The Best Employee Time Clock Features for Your Business

In picturing an employee time clock, most of us see a paper-punch model, with the employee clocking in and clocking out for every shift and break. While such standalone mechanical and electrical time clocks do provide some value for small businesses, they are also prone to errors and abuses.

For example, someone has to manually collect the cards and input the employee information, which can be time-consuming and given to error. And it’s also easy for employees to punch in and out for each other. While such actions may be accompanied by a wink and a grin, statistics compiled by the American Payroll Association show that 75% of companies may be losing money because of “buddy punching,” accounting for 2.2% of gross payrolls. No laughing matter.

Automated and Networked

More modern employee time clock systems are automated and networked, using badges with barcodes or magnetic strips, or a pin number keyed into a pad, to identify each worker punching in and out. The clock then automatically sends the information to the payroll computer, speeding up this process and avoiding transcription errors. This can also result in lower administrative costs.

However, fraud is still possible, since employees are able to share badges and pin numbers.

Biometric Systems

For an added level of security, and to counter buddy punching, small businesses might also consider biometric employee time clocks. Requiring the scan of an individually unique biological feature, such as a fingerprint, handprint or iris, these systems (also automated and networked) counter time clock fraud quite effectively.

However, these solutions do come at a higher price point than other options. You need to crunch your numbers and assess your needs to determine if the money saved will make the investment worthwhile. For many, it will.

Pre-configured Time Clocks

In essence, pre-configured time clocks are terminals that are factory-configured based on the customer’s own cases and specifications. For example, some completed in factories are your basic clock in and clock out, meal in/meal out, break in/break out.

There are additional things a customer may want to add to a time clock for employees to use. One example can be the ability to swap job roles. This feature allows employees, who have different roles within the same company, to interchangeably clock in and out of their different roles from anywhere. For instance, you could have an employee who works on the factory floor making $25 hourly, but in the afternoon he drives the forklift at $35 hourly.

Customers who buy TimeCom can have all of the timeclocks already configured as they wish before they receive them from Accu-Time Systems and displayed on the wall.

Some employee time clock models allow for upgrading to biometric functionality when your situation and budget warrant it. For example, Accu-Time Systems’ PeoplePoint Plus terminals enable you to add a biometric reader or an integrated visible or infrared barcode reader as an accessory. The system’s affordable price includes features such as web services and customizable function keys. If you’re looking for a more powerful terminal ATS PeoplePoint Premium offers unmatched application flexibility and user interaction.

Or the Accu-Time’s powerful and durable Maximus employee time clock also has a biometric scanner option and comes standard with Java and Python programmability, web services, complete field upgradeability, keypad and function customization, and much more.

To find out more about the best time clock to suit your small business, download Accu-Time Systems’ free Time Clock Whitepaper.