It’s vital for every organization to accurately manage employee time and attendance. Tracking time off is a key function of every HR department. It ensures that all employees are fulfilling their obligations, and that the employer is accurately compensating them in accordance with the law.
To help you go about it the right way, we have identified the following tips to manage employee time and attendance.
Know the Law
The first step in managing employee time and attendance is creating a compliant workplace policy. To do so, you need to be proficient in the laws that govern time off.
This can be challenging considering the complexities of ever-changing employment law, yet it’s imperative. Failure to do so can have costly consequences. In fiscal year 2023, The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division recovered over $274 million in back wages and damages for more than 163,000 workers nationwide.
Where your company is headquartered, where your employees work, whether they are exempt, non-exempt, full- or part-time, all have an impact. Familiarize yourself with the laws that affect your organization. New Jersey employers should pay particular attention to the following laws governing the state:
- Earned Sick Leave
- Worker Classification
- Wage and Hour
- Wage Payment
- Family Leave
Create and Communicate Your Policy
Creating a time and attendance policy is just the beginning. You need to ensure that it’s clear and effectively communicated to your team through your employee handbook. State your expectations for attendance in it, and the procedures that employees need to follow to use their time off. Include the potential consequences for those who violate the policy.
You also need documentation that the information was received by your employees. An important step is requesting that all employees sign an acknowledgment that the handbook has been received and read. In the event of an audit, your handbook and these acknowledgements could serve as crucial documentation to protect your organization. An HR Information System (HRIS) is a valuable tool for collecting this information.
Utilize a Reliable Time and Labor Management Solution
The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) offers advice for avoiding costly penalties related to wage and hour violations. In addition to training managers and conducting periodic wage and hour audits, SHRM recommends maintaining accurate timekeeping and record keeping practices through robust time and labor management technology.
According to federal law, employers are required to retain specific records containing timekeeping data, and payroll information. With cloud-based time and labor management solutions important records are readily available, should you be called upon to produce them.
Relying on manual processes and spreadsheets to calculate employee time and attendance is not only inefficient, it puts your organization at risk. A fully integrated solution helps you collect, manage, and process your employee’s time data with ease while safeguarding your organization from litigation.
Discover Counter Point’s Solution
Find out how your company could benefit from a fully integrated time and attendance solution. Request a call today!
