By: Jodi Tahsler
Time theft costs American businesses billions of dollars each year. What constitutes time theft? Minor things like these can add up quickly:
Not surprising, full-time workers are more likely to slack off than temporary workers, and the greater an employee’s seniority, the greater the chance they will be lax about an eight-hour workday. Employees under thirty years old also tend to steal more time than older employees.
What can you do to protect yourself? First, if you aren’t using some kind of system to track hours, you should consider putting one in place. Time cards are better than nothing, and a time clock is better than a time card, which can be easily “fudged” a few minutes.
While you should allow employees to take 15-minute breaks, and may be required to do so by law, depending on the length of their shift, you must also ensure that breaks are not taken advantage of. Time clocks can actually make flexible schedules work better, as they ensure that employees are actually putting in a 40-hour week. They also eliminate “favoritism” among employees—face it, every department has one employee whose life is 15 minutes late.
Restricting time-sucking websites, including personal email and Facebook, or making it clear that personal use of the internet is prohibited or restricted to breaks, can also make a big difference. Not allowing employees to use their cell phones at their desks can also prevent “quick” checks of email, social media, or “one more level” in that addictive game. These are especially important as younger workers come into the workforce—cell phones are a major part of their culture and communication.
Despite initial pushback from employees who resent being monitored after having previously had “more freedom,” time-keeping procedures are a win-win for everyone. They eliminate disputes regarding pay, accelerate payroll preparation, provide legal records of hours worked that are honored in any court of law, establish respect for time, enforce the work schedule, and enable calculation of product or service costs.
At the federal minimum wage of $7.25, each minute is worth around 12 cents. Taking 20 minutes a day, that’s $604 a year (with 250 days worked). Multiply that by your number of employees, and it quickly compounds. Saving time does equal saving money!
Time theft costs American businesses billions of dollars each year. What constitutes time theft? Minor things like these can add up quickly:
- Late arrival or early departure, requesting paid sick days for inappropriate reasons
- Excessive socializing and personal phone calls
- Using company time and facilities to operate a second business
- Taking long lunch hours and breaks
- Slowing down the work place to create overtime
- Handling personal business at work
Not surprising, full-time workers are more likely to slack off than temporary workers, and the greater an employee’s seniority, the greater the chance they will be lax about an eight-hour workday. Employees under thirty years old also tend to steal more time than older employees.
What can you do to protect yourself? First, if you aren’t using some kind of system to track hours, you should consider putting one in place. Time cards are better than nothing, and a time clock is better than a time card, which can be easily “fudged” a few minutes.
While you should allow employees to take 15-minute breaks, and may be required to do so by law, depending on the length of their shift, you must also ensure that breaks are not taken advantage of. Time clocks can actually make flexible schedules work better, as they ensure that employees are actually putting in a 40-hour week. They also eliminate “favoritism” among employees—face it, every department has one employee whose life is 15 minutes late.
Restricting time-sucking websites, including personal email and Facebook, or making it clear that personal use of the internet is prohibited or restricted to breaks, can also make a big difference. Not allowing employees to use their cell phones at their desks can also prevent “quick” checks of email, social media, or “one more level” in that addictive game. These are especially important as younger workers come into the workforce—cell phones are a major part of their culture and communication.
Despite initial pushback from employees who resent being monitored after having previously had “more freedom,” time-keeping procedures are a win-win for everyone. They eliminate disputes regarding pay, accelerate payroll preparation, provide legal records of hours worked that are honored in any court of law, establish respect for time, enforce the work schedule, and enable calculation of product or service costs.
At the federal minimum wage of $7.25, each minute is worth around 12 cents. Taking 20 minutes a day, that’s $604 a year (with 250 days worked). Multiply that by your number of employees, and it quickly compounds. Saving time does equal saving money!
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