Transitioning from Manual Cards to Biometric Attendance: How to Create a Clear Policy for Employees

Dear All,

I am in need of a policy for the employees regarding the attendance machine. This is because, for example, a company installs an attendance machine (such as biometric) and it is necessary for the employees to be informed of certain rules and regulations to maintain discipline and facilitate a smooth transition to the changed attendance system, as the employees have been using a manual card system for attendance up until now.

Kindly guide me if any useful information can be gathered.

Thanks and regards

Dear friend,

From old to new... from old practices to new practices, from old methods to new methods... This phenomenon is called Change Management. What policy do you want for change management? This starts with education, training, involvement, and finally, penalties.

First step: Call for a meeting and inform everyone about the need for the new method.

Second step: Issue a circular detailing the effective date.

Third step: Send circulars highlighting defaults and problems caused due to this.

Fourth step: Review with the heads of departments.

Fifth step: If defaults continue, analyze the reasons. If there are technical reasons, correct them first. If there are attitudinal issues, indicate penalties.

Sixth step: Remind about penalty clauses.

Seventh step: Implement penalties.

Siva

As discussed by our friends, there is no fixed rule or policy. A little more detail would help our forum members answer you.

Normally, FIRST IN PUNCH will be considered as Time in, and the last PUNCH OUT will be Time out for attendance in biometric systems. If you use software for attendance, then I will be able to give you more details.

Software associated with the biometric can capture every movement of an employee if it is synced with the readers. However, for the sake of attendance, the first in and last out are taken.

Regards, Chennai Ibrahim

Hi Vidya,

I went through the points on managing change and the calculation point. I have one question: if "First time in" and "Last time out" are considered, how do you take into consideration if one of the employees had gone out on personal work for 4 hours in between or had taken an extended lunch, say for 2 hours?

Thank you.

Dear Vidya,

Each time an employee moves out, the same is scanned as a thumbprint on the machine, and the machine works on events; that is, time in and time out. If, in case, the employee moves from the office for any work, they give the same imprint on the biometric in the form of a thumb impression. When they come back, a similar thumb impression is taken as time in. The thumb impression only shows the time in and out. However, what I have observed is that even the thumb impression machine has to be manually administered. For example, in the above case, the administrator will have to mention the code, i.e., out for official work, in the form of a code. What I have witnessed is that the thumb impression machine needs manual administering too. So, it is not that the machine keeps you away from manual administering, but it is only that the thumb impression machine minimizes proxy attendance.

Well, Mr. Ibrahim, thank you for the same. What I wanted was if there is any such policy which could be set to check that employees are adhering to the smooth functioning of the attendance system through a thumb impression type machine. Like instructions for employees to come 15 minutes before to ensure that the attendance is administered well in time and they are not marked late. Or providing them with instructions to operate the same and telling them to adhere to it. Does an organization have to set the same, or is there any policy for it, preferably thumb impression type?

Thanks and Regards

Dear Friends,

It is quite easy in some software where we can define in-time and out-time limits as per our need. It may be the next day also for a specific shift. These software can take care of night shift working as well and will calculate overtime and other time management information as required, since these are fully user-defined and can be changed when policy changes are implemented. We too have a Windows-based system for this purpose.

Hi Rashid,

Do you think this machine's activity and function are part of your company policy?

I have never heard or seen such machine function/activities related quotes in the HR policies of any US, European, Australian, or Middle Eastern companies.

I can only say that it's not "POLICY"; it's only "INFORMATION" about machine functions.

Some people mislead all members by posting wrong questions.

Rashid