If left unchecked stealing time at work can become a pervasive issue. With a combination of time clock management software, company policies, web filtering and internet monitoring software, and proactive supervision you can prevent employee time theft in your company. Ready to take back control over internet abuse in your organization?
A majority of employees commit time theft, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Factors such as tech devices and colleagues are a constant distraction for workers. A combination of proper time-tracking tools and enforcement of time monitoring could decrease this costly expense for employers.
When assessing the prevalence and severity of time theft, you should consider the “human factor” behind your workforce—your workforce is full of multi-dimensional humans with needs outside of their immediate work obligations.
When it comes to unethical behavior in the workplace, employee theft is high up there as one of the most common occurrences. We’re not talking about stealing a few pens from the stationery cupboard here.
If you are happy with the output of your team, does it make sense to introduce a potentially invasive program to out time theft in the hope of sque...
Feeling like you're working in a surveillance state with bosses constantly checking your hours, where you are, and what you're doing does not creat...
Take an educated guess on how much time theft you think is going on and calculate how much it's costing you each month. Even if you were to prove t...
At its core, time theft occurs when an employee accepts payment for work or time they did not actually complete. This practice comes in a range of severity, from employees mismanaging their allocated break times all that way up to intentionally fraudulent claims.
In addition to what is covered in this section, time theft could also include “cyberloafing” with social media and personal emails, “goofing off”, spending excessive time socializing, sleeping, playing games, working unauthorized overtime, exaggerating the time spent working on tasks, and working on personal tasks and projects at work.
Employees are more likely to commit time theft when they are burnt out. Chronic stress, a toxic workplace culture, and a lack of equity in the workplace are all potential triggers for burnout in employees.
Gone are the days of Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble clocking into their job with an old timesheet on the old time clock. With a modern automated time clock or time tracking application that uses multi-factor authentication systems you can reduce the risk of buddy punching on time clocks and maintain an accurate payroll.
One of the difficulties of employee monitoring is that employees may feel that they are not trusted to manage their own schedules or they may worry that “big brother” is micromanaging their time and making uninformed judgements about their work ethics based on the data collected.
While not all forms of time theft are malicious, having employees stealing company time is a significant drain on productivity. If left unchecked stealing time at work can become a pervasive issue.
Here are eight ways employees may be stealing company time from your business, sometimes without realizing it. Creating an attendance policy up front with your employees can help you avoid time theft from happening to you.
For example, a co-worker might clock an employee in if they are running late. This is known as "buddy punching."
Improperly clocking a worker in or out is a deliberate offense that should result in discipline or termination after corrective measures have been taken and ignored. You should choose a time and attendance system that makes it difficult, if not impossible, for employees to clock in or out for one another.
If you suspect an employee of stealing time, keep closer tabs on that individual. If your employees are remote, random check-ins by video conference could help ensure they are at their workstations.
Actions can start with write-ups, progress to employment probation, and ultimately escalate to termination if the problem is not resolved. Your business cannot continue to cover payroll costs for time theft. Even if it means you becoming a stricter employer, your overhead won't be increasing in vain from time theft.
In some work environments , particularly large offices and outdoor work sites, it can be easy for an employee to stroll off unbeknownst to a busy supervisor. It could take time for this theft of company time to even be noticed; unfortunately, it can seriously impact operational efficiency.
Tip: Time theft isn't always intentional! Approach your employees with respect and consideration when trying to correct an issue. Find out why their performance is suffering before taking disciplinary action.
Supervisors should remember that the objective is to end the problem behavior.
Supervisors should not only punish problem behavior but also reward desirable kinds of behavior.
Consider speaking with your co-worker and let them know about your concerns. It’s likely that once they’re aware that their behavior has been noted, they will be more conscious of following the rules.
If you’re suspicious of one of your co-workers, make sure you have your facts straight before you consider reporting them. Accusing someone of stealing is a big deal so ensure you have evidence of their activities before you take it up with HR or a manager.
If you have witnessed discrimination or harassment in the workplace, it is important to seek support and help so that this unethical behavior does not continue. Look at your company’s policies around this as these should guide you as to how to report cases of discrimination and harassment.
1. Abuse of leadership. In many workplaces, the culture is influenced by the attitudes and behavior of those in management positions. In fact, research has shown that managers are responsible for 60% of misconduct that occurs in the workplace. Abuse of power can take on many manifestations. You may be asked to do something ...
According to a report in 2015, the amount stolen from US businesses by employees in one year was a whopping $50 billion. If you’re suspicious of one of your co-workers, make sure you have your facts straight before you consider reporting them.
In fact, a survey by salary.com found that at least 64% of employees use their company computer to look at websites that are unrelated to their work. It is hard to work a whole day without having some breaks, so some companies will tolerate some downtime to check your social media.
The workplace can be a contentious space, and it is likely that during your working life you will come across some form of unethical behavior. Whether it be being asked to do something you don’t agree with by your boss, or noticing a co-worker doing something they shouldn’t, it can be difficult to know how to handle such situations.