Managing Attendance for 500 Contract Workers: How Do You Keep Track Efficiently?

We are facing issues with the attendance of contract workers. Currently, we are manually managing attendance using cards. Could anyone suggest effective methods for controlling this process? We have a total of 500 contract workers, with 20% of them changing on a daily basis. How can we efficiently handle the daily attendance of these workers?

Thank you,

Regards,
Mili

The answer depends on whether they are under a single contractor or different ones. If it's a single contractor, then have him put a fingerprint or swipe card machine at the security gate and let security ensure that everyone puts in their own attendance.

If you have multiple contractors, then each can put in their machine, or if each has one that is too small, you can put a common one. But ensure that it's separate, distinct, and disconnected from your own attendance system.

Managing Attrition in Contract Employees

Attrition is a given in contract employees. You have to live with it. Asking contractors to provide photo swipe cards is a way of making the contractor serious about retention as it costs him money to get new workers. All your info tech team has to do is add new names to the system. At least records will be properly maintained irrespective of how many people come or go.

We have a single contractor. What are swipe cards? Which option would be better for contract labor? The attrition rate is high, and costs will increase. Would it be advisable?

Could you please provide the name of the company I should contact?

Thank you for your kind reply.

Regards,
Mili

Ask your contractor to appoint a supervisor for the same. The supervisor would take care of recruitment, attendance, exit, etc. Make two registers for males and females, record the entry of that particular laborer for the specific date, and on the last day of the month, mark the respective laborers' attendance in the attendance sheet. If your company is registered under the Factories Act, there is no need to use any attendance machine. Feel free to contact me.

Regards,
Sandeep Patil
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Single Contractor Attendance Management

Using a single contractor simplifies the process as you only need to install one attendance machine for all contract workers.

Swipe cards are magnetic cards that record attendance (in and out) by being swiped into the machine at the gate. The card contains employee details (such as an employee code) embedded into the magnetic strip. By incorporating a photo ID into the swipe card, you ensure that no one is carrying a card belonging to someone else.

Benefits of Biometric Attendance

Using biometric attendance is preferable. It records the worker's fingerprint and verifies it to ensure that the person logging their attendance is the correct one. Although the machine costs more, there is no per-person cost for issuing ID cards. I believe fingerprint attendance machines cost about 35-50k each, depending on the level of sophistication you require.

For swipe cards, the machines can cost as low as 18,000. However, each magnetic swipe card will cost you 35-50 Rs. With attrition, the cost recurs each time someone leaves and a new person joins.

You don't need to use electronic machines by law, but it makes things more foolproof.

I would be grateful if you could provide us with details regarding whether a company registered under the Factories Act needs to use an attendance machine.

With regards,

Ask the contractor to appoint or recruit a supervisor for your unit. If it is on a shift basis, there should be a supervisor for each shift.

The supervisor should provide the manpower list to the department and get it signed by your department officials at the end of each shift/day.

Upon raising the monthly bills by the contractor, check for the man-days given and actual hours with the respective department officials.

On the other hand, swipe cards/finger access will not work for the lower cadre people since the installation cost is high, and the turnover ratio is also very high in this cadre. It is not feasible because each swipe card costs Rs. 50 to 65, and registering fingerprints requires a person to be deployed for the same since there will be 25-30 new workers every day due to high demand for the lower cadre/blue-collar workforce.

Have a manual attendance register at your security gate and ask the contract employees to sign with your security supervision. If it is difficult, then have the register at the respective departments/shop floor.