| Time clocks are available in a wide variety of | | | | employee. These cards are sometimes even used |
| shapes and sizes. These include old traditional | | | | to access the entrance of a building. The card can |
| punch clocks that use a time card, electronic | | | | easy be carried in a wallet, hung around the neck |
| swipe card systems and newer biometric time | | | | by use of a lanyard or clipped to a shirt by use of |
| clocks that can scan a fingerprint to log an | | | | a badge holder. |
| employee in and out. The type of time clock a | | | | Data from most card swipe time clocks can be |
| business purchases depends entirely on the size | | | | exported to a computer for use with various |
| of the organization, the type of software being | | | | accounting programs such as QuickBooks. The |
| used and the preferences of the Accounting | | | | data is easy to read and maintains a running total |
| Department. | | | | of hours worked, overtime and other information. |
| The most simple and basic time clock is the | | | | Also popular are time clock software and keypad |
| traditional analog punch clock. The concept is | | | | time clocks. Keypads work in a similar way to |
| simple. Each employee is assigned a card. The | | | | swipe card time clocks, except the employee logs |
| time card is usually stored in a rack of some sort. | | | | in and out of work by punching in a number. Many |
| The employee uses the card to punch in and out | | | | keypad terminals also have a card swipe. Data |
| of work. The time registered on the time card is | | | | can also be exported and used with a variety of |
| then used to determine pay. Some newer | | | | accounting programs. |
| variations of punch-style time clocks feature digital | | | | Time clock software is installed on a computer. |
| LCD readouts and can tally time on the punch | | | | Depending on the type of software, an employee |
| card. | | | | can log in and out of work from a centralized |
| A few advantages of a punch time clock is it is | | | | computer, or if they have a network version of |
| usually less of an investment on behalf of the | | | | the software, they can log in and out of work |
| employer and the clock requires little training to | | | | from their own computer. |
| use. A few disadvantages of a time clock include | | | | The latest and most exciting type of time clock |
| buddy punching and the inability to export data to | | | | to come to the market is biometric time clocks. |
| a computer. Buddy punching is the process of one | | | | These time clocks allow employees to punch in |
| employee punching in and out on behalf of | | | | and out of work by using their finger or hand, |
| another employee. | | | | depending on the model. Data can still be exported |
| Card swipe time clocks are growing in popularity. | | | | to a computer for use with accounting programs. |
| These time clocks use a card, very similar to a | | | | The biggest advantage of biometric time clocks is |
| credit card, to check in and out of work. The card | | | | the ability to eliminate buddy punching and the |
| is programmed with unique data for each | | | | need to replace lost or broken cards. |