I'll just sit here on the proverbial fence and watch both sides duke it out and instigate a little. I am not a company man by any means but I see the value of a time clock on larger construction projects. If I was a company owner, you best believe I would be watching my bottom line. Time clocks serve many useful puposes.
A good time clock system is a tool that takes an employee just a few seconds to use. It actually is a benefit to the employee since it is now a record in case of miscalculation of their paycheck. If there is an error you got a record to fall back on and is legible. Many places the foreman or supervisor had the discression of "hand write" the times in for several reasons that can delay employees like adnormal traffic jams and even new cars can break down unexpectedly. Many employer understand this and have measures in place for situations like this. Some employers prefer you to be late if you are running late. It is better to have an employee be late and drive safe then driving recklessly to try to be on time, especially if they are driving a company rig. The employee and the employer will lose more then just a few minutes of work if the employee gets into an accident.
Data from the time clocks can reduce hours of paperwork in the office and chasing down employees trying to decipher the chicken scatch hand writing. Mine is terrible. It can save time in proccessing payroll and save time in project management. We all know time is money.
The use of time clocks and hand written time cards both have their pluses and minuses just like the tools in your pouch. You may not always agree with your employers choices, however they are one steering the company. Some employers uses the time clock to micro-manage. Some times it is needed. Too many people abuse the honor system for the honest folks. Then again if the one signing my check wants me to punch a clock so I can get a paycheck, I will. That is part of agreeing to work for someone. The more efficent a company is, the more competitive they can be. The more competitive they are, the more likelyhood you have a job next winter. There is no such thing as job security
If the employer is just dirty rotten scondral just to screw employess, go work for somebody else. The overall market is good for sparkies and getting better every year. I work for me, not the employer. I will give them an honest day work and respect for an honest day pay and the respect back. Good electricians are marketable.
