One of the main purposes of biometric clocking in systems is to prevent timesheet fraud, where staff edit their timesheet to their advantage, or clock in or out on behalf of someone else. This is especially prevalent in businesses with temporary staff, as they are not usually as loyal as they know they are not working there long term. Clocking in for someone else is widespread and can be used by someone to hide their lateness or absence. Such dishonesty negatively affects the organisation, leading to a loss of profit for the company through fraudulently claimed pay.
Biometric time and attendance systems can provide confidence not only for the employer, but also for staff and the general public by ensuring legal compliance. This includes situations where either the employee needs to be specifically trained for the role, or if there is a health and safety compliance issue, such as for when working with vulnerable people. In situations such as there where employees may be working someone where security is paramount, clocking in terminals can be used to control entry to buildings allowing only staff with the necessary clearance to be able to enter. Other entry methods, such as proximity cards can be easily stolen or lost, compromising security for the organisation, and also for the employee’s safety. With a lost, stolen, or damaged proximity card clocking in mistakes can be avoided.
In the event of fire a time recording system can be used as an accurate and reliable way of identifying who is on the premises, easily accounting for anyone that may be missing. Fire fighters do not need to search for people who may or may not be on the premises because their colleague clocked in for them on their behalf. The situation where people who may have forgotten to clock in with a clock card can also be avoided.
Deterring employees that are intent on fraud and stopping them from committing it in the first place, which restricts the amount of hours being claimed fraudulently, is a significant benefit. Biometric time and attendance systems can reduce the time and money wasted by human resources staff that have to check timesheets and pursue anyone that falls under suspicion of falsifying information, reducing the frequency of disciplinary action, and therefore any subsequent tribunal, which can be costly.
Biometric time recording systems have been used extensively for some time to assist with workforce management. Despite widespread use, misconceptions and confusion about the technology and its capabilities continue. These concerns are quickly dispelled when the facts about biometric systems are communicated to clients. Biometrics offers the ability to accurately and quickly capture staff data in real time while allowing administration staff to be able to run audit trails to ensure data compliance. When correctly deployed, these systems work accurately, safely and securely, offering organisations a wide range of indirect and direct benefits, savings on cost, and they provide operational benefits way above traditional systems. Many companies now use biometric clocking in systems to automate their employee’s time and attendance data, representing a significant saving.
