Clock-in attendance system

anuglyguy

Hi there,

My first post on this forum...

I work in a factory, where clocking-in attendance system has been recently installed; the clocking in machine is situated next to managers' office, and actual workplaces are situated in the distance of from 1 to 10 minutes on foot from the machine.

We were told by our managers that if for instance my shift is 4pm till 9pm, I have to clock-in BEFORE 4pm, then at 4pm I have to be in my workplace (which is sometimes 10 minutes on foot from the machine - which means I have to clock in at at least 3.50pm); then at 9pm I have to leave my workplace, go to managers' office and clock out.


My question is: if my shift is 4pm till 9pm, do I have to be in my actual workplace at those times, or do I have to clock-in/clock-out at those times? As I said before, it takes me up to 10 minutes to get from clocking-in machine to my actual working place.


Thank you in advance,
kind regards...

mustang121

I believe many companies (both office and factory) are strict that they want workers to be logged in / machines prepared to start work when the shift starts by arriving 10 minutes early.


If a shift starts at 9am and it takes 15 minutes for a computer to boot up and load all the required software then you should be at your desk at 8:45am.

It seems really tight and controlling to me. I would hate that type of environment. I always roll in for around 08:58 to 09:00 and then boot up the computer and my deadlines are never affected. I always work a little longer if and when required.


I suppose this makes more sense for factory workers to arrive 10 minutes early and get the machines prepared and ready to start when the shift starts. As the factory is a production line, and one giant team, which has a knock-on effect and delay if one part of the production line is still getting ready.

jobbingmusician

Hmmm. I don't know, except if you are on minimum wage.

If you are on min wage, then I don't believe they can require you to be on the premises for an extra 20 mins a day (ie requiring you to be at your workstation from 4-9 with clock records showing 3:50 - 9:10).

anuglyguy

mustang121 wrote: »

I suppose this makes more sense for factory workers to arrive 10 minutes early and get the machines prepared and ready to start when the shift starts. As the factory is a production line, and one giant team, which has a knock-on effect and delay if one part of the production line is still getting ready.

Well, I am not on a national minimum wage, but:
1: who is going to pay for the time I spend on setting up the machines? 20 minutes a day give 7 hours a month...
2: what if I have an accident while setting up the machines? Would I be able to claim any compensation as the accident would happen outside contracted working hours?

stevemLS

1. No-one

2. Yes, your Employers Liability extends to anything that you do during the ordinