

However, that path can be a slippery slope. In these examples, employees are simply following a path of least resistance. Ultimately, fear of punishment or lost pay may compel one employee to ask another to clock them in or out. A caregiver may be late when an elderly parent is having a rough morning. A parent may need to slip out of work fifteen minutes early to pick up children from school. As employees try to negotiate the proper work-life balance, inflexible schedules and rigid leave policies may drive them to buddy punching. Some personnel may also be willing to “help out” a coworker as a way to impress or gain acceptance, also known as sweethearting. The social bonds between coworkers, as well as the desire to support each other, may override an employee’s normal work ethic and their commitment to their employer’s success.
#Buddy punch login software#
Technology can deter and even frustrate attempts at buddy punching, but no hardware or software exists that can deprogram human nature. The important thing to remember here is that there is no silver bullet. For example, an employee may obtain a second card on the pretext having lost the original, allowing them to hand-off their extra to a buddy puncher. Even fail-safes such as keycards can be circumvented. But even with advanced timekeeping solutions, employees who have a mind to game the system will find a way.Īccess codes can easily be shared (despite the fact that this private data deserves special protection), and algorithms can be exploited.
#Buddy punch login manual#
In stores still using manual punch-in procedures, oftentimes employees don’t realize helping out a friend this way is against attendance policies. Having trouble making time to optimize your labor management efforts? See how TRUNO can help your business keep pace.īuddy punching is a practice any business relying on hourly workers must monitor and control. Read on to learn more about the causes and consequences of buddy punching-and how you can mitigate both. Without that trust, a grocery store cannot sustain a productive and profitable culture. Worst of all, buddy punching is a violation of the trust between management and its employees. Moreover, buddy punching skews the data employers rely upon to ensure the accuracy and efficiency of their scheduling procedures. Who wouldn’t do a favor for a good friend? But realize it or not, when one team member clocks in or out for another, they are committing fraud.įor grocery stores already working with thin margins, the hidden costs of these little white lies can quickly ring up a big total. Even the name we’ve given this practice-buddy punching-sounds innocuous. Most retail employees have heard it before: “I’m running a little late, can you punch me in?” Or perhaps, “I have to cut out a few minutes early today, can you punch me out?” It may seem harmless enough to employees simply trying to juggle their schedules.
