Attendance Management Woes: How Do You Handle Frequent Punch-In/Out Misses?

Attendance Management Challenges

This is Surekha Rajaram from an IT MNC. We have an internal biometric system for tracking in-out timings of employees. We have a clause wherein, in case the employee forgets to punch in or punch out, he/she has to drop an email to the HR department mentioning the correct time. We then update the records using our Internal Application.

Recently, the number of employees who forget to punch in or out has significantly increased. I kindly request you to share any Attendance Policy or Attendance Regularizing Process, if available, that can help us streamline our Attendance Management.

Thanks in Advance!

Best Regards,
Surekha Rajaram
Sr. Executive - HR

I think the process you are using is very simple, but it is not an authenticated process. An employee may email the wrong timing to the HR department as it is not verified by their HOD. I suggest that if anyone forgets to punch in on the machine, then he/she should submit the attached form duly signed by their HOD to the HR department. Additionally, you should circulate a notice stating that if anyone forgets to punch in more than three times in a month, the HR department will automatically deduct half a day's leave.

I believe this suggestion will help streamline the process.

Regards,
Neha Joshi

Thank you, Neha! We only accept and correct an employee's timings once we receive an approval email from his/her HOD. Thank you for your kind input! I will surely work on it.

Best Regards,
Surekha Rajaram

It's an old trick. If you are late by, say, 10 minutes, don't punch. Go and send an email, get HoD approval (who didn't check the exact time everyone came in), and you are saving a late mark or half-day penalty. Once people see someone doing it, they all start doing it.

We have a policy where anyone not punching in is marked absent. In one week, all missed punches stopped. In a few genuine cases (come on, who actually forgets to punch in and out?), they have gone and punched again, getting marked late but at least not marked absent. Next time, that person will also not forget.