Implement the most efficient way of keeping reliable time and attendance: swipe cards. Magnetic swipe cards are simple cards programmed with an employee's information and run through a machine to track activities and time punches. These systems can prove extremely useful for your human resources department.
Employee swipe cards also are good for access control. You can install a gate at your front drive to monitor visitor activity but still allow access to your employees by providing a card reader for their ID badges. The badges also can be used to control access to certain rooms in your building to protect confidential documents or products.
Three ways to utilize employee swipe cards are:
1. Use a swipe card attendance system as an easy way to streamline payroll. Your employees swipe to punch in and swipe to punch out while the machine keeps track of hours worked.
2. Use a swipe card system for your employees' ID badges. If you operate a company with high security needs, give your workers a badge to swipe at the front gate or front door.
3. Install readers for employee swipe cards to control access to confidential areas of your building.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Track your employees' punches with a card swipe time clock
Adding up hours worked can be quite a hassle when you have to manually figure each employee's times. Using a swipe card system not only eliminates this task but prevents employees from clocking in early and milking the clock. Most of these systems have a programmable feature for disabling a swipe card from being used before a scheduled time.
I recommend: View myriad solutions for your time clock needs with TimeForce at
Qqest Software. Run your small business using the IPS200T with magnetic swipe reader from
TimeIPS.
Make your own employee ID swipe cards to track attendance and increase security
Keeping your business secure and tracking attendance is extremely important if you work for a company that manufacturers equipment (for safety reasons) or has confidentiality issues to deal with. You can't just allow anybody off the street into your plants and offices, and you want to track hours and attendance, so using ID badges will help your security team keep track of everyone's comings and goings.
I recommend: Print your own ID badges using a printer system from
Safe-Card ID Services. The company also offers packages of
plastic cards with magnetic strips to use in the machines. Install a badge reader at your front gate to allow employees in; the MCO-630 from
Parking Products uses magnetic swipe technology. Visitors wanting access can stop at your guard station and check in.
Combine time and attendance with access control swipe cards in the workplace
Some companies store expensive equipment and don't need dishonest employees stealing from them. Install magnetic locks that also track time and attendance on your doors to track hours and control who has access to certain areas of your office. Sync the mag-lock to the badge reader located to the side of the door to limit admission to certain employees only. Use these convenient badge readers anywhere you feel the need to monitor access.
I recommend: Buy a badge reader from
Datamatics; the employee swipes his card and the reader either flashes green for acceptance or red for rejection. Use the Smart Mag stand-alone reader from
International Bar Code for limiting access to certain areas of your facility.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Implementing a swipe card payroll system is the most efficient way to run your HR department. It works in conjunction with a card swipe time clock to monitor the hours someone works and provides a report of total hours and individual punches at the end of each pay period (or week, or whatever you set it to).
The official source of Time and Attendance: Swipe Card is
the Time and Attendance: Swipe Card page at Business.com
Related Resources from Business.com
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