Six Secrets To Perfect Attendance And A Stress Free Workplace

Internet Timecard software engineer John Mills shares six tips for small business payroll control.

Tustin, CA (PRWEB) September 30, 2014

John Mills manages attendance for over 100 companies. His expertise is achieving perfect company attendance without stress. Here he shares his top six tips for bringing attendance, time keeping, and payroll under control.

1. Turn the tables on attendance by making the employee take ownership for their behavior.
I have found the best way to control attendance is to confront the employees with their own behavior. When an employee sees exactly when they came and left work it’s a real eye opener. Employees often believe they have worked more hours than they actually have. Rather than nagging an employee like a parent nags a child, just give them the ability to logon and review their time keeping records. Ownership over attendance is key. When an employee is confronted with their behavior, it immediately changes for the better.

2. Use a real time system that marks employee’s events as it happens.
Employee compensation is hours worked multiplied by hourly rate. Employees don’t set their hourly rate. They shouldn’t set their time worked either. Have employees mark their time when it happens. If they come to work 30 minutes late, their time gets marked as 30 minutes late. If you allow late behavior to continue it will never change. The onus for time keeping lies with the employee. If they want perfect attendance get to work on time. Real time clock systems remove subjectivity from the workplace and improve behavior.

3. Success in attendance is equal to the quality of your time keeping system
A defined time keeping system fosters employee respect. They may not like it, but they respect it. Without a time keeping system you’re asking for trouble. Vague and/or undefined time keeping can lead to trouble with the labor board. From the labor board’s point of view, time keeping mistakes are your fault because you don’t have a system in place. Having a time keeping system in place sends a message that time keeping and attendance is important.

4. Emotional showdowns over attendance are bad for everyone
Dressing down an employee over attendance is out of bounds. It can damage your relationship permanently. It can turn an employee against the company. Employees may take a chewing out personally. An employer should never use personal will on attendance problems. Nor should they beg for compliance. A better approach is to let system work for you. I have found most employees take pride in the work and want a good “scorecard.” Give your employees a time keeping scorecard and let them manage it. That way you’ll keep a win-win relationship with your employees and sidestep the discipline.

5. Always keep the nuclear option in reserve but never use it
What can you do when an employee refuses to follow the rules? Here’s the answer: the short check. If an employee “forgets” to mark time, at the end of the day for example, who sets that time? You do. Is it your fault there is no time stamp? No, it’s their fault. Are you obligated to set it when they say? No, that’s your call. In my experience this may happen once or twice. But the third time they come with the same “I forgot to log out ” excuse it becomes real old. It’s easier to just work the hours rather than going to the time keeping administrator for an adjustment.

6. Keep meticulous time keeping records because you’re going to need it.
Employees routinely haul my employers in front of the labor board. My employers keep good records and can defend themselves. Time keeping is serious business. Labor boards hit hard. In the absence of accurate records, labor boards will rule in favor of the employee. Your best defense is to go to these hearings with accurate, detailed records. The burden of proof is on you. You need daily work records. A generic payroll statement won’t work. I’ve these cases fall apart when my clients bring detailed records to labor board hearings that show the exact behavior leading up to the hearing.

About InternetTimecard.com
Founded in 2006, Internet Timecard was started by John Mills as an easy way to manage artists that were overstating hours. The goal was compliance without confrontation. His system was so successful that other companies began signing up for his service. Today the service is nationwide managing hundreds of companies.

Media Contact:
John Mills
714-368-1500
internettimecard.com