Highlights
- Biometric time clock systems help companies track employees’ attendance and work hours by recognizing biological features such as fingerprints or facial scans.
- Timekeeping methods based on biometric data are highly accurate and eliminate fraudulent practices such as buddy punching.
- At EPAY, we provide biometric time clock systems and a variety of time and attendance solutions to help you monitor your distributed workforce. Request a demo today!
Tracking time and attendance is key to ensuring error-free payroll and full compliance with labor laws and regulations. While there are multiple ways of tracking work hours, biometric time clock systems are by far the most accurate solution.
By relying on cutting-edge technology that’s able to recognize fingerprints, faces, or even voices, these systems keep your business protected from fraudulent time theft practices.
Keep reading to learn how biometric time clock systems work, their main advantages, and why they can be the best solution to manage your workforce.
Let’s dive in!
What Are Biometric Time Clock Systems?
Biometric time clock systems are advanced timekeeping solutions that use unique physical or behavioral characteristics of individuals to accurately record their attendance or work hours. These systems are used by companies to monitor employee attendance, track work hours, and prevent time theft.
Biometric time clock systems use one or more biological features that are unique to each person — such as fingerprints, handprints, facial recognition, iris scans, or voice recognition — to identify and authenticate employees.
Biometric Time Clock Systems Benefits
Biometric time clock systems offer several advantages over traditional timekeeping methods, like paper timesheets or manual punch clocks:
- Reduces time theft. With biometric systems, companies can identify and authenticate employees with a high level of accuracy, eliminating practices like buddy punching (when one employee clocks in or out on behalf of another) and other forms of time theft.
- Improves security. Biometric data is unique to each individual and difficult to fake or replicate, offering more security than traditional timekeeping methods.
Increased accuracy can save your business a significant amount of labor costs, with some companies reporting savings of anywhere from 1.5-10% of their gross payroll (EPAY).
- It’s easy to use. Employees can quickly clock in and out using their biometric data without needing physical tokens or passwords, making the process more convenient and efficient.
- Keeps your business compliant. By accurately tracking employee work hours, companies can stay compliant with labor regulations and ensure payroll information is accurate.
How Biometric Time Clock Systems Work
Biometric time clock systems recognize unique biological features of employees to accurately record their attendance or work hours.
But how does this technology work? Let’s see a detailed breakdown of the process:
- Biometric enrollment. Employees are added to the system by providing a sample of their biometric data, such as fingerprints or facial scans, which are securely stored in the system’s database. Each employee is then assigned a unique identifier linked to their biometric data.
- Authentication. When employees need to clock in or out, the biometric time clock device prompts them to provide their biometric sample, such as placing their finger on a fingerprint scanner or positioning their face in front of a facial recognition camera.
- Biometric matching. The biometric time clock system uses advanced algorithms to compare the unique characteristics of the biometric sample with the data stored in its database.
- Identity verification. If the biometric sample matches the stored data within an acceptable threshold of similarity, the system verifies the employee’s identity. This verification process typically takes only a few seconds.
- Time recording. After verifying an employee’s identity, the system records their attendance or work hours in a database. The time clock system may also capture additional details such as the date, time, and location of the clock-in or clock-out event.
- Integration with payroll and HR systems. The recorded time and attendance data are often integrated into the company’s payroll and HR software. This makes it easy for businesses to calculate wages, manage employee records, and generate payroll reports.
Cutting-Edge Facial Recognition: Eliminating Buddy Punching
Buddy punching is a common form of time theft, which consists of having other employees punch the time clock for a co-worker who is late, leaves early, or is absent from work. Though it is not that easy to detect, time theft can be among the largest hidden costs of a business.
A study by the American Payroll Association (APA) suggests that time theft can cost businesses an estimated 1.5% to 5% of their gross payroll annually.
By implementing biometric time clock systems equipped with facial recognition technology, companies can prevent buddy punching, ensuring transparency and accuracy in their timekeeping processes.
