Clocking in machines have been used in the workplace for decades, and while they may have changed in appearance over the years they are as useful in business efficiency as they were in time gone buy. Watch any old British film from the 60’s where part of the action is set in a factory and you will invariably see them punching their card in the clocking in machine. Even though these are now digital and swipe cards are used the premise is the same.
The main reason for a clocking in machine is to ensure that staff are punctual at the end of their shift and don’t leave before they are due to. The efficiency of a business depends totally on the staff and those who are persistently late can actually benefit from these machines. Companies will not tolerate perpetual lateness and many have been sacked for this. Those who haven’t yet reached that point will find they are short in their wages and most companies have a strict policy on latecomers.
Some dock workers as much as half an hours pay for being 2 minutes late, so it is in their best interests to buck up their ideas in the morning and not press snooze on their phone for the third time. Competition is fierce for jobs these days and even if you say you will make it up at the end of your shift the chances are another shift pattern will be taking over so there is no opportunity to do so.
Payroll will pay wages depending on the data from the clocking on machines and managers will also check them to ensure everyone is punctual and in their place ready for their shift to begin. They don’t care if the dog was sick, the kids were mucking about or your car wouldn’t start, they work on facts and figures and that machine says you were late, simple as. Never try and get someone else to swipe in for you either as a) this proves you are aware of your tardiness and unwilling to do anything about it and b) you could both be dismissed.
It is a very effective way of making an unpunctual person manage their time better in the morning as nobody wants to lose money, or in the worst case scenario their job, purely because their time management in the mornings is poor. It may seem a pain at first to organise yourself so you are out of the door in plenty of time to make it to work but it will soon become routine.
Simple things such as setting the alarm 30 minutes earlier, or getting your clothes and other bits and pieces ready the night before can make a huge difference to how you manage your time in the morning. Love them or loathe them, with most falling into the latter category, clocking in machines are here to stay, and are there to benefit both the company and the employees.