| Tracking employee attendance is not just | | | | they clock out. If you wanted to make life a little |
| important, it's vital to any small business. As far | | | | easier for your employees, you could opt for the |
| as costs are concerned, the greatest cost for | | | | time clock and time card system. Same concept, |
| most businesses is payroll. And, in an economy | | | | an employee just punches in an out instead of |
| where boosting sales cannot be your sole | | | | writing on the time sheet. Simple. |
| strategy, the other option, cost cutting, is apt to | | | | Yes, the KISS principle does apply with these first |
| be at the top of your list. Before considering the | | | | two options (and quite beautifully I might add). But |
| thought of reducing the size of your workforce, | | | | that last "S", the "Stupid S" can apply a bit as well. |
| consider a different alternative: managing your | | | | I'm not saying that it is unintelligent or not wise to |
| employees time and attendance. | | | | use time sheets or time clocks. What I am saying |
| Why time and attendance? We all remember the | | | | is that it requires a considerable amount of time |
| kid who used to show up to class only to sleep | | | | from the attendance manager and that it relies |
| through it. Sure, the kid was in attendance, but | | | | completely on the honor system. If you've got a |
| they were not exactly productive during their | | | | small tight-knit business, either option is acceptable |
| snooze festival. Tracking employee attendance | | | | and probably the best fit for your organization. |
| is no longer just for hourly employees, it's for | | | | However, when your business grows in size and |
| salaried employees as well. Monitoring when your | | | | you're managing more than 25 employees, it's |
| employees arrive, leave and take breaks is | | | | time to find another solution. It's time to look for |
| important for effectively managing employee | | | | an automated attendance system. Automated |
| productivity. Attendance alone doesn't monitor | | | | attendance systems make life easier for all |
| productivity, but it can help. | | | | involved because they are, well, automated. |
| So, how do you track employee attendance? | | | | Automation reduces the occurrence of time theft |
| Well, you could do what your teacher did in | | | | and seamlessly integrates into businesses. For HR |
| kindergarten: good ol' fashioned roll call. "Mr. Bob | | | | or the attendance manager, automation reduces |
| Brownfield?" Here. "Ms. Lettie Gladwell?" "Here." | | | | the time needed to calculate attendance and |
| Yeah, that would get old real quick for | | | | payroll, and makes creating reports a cinch. |
| EVERYONE involved. | | | | Moreover, the software in an automated system |
| You could also have everyone sign in and out | | | | exports to your payroll for you. Can it get any |
| (which is how I imagine time sheets were | | | | better? |
| developed.) The practice of using time sheets is a | | | | Well, not yet. But, the industry is certainly working |
| simple process. Employees log when they clock in, | | | | on it. Managing time attendance is simple, but it's |
| when they take lunch, when they take breaks (if | | | | also necessary for business. As they say, time is |
| the time sheet is particularly fancy), and when | | | | money. Do you know what you are paying for? |