Biometric Time and Attendance Software

Biometric time and attendance software offers even more advanced methods of monitoring employees’ start and stop times, by scanning employees’ uniquely identifiable features. Biometric signatures can include employees’ fingerprints, hand prints, and facial recognition. This system is not only more secure, but it also prevents or further eliminates other sources of errors in the time and attendance system, whether intentional or accidental. For example, it prevents one employee from signing in or out for another employee (buddy-punching), which commonly occurs in the workplace today.

Biometric time and attendance terminals have become widely available and financially viable for small and medium sized businesses. There are a number of commercially available scanners available through retailers such as Amazon, Staples, Office Depot and Office Max. Capabilities range from the ability to scan fingerprints, handprints, retinas, and faces, and some stations can scan multiple aspects.

One of the key features any organization should look for in a time and attendance system is the capability to provide biometric scanning. Since some time and attendance software vendors also manufacture biometric time and attendance terminals, you should ensure it is compatible with third-party biometric scanners. Otherwise you are locked into purchasing a single vendor’s terminals for the life of your time and attendance software.

Since your biometric time and attendance software is storing sensitive personal information, security is extremely important. Make sure your organization performs its due diligence to ensure the software solution of choice encrypts all biometric data, and provides multiple levels of security to prevent unauthorized access. One can only imagine the potential fallout if a company’s biometric employee data becomes compromised.

Key Biometric Time and Attendance Software Features:

• Capabilities: Does the software offer facial recognition, retina/fingerprint/hand scanning?
• Compatibility: Does the time and attendance software interface with third-party biometric terminals?
• Reliability: What is the history of the biometric time and attendance vendor, and can they provide references?
• Security: Does the software encrypt biometric employee data, and provide multiple levels of access protection?