What is Buddy Punching?

In simple, buddy punching is the act of an employee asking a co-worker to clock in or clock out for them. A common example would be if one employee knew that they would be late they would ask another employee to clock in for them on time to stop them being punished for their lateness. A survey in 2017 found that 16% of employees had clocked in on behalf of their co-worker.

How it harms your Business

According to the American Payroll Association (APA), employees admit to stealing 4.5 hours per week through ‘time theft’, one of the effects of buddy punching. Over the course of the financial year, this equates to a staggering 6 weeks’ worth of extra holiday per employee. If this employee earns $10 an hour, they will cost their business $2,340 over that period. If you combine this with the earlier survey that suggested that 16% of employees have committed the act of ‘buddy punching’, a business of 100 employees could on average lose out on $37,440. Which is more than enough to pay for two salaries at national minimum wage. It can also have a negative affect on company culture, as these habits can create an atmosphere within the workplace that encourages lazy and negligent traits within staff.

How can you eliminate buddy punching from your Business?

Using a bio-metric online clock in system like Smart ClockIn will remove the possibility of buddy punching harming your business by implementing an innovative QR code system which will require each employee to be physically present in work to be able to clock in. Smart ClockIn is a clocking in app that can be used from your smart device, which makes it quick and easy for staff to clock in and out of work without the need for outdated timesheets.
If you are interested in implementing Smart ClockIn within your business to ensure that your business is performing to its optimal level, please drop us an email at office@smartclockin.com or contact us via telephone on 02079984929. For more information about how Smart Clockin could benefit your business, click here to send us an online enquiry.