What is the meaning of clocking in?

The meaning of clocking in is simple. To clock in means to mark your arrival time at work, which is commonly done by punching a time clock; to start work. Clock out means to record your departure time from work; it also means to finish your work.

But why do employers want to mark arrival and leaving times?

Employers who require their employees to punch a time clock can save a lot of money if their workers are prone to buddy clocking or other forms of time theft.

Employers can benefit from a clocking system in the following ways:

• Make your employees’ lives easier. There will be no more time spent filling out hours worked on paper sheets.
• Make payroll a breeze and save time for management. Everything is digital these days. Overtime and pay rules have already been implemented. Simply export and leave.
• Keep an eye on how employees’ clock in and out. Have you seen a pattern of lateness? Keep an eye on trends to put a stop to them, assuring productivity and saving time.
• Rewarding good and hard work will boost employee confidence.

Clock in and out system advantages for employees:

Employees who c clock in and out have a clear understanding of when their workday starts and ends.

It also ensures that employees are paid fairly for the time they work. For instance, employers can’t ask for workers to do more without clocking in and tracking the time for payroll.

Does clocking in really work?

Getting employees to clock in and out at work is one of the most frustrating tasks for bosses.

This isn’t limited to small businesses that have implemented new time management rules. Large companies devote hours each month on instructing staff on how to clock in and making changes when they forget to account for their hours accurately.

As a result, several businesses and staffing agencies are questioning themselves, “Do I really have to pay these people?”.

Can you be sure they’re being honest about their working times if they don’t properly record their hours?

To address this, we recommend reading the following articles:

How to Make Your Employees Clock Their Hours

What to do if an employee doesn’t have an accurate timesheet?

When you have employee clocking as standard, yes, clocking your employees time really will save your admin, management and HR team time, money and resources.

Is Clocking In mandatory for UK businesses?

Yes, it is a legal need to track your employees’ hours, and you must keep records for each employee for at least two years.

It is entirely up to you how you handle this, as the format is unimportant. All legal responsibilities are met as long as timekeeping records are retained.

Old-fashioned timesheets that are filled out on the premises or written in a book can be used to keep track of time. You can use timers in machinery or digital technology tracking apps to automate the process.

Why do I need to prove working times?

Small business owners should be familiar with the fundamentals outlined in the Time Tracking Regulations Act of 1998.

Working hours are strictly regulated by the government. On average, the maximum working week is set at 48 hours per week, spread out across 17 weeks.

If you require further overtime labour beyond the 48-hour limit, the employee must consent to it in writing by opting out of the clause.

This figure is set at a maximum of 8 hours per day for those under the age of 18 and a maximum of 40 hours per week for those under the age of 18.

Workers have the right to a 20-minute break every six hours, as well as 11 hours of undisturbed rest between shifts.

Working hour records must be kept by law for at least two years.

Find out more about our clocking systems here.

Any questions, or if you’d like to request a free online demo to see how clocking in with Citadel could work for you, call 01761 410015, email us or click the chat icon.