on December 28, 2016 Payroll Common Questions

What if Your Employee Violates Timekeeping Procedures?

Question: One employee says she is running a few minutes late and asks another if he can clock her in. What if she shows up an hour later? Can we adjust the clock-in time?

An employees time clock

You certainly have the right to adjust the clock-in time, but make sure to note why the time was changed for the payroll file. Doing so will help protect you in the event of a wage and hour claim.

In general, when an employee clocks in to your time and labor management system for another employee who is not currently working, they are both involved in stealing from the employer. You can certainly discipline the employees for this action as you would for other instances of theft or violations of your timekeeping policy.

If you don’t have a timekeeping policy that addresses this issue, now would be a great time to implement one (we have one available in the Policies Library on the HR Support Center). That way employees understand the seriousness of following your timekeeping procedures and the consequences for violating them.

Paul Hardin

Paul Hardin is President of Moulton & Hardin, Inc. As an expert in both Employee Benefits and Workforce Management, Paul studies the relationship between all aspects of Human Capital Management, with an emphasis on Benefits Management, ACA, and how an HCM platform is invaluable for employers.

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