Facial features are unique. Therefore, facial recognition is, by far, one of the most effective ways to verify a person’s identity. Using complex, state-of-the-art algorithms, facial recognition systems analyze distinctive characteristics such as the size and shape of facial features, as well as unique patterns like eye distances and jawlines.
Privacy Matters: Debunking Concerns Around Biometric Data
Despite its many advantages, there’s one extended concern around the use of biometric time clock systems: Is biometric data truly safe?
Due to its sensitive nature, biometric data needs to be managed responsibly, minimizing privacy risks.
These are some common myths about biometric data:
- Biometric data can be vulnerable to security breaches or unauthorized access.
- Biometric information can be misused for purposes beyond its intended use, such as tracking individuals without their consent or profiling them for targeted advertising.
- Collecting and storing biometric data can infringe individuals’ rights to privacy and the right to control their personal information.
However, biometric time clock systems implement a series of security measures to protect the integrity and confidentiality of biometric data, including:
- Encryption of biometric templates
- Secure storage of biometric data
- Access controls
All these measures keep biometric data protected from unauthorized access or misuse.
Companies also need to comply with legislation and regulations that impose strict requirements on the collection, storage, and use of biometric data, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). This involves obtaining explicit consent, limiting data retention periods, and ensuring transparency in their biometric data practices.
Key Advantages of EPAY’s Biometric Time Clock Systems
Looking for a way to make time tracking more efficient while reducing time fraud? Say hello to EPAY’s WalTer biometric time clock systems.
Equipped with fingerprint and facial recognition technology, our biometric timekeeping systems are a smart solution to stay on top of your workforce — especially when working with an hourly workforce and in complex work environments.
Let’s look at some of its key advantages:
- Easy to install and maintain. Either mounted on the wall or placed on a table stand, PAY’s biometric employee time clock is a breeze to install and doesn’t require any configurations from IT. And even if you move to different worksites, it’s easy to reconfigure for a new crew and job.
- Cutting-edge facial recognition technology. Get rid of buddy punching issues and make timekeeping more accurate and transparent.
- Secure, encrypted internal database. A locked-down system that safely stores employee data for up to 30 days.
- Never lose your tracking data. Even in the event of a power outage, our system keeps working thanks to its internal and optional external batteries.
- Prevent fraudulent Workers’ Comp claims. When workers punch out after a shift, the system can ask them “Did you have a safe workday?”. That way, you can keep a daily record and be prepared in case of unexpected Workers’ Compensation claims.
- Easy-to-use interface and self-service tools. Employees can punch in and out easily, without wasting any time. They can also have access to their timecards, pay stubs, attendance, and time-off balances right from the clock — and even use it to request PTO. Managers can also save time by delivering messages to employees when they clock in and out.
- Add functionalities based on your needs. For example, you can stay in control of your employees’ meal break lengths by setting a minimum duration before employees can clock back in.
Request a Demo of EPAY’s Biometric Time Clock Systems
EPAY’s biometric time clock systems can be adapted to all kinds of industries and workplace dynamics. This versatility is what makes it a powerful solution to keep track of your employee’s attendance and work hours.
If you are interested in learning how EPAY’s biometric time clock can help your company, ask for a live demo of our time and labor management system!
Biometric Time Clock Systems Final Ideas
Keeping track of employees’ attendance and work hours is essential to ensure fair and transparent payroll and monitor your workforce’s productivity and performance.
While there are different timekeeping alternatives available, biometric time clock systems offer enhanced accuracy and leave no room for fraudulent practices, like buddy punching. Easy to install and use, biometric systems can be adapted to multiple workplaces and circumstances.
At EPAY, we provide a wide range of time and attendance solutions, including biometric time clock systems. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Our HR and payroll software is designed for companies managing an hourly workforce and can help you manage various HR tasks, from hiring and onboarding to benefits administration and payroll.
Contact us to learn how we can help your business be more efficient and productive with cutting-edge solutions!
