Biometric identification is ubiquitous in our daily lives, from workplaces to airports, tablets to home helpers, banking to law enforcement. It may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but there’s a lot that goes into understanding biometric identification. In this blog, we will discuss how biometric identification works and the advantages of utilizing this software for time and attendance.
What is Biometric Identification?
So, what exactly is biometric identification? Biometrics are strategies for automatically identifying an individual based on physical or behavioural features. Iris and retina scanning, fingerprint identification, voice recognition, and face and hand recognition are all examples of biometrics. Biometrics are more secure than other methods of authenticating someone’s identification since physical traits (such as fingerprints) are generally stable and unique to each individual.
Biometric Identification For time and attendance
Time and attendance systems are in place to record when employees begin and conclude their shifts. However, as part of their workforce management plan, some firms measure meals and breaks, the sort of work completed, and the number of products generated when employees are not working (e.g. vacation time, compensation time, FMLA time, and jury duty). These records might be kept manually using pen and paper or automatically.
Biometric time and attendance systems are more secure than other systems since there is no need to carry a card or memorize passwords. Because of its numerous advantages, these systems are becoming increasingly popular in today’s market (also, let’s face it, fingerprint, iris, or face scanning technology is pretty great).
Buddy Punching
One of the most significant advantages of using biometrics for attendance and timekeeping in the workplace is that workers cannot clock in for one another. Time theft may cost some businesses tens of thousands of dollars (or more) every year. Buddy punching costs US businesses $373 million annually, without adding other forms of time theft. Even top hackers cannot bypass biometric identification! As a result, employees cannot punch in for another coworker when they are absent from the building.
How can Biometric Identification Improve Time and Attendance
Biometric time clocks eliminate employee time theft.
Employee time theft costs businesses billions of dollars each year. According to the US Department of Commerce, employee dishonesty and time theft cost American firms more than $50 billion each year. Biometric identification is more effective in combatting time theft than security cameras, barcode swipe cards and personal identification numbers (PINs). It also saves money by providing employees with a tangible audit trail and precise monitoring. Buddy Punching, as mentioned earlier, is a familiar time theft problem that biometric identification can solve.
Increased productivity
According to a study, a $5,000 investment in biometric employee time and attendance equipment resulted in a $15,000 annual savings. How? Due to greater productivity and the elimination of buddy punching. This reduce the need for employees to clock in and out and reconcile paper timesheets. This allows for a more fair and balanced allocation of resources to other initiatives that enhance employee productivity.
Reduced administrative costs
Biometrics not only saves employees time by eliminating the need to keep manual records, but it also lowers administrative expenses by:
- Lowering staff overhead
- Getting rid of the requirement to reset employee passwords
- Replacing lost or stolen identification cards
Elimination of Ghost Employees
Every year, governments and businesses waste billions of dollars by paying salaries to non-existent employees falsely registered in the payroll system. You can individually recognize government and commercial personnel using a biometric time clock system. This will prevent duplicate registrations and reduce ghost worker payroll fraud. Moreover, this technology can help establish accountability and punctuality.
What else can the Biometric identification System Do?
When it comes to the workplace, employers may utilize biometrics to improve employee experience and workplace security in various ways. Biometrics is an excellent option for building and IT system security too. So, let’s see what all your company can use biometric identification for besides time and attendance tracking!
Logging into company devices
Businesses may eliminate the bother of using PINs and passwords to access PCs or laptops using biometric authentication, making workplace security more convenient and safe. Biometrics are also useful for multi-factor authentication situations, integrating biometrics with a conventional PIN or password-based login.
Restricting and giving access to certain employees
Workplaces often use biometrics to limit employee and non-employee access to certain portions of a facility. For example, all personnel will require access to the building’s entry but not to places storing sensitive information or very vital equipment, such as server rooms. This also strengthens the security of the building against intruders or guests since they will be unable to reach the restricted sections even if they use their fingerprint to get entrance. Management can assign and remove access from specific employees using the related software for a simple and secure access solution.
Is Biometric Identification Safe?
All these above points might make consumers question: Is Biometric identification safe to use? Implementing a biometric time and attendance system is entirely safe and secure. It can only be accessed and utilized by the employer. For further peace of mind, systems are often limited to tracking time and attendance and granting employees access to specific facility sections.
Biometric fingerprint scanners do not save any biometric information that employers may utilize elsewhere. Instead of a full identifying scan, a random collection of data is extracted from the initial image of a user’s fingerprint, which is then encrypted and saved on the device. The original picture is wiped and untraceable.
As a result, biometric systems that function in this manner, such as Celayix’s solution, are fully GDPR compliant and perfectly secure to use.
Conclusion
Integrating biometric identification to track employee time and attendance will result in lower labour and payroll expenditures. Collecting, managing, calculating, and processing timesheet data takes a long time, but firms may boost efficiency and productivity and save money by using an automated biometric attendance time clock.
Biometric identification is a handy security solution because no passwords, badges, ID cards, or paperwork is necessary after implementation. This allows employees to arrive to work fast without worrying about not being checked in because they forgot their access badge.
There is no doubt that biometric time and attendance clocks provide several advantages. While many significant firms and organizations already employ these systems, smaller businesses may benefit from researching them. Using this equipment eliminates employee theft, increases productivity, and has a relatively good ROI.
