Why Choose a Biometric Time and Attendance System?
Change in the workplace can be daunting, and well-established employees can be resistant to the introduction of new systems. Businesses that rely on staff attendance to company property need to be able to track who is on-site. This used to be done with time stamp paper cards or scanning a staff ID pass. With technological advances, a biometric time and attendance system is now the modern version of ‘clocking in’.
A biometric time and attendance system scans unique parts of the human body to verify a person’s identity. The features most used are handprints, fingerprints, and faces. The details recorded in the system are a series of numbers relating to the body part that has been scanned. For example, the distance between the corner of your eyes in relation to the end of your nose would be stored as a number.
With a biometric time and attendance system, there is no need to use a proximity card or fob to sign in to work. This enables a swift entrance and exit to the building and negates any problems with staff losing or forgetting ID cards and not being able to gain access. This is not the only reason to choose a biometric system; here are a few more benefits to help you decide.
Protect Against Time Theft
As a biometric system uses unique data to log staff attendance, it prevents employee impersonation and time theft. Commonly known as ‘buddy punching’ timesheet fraud enables people to hold multiple jobs but only turn up for one shift. Employee time theft can also occur to cover sickness or other absence if another person uses the employee card or fob to gain access.
As the data stored in the biometric system is unique to one person, it ensures accurate time attendance records. The working environment is also made more secure as only staff members can gain access.
Increase Levels of Security & Safety
A biometric time and attendance system can record multiple details on the device. It is recommended for fingerprint scanners that two different prints are registered for each person. This means that if an employee injures the main finger used for the system, they could still gain access using the second fingerprint registered on the device.
Facial recognition systems allow up to five different images per person to be stored, for example, with and without glasses.
In using a biometric device to gain access to the workplace, the system protects against unauthorised entry. When a member of staff leaves the company, their details can be instantly removed from the system. This eliminates any concerns about them gaining unlawful access using a card or fob they have kept.
Biometric devices can also act as a very effective access control system, allowing for management of high-security areas where entry is limited to specific staff members. As proximity cards or fobs are easily stolen, using unique biometric data at entrances ensures the maximum level of security.
With a secure entrance and exit system, you can be sure that all the correct members of staff are in the right place. When required, a fire roll call can be generated for a quick and easy checklist to make sure all staff are accounted for.
Accurate Payroll Process
To have an accurate payroll process, you need a reliable time and attendance system. Once installed the biometric time and attendance system can be linked up to your companies timesheet software to track the hours employees have worked.
Investment into a secure attendance system results in fewer staff queries and errors. The need for manual timesheet checks is reduced, saving time and money. With accurate attendance records, evidence for tribunals and disciplinaries can be relied upon.
Recognition of Staff Behaviours
In a busy working environment, it can be challenging to monitor the attendance of staff. Biometric time and attendance systems stop time logging issues and remove problems of lost proximity cards or fobs.
Employees may resent the installation of a biometric system and may feel like all their movements are being tracked. However, a secure system is as much of a benefit to employees as it is to the business. An accurate time and attendance system can record all working hours so any overtime worked can be flagged.
By investing in a secure time and attendance system, employers can monitor staff that are working longer hours as well as staff that appear to have timekeeping issues. With accurate timesheet reporting problems in the workplace can be discussed and resolved in a way that puts care for the staff as a priority.
Will You Choose A Biometric Time and Attendance System?
A biometric time and attendance system not only helps streamline business processes, but it also provides high levels of security and can help manage staff performance. Once, only an affordable option for large businesses, cost reductions now make them a viable solution for businesses of all sizes.