The modern workplace is changing at a dramatic pace. Young workers today are no longer ready to accept the 10-5 jobs. They want flexibility in the work hours and ready to work hard to complete their tasks. In addition, many of the modern workforce are looking at the Work From Home concept. After all, what can be done with a computer and an Internet connection, can be done from anywhere. If I have to write a detailed report or prepare a presentation, why can’t I just do it from home and spend some quality time with my loved ones at the same time?

Under these circumstances, time and attendance management is undergoing a sea change. The old ways of arriving at the office and leaving the office can no longer be used for time and attendance. Modern time and attendance management should be flexible, and be ready to accept virtual workspace as a given.

Modern Features Needed

Modern Time and Attendance software should be extremely flexible. In addition to fixed physical presence for people such as factory workers, the software should be pliable enough to understand the varied working environment of white collar and technology workers. Manager and Supervisors should be enabled to set tasks, rather than the need for physical presence. Workers should be able to mark their ‘time and attendance’ by completing the tasks rather than marking their attendance by a physical presence.

Clocking Options

In addition to the standard card and other options used for physical presence, a good time and attendance software should have easy check-in and check-out for others. Can we use biometric scanning (finger, facial recognition, retina scanning, voice scanning) to speed up the entry and exit of workers? This will be invaluable in organisations that have a large workforce. Rather than completing the time and attendance management at the gates, can it be done at the workplace by the software that is wedded to a machine or specific task entity?

In addition to modern and professional clocking in options, the software should also be linked to workforce management and project management software. This will give managers the power to schedule production and other tasks in a flexible manner. Simple displays at the workplace will allow each worker or employee to see his current status of time spent, his productivity count, and other critical data.

For a workforce that does not necessarily need to have a physical presence, can we use a mobile phone based time and attendance marker to clock your start and end of work? Again when linked to workforce and project management, the manager will be able to schedule tasks and the workers or employees will understand their tasks for the day.

Of course, all the data collected has to be instantly uploaded to a payroll system so that HR can generate payroll seamlessly as often as needed.

Employee Tracking

Of course, the first thought that comes to a mischievous mind is how to misuse such a system. If I don’t have to go to the office and can just use my smartphone to punch in my attendance, how can I cheat my boss? A well-designed software can actually track your movement through GPS. The HR department can randomly analyze this data to ensure you are actually working and not stealing time.

Scheduling Work

Scheduling work can also be made easier by some amount of automation in time and attendance software. The software can also ensure that all labor laws, company policies, and agreement with unions are complied with.

Modern Time and Attendace software have to be powerful but very flexible. They should necessarily have the capacity to interface with modern digital devices, any of which can be used to marking your time attendance. They should have simple dashboards that deliver consice information to the management and the workers/employees at the same time.