Increasingly more and more companies across sectors such as Facilities Management and Security are experiencing scheduling and attendance management issues related to time theft, otherwise known as ‘buddy clocking’. And more significantly there has been a rise in instances of non-employed staff turning up to work shifts i.e. family member of an existing employee working their shift for them.
Now this is an extremely serious issue as it exposes the business to a multitude of risks, and in fact the business could be in breach of a number of Acts if this matter is not resolved, for example:
- Work Health & Safety Act 2011;
- Health & Safety Offences Act 2008;
- Work Health & Safety Regulation 2011
Business owners and employers are legally required to provide and maintain a safe and healthy workplace, and legislation requires you to:
- Ensure safe systems at work;
- Ensure safe handling of goods and substances;
- Provide information, instruction, training and supervision to your staff to ensure they are kept safe;
- Assess risks and implement appropriate measures to control them;
- Investigate incidents and take remedial action to avoid similar occurrences.
But what if there are bogus staff working on site – they will not have had the appropriate site briefing, equipment and health and safety training, will not have been screened and referenced appropriately, and ultimately will not have a vested interest in maintaining the standards of your company.
What risks and damage are they causing your business… of course some businesses may turn a blind eye to this and some simply won’t know but as already covered in this article, there are numerous legal liabilities and ramifications to your business – as well as your reputation and client trust.
So how do you mitigate this risk and prevent bogus employees from working on your client site?
The answer is to use a biometric terminal interfaced with your time and attendance management system such as MetreX from Logosoft. Biometric terminals are used to provide confirmed identity of the employee along with time and attendance (book on/off) information.
Each fingerprint credential has a unique and unalterable identity which is used by the terminal to confirm identity. A user simply swipes their finger and the credential is read instantaneously. Date and time information is added to the user’s ID and transmitted in real-time to the Roster Manager database, providing true verification of staff whereabouts.
This solution also gives you added benefits such as eliminating time theft (known as ‘buddy clocking’) and offers complete peace-of-mind for clients requiring proof of presence of service.
For more information about MetreX please visit www.logosoft.co.uk/products/metrex.php
