Fred and Barney used one. So did Ralph the Sheepdog and Wiley Coyote.
For over a century, the humble employee time clock has been one of the Business staples. Whether working on the factory floor or in an office high-rise, electronic time clocks are the "universal leveller". Clock in, working day begins. Clock out, it's over - give or take a lunch and tea break in between.
It is believed that employee time clocks were first used during the Industrial Revolution when hourly rates rather than daily rates were introduced. Prior to this the working day was from sunrise to sunset, the length of which differed as the seasons changed.
Time attendance clocks began as simple time and date stamping devices which, although basic and occasionally cumbersome, allowed employers and employees both to quantify a "good day's work for a good day's pay".
The world has changed a lot since those early days and society's demands for more flexible working conditions as well as the need for increased productivity have seen the development of more sophisticated employee time recorders. Electronic time attendance clocks, operated by swipe cards, pin numbers, even fingerprint time clocks such as the Amano time clock biometric terminal are now very much a part of modern corporate life.
Increased security and flexibility are the major highlights of modern employee time clocks. At a time when companies must guard against industrial espionage, theft - including time theft - and even terrorism, the importance of these has never been more significant. Where once employees could "clock each other off" if one chose to leave early, biometric time clocks ensure that every employee's correct time is recorded.
For employees, the knowledge that their working hours have been objectively and irrefutably recorded also provides peace of mind and a sense of job satisfaction.
Different types of employee time clocks are suited to different businesses and employment situations.
For example, some employees, such as sales reps, may be required to travel or work away from the office. Time attendance clocks that allow these workers to input their working hours via their telephone keypad from any location are now a convenient option.
On the factory floor, a swipe card time clock may be the most appropriate while those in administration may use a PC based device.
In areas of high security, biometric time clocks using finger scanning are a prudent investment.
On the whole, there is a time attendance clock system to suit any type of business, large or small. No longer simply clock in, clock out devices they have become vital human resource management tools. Data collected from many time clock systems now allow managers to analyse employees' strengths and weaknesses as well as automatically generate wages, based on hours worked.
In a way, the evolution of the employee time clock is not dissimilar to the evolution of Western society itself. From the dark days of working dawn 'til dusk, our society has striven to improve the lot of all its members. At first, a simple time stamp provided a glimpse of fairer working conditions that were to come. Now, through electronic time management systems, working conditions and employee/employer relations are, arguably, the best they have ever been.
"Viva the Revolution!" (.and the employee time clock)
