More Employers Scanning Workers' Hands

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/27/tech/main3971652.shtml

Biometric Technology Replacing Timecards; Employers Tout Efficiency, Unions Cry Foul

NEW YORK, March 27, 2008

(AP) Some workers are doing it at Dunkin' Donuts, at Hilton hotels, even at Marine Corps bases.

Employees at a growing number of businesses are starting and ending their days by pressing a hand or finger to a scanner that logs the precise time of their arrival and departure - information that is automatically reflected in payroll records.


An employee of the New York City Parks Dept. uses a palm scanner as he arrives for work, in the Queens borough of New York Wednesday March 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)


Manufacturers say these biometric devices improve efficiency and streamline payroll operations. Employers big and small buy them with the dual goals of keeping workers honest and automating outdated record-keeping systems that rely on paper time sheets.

The new systems have raised complaints, however, from some workers who see the efforts to track their movements as excessive or creepy.

"They don't even have to hire someone to harass you anymore. The machine can do it for them," said Ed Ott, executive director of the New York City Central Labor Council of the AFL-CIO. "The palm print thing really grabs people as a step too far."

The International Biometric Group, a consulting firm, estimated that $635 million worth of these high-tech devices were sold last year, and projects that the industry will be worth more than $1 billion by 2011.


FULL story at link.

[Serial Mom]

1. So they don't have to pay you for 15 minutes overtime if you clock out at 7 minutes after!

It's all about MONEY!


I worked for my very right wing business owner brother-in-law many years ago and had to punch a clock. If I worked til 6 or 7 minutes after the hour I was supposed to leave, I didn't get paid. If it was 8 minutes after, they paid me for 15 minutes, but then I was told NOT to do that anymore!

All the while he cheated the government out of thousands of dollars he and his family stole from the business and didn't report or had the business pay for thousands of dollars that had nothing to do with the business (such as all the gas and car repairs for the wives of the owners!). And guess what, they all are "good christians"!

[napi21]

3. Every company has a policy on how they handle OT.

Some Some who are gluttons for punishment STILL calculate time by the minute! ie: If you punch out at 3:05 you get paid for 5 minutes OT. Most changed years ago to a system of rounding to the nearest 1/4 hr. (7 mins. is less than 1/2 of 15 mins. and 8 mins. is more than 1/2 of 15 mins.) Whether you agree with it or not, there really IS a rational explaination to how it's done.

[Serial Mom]

4. I never intended to imply I didn't agree with the OT calcs,

but where corps try to save money is on the backs of the workers who labor and are loyal to them.

My husband works for a technology corp that has two people review expenses and one day spent 4 hours sending emails back and forth between the people who scrutinize them and a salesperson about 7 miles claimed on the his expense (on a total of 175 miles) because the people did a mapquest on his visit and came up 7 miles LESS than he claimed. So it cost the company 3 people's salaries over a few hours to argue about saving less than $3.50 in reimbursement.

So when will they add GPS on a car to send in "reports" of the route they took to visit a customer?

And when will they add a chip to the person to see what his does on his off time?

The point I was trying to make is that it is about the money and cost of the employee that the corps worry about NOT true savings.

[napi21]

2. Having worked as a Director of Accounting at several medium sized

companies, these things can eliminate hours & hours of headaches, from double punching over previous days info so you can't read either day's info, to the tremendous amount of time it takes to calculaate the time due to each employee. On the Foreman/General Manager side, it prevents employees from punching in or out for their biddies which is also a big problem in some places.

I'm having a hard time understanding why people don't want to accept them. You give out a lot more personal info when you run your credit card through the reader at the store!

[Earth Bound Misfit]

5. "information that is automatically reflected in payroll records"

...and can be instantly altered/and or/erased at the touch of a button.