Routine tracking of employee log-in/log-out times is provided with basic time and attendance systems. Employees do not need to stamp a card anymore; they simply swipe a magnetic card through a reader or sign in on a computer. In this way at the end of the pay period, each employee's hours are automatically reported to Human Resources, eliminating mistakes and diminishing paperwork.

Many companies use biometric devices to avoid "buddy punching." Employees use their fingerprints or handprints instead of using a card. Moreover, companies with remote offices can even let employees use touch-tone telephones or the Internet to report their hours.

Profits of replacing your time clock
Time clock software provides several profits collecting employee data into a database. In addition, managers get easy access to employee data, plus tools to audit the information for accuracy. Nevertheless, most time clock packages also offer schedule management. It allows supervisors to create and keep up a schedule for each employee. Moreover, supervisors are able to set rules for scheduling staffers, including setting break times, holidays, and even whether overtime is allowable. Most systems even allow track tardiness and patterns of absenteeism.

Is time clock software affordable?
Very often packages suited for almost any size business are offered with time keeping software vendors and resellers. And companies with fewer than 25 to 40 employees can get simple time and attendance software. As new time clocks cost almost that much it should be an easy decision.

Time and attendance software usually starts at several thousand dollars for companies with hundreds or thousand of employees. However, it typically includes more features, more hard reporting, and can be more extensively made over for your business.

You may wonder how you ever got by with your old fashioned time clock. By the way, many companies achieve positive ROI within a few months of their initial investment.