees to smile at the camera before they clock in for a job. Photos of employees are saved to their timesheets, right next their name and timestamp.
If there are identical twins in your staff, it’s a good thing. A photo capture can be used to eliminate buddy punching in your business. Administrators can view who clocks in for each entry before they approve submitted time cards.
Time Tracking on Your Seite
Buddy punching is a frustrating and dishonest act. The expensive employee loophole, which is reminiscent of Viola, Shakespeare’s identity-bending twin, and “The Parent Trap,” will soon be gone. Technology has made it possible to track time accurately and honestly, eliminating the risk of employees stealing time.
Have you ever experienced a prob?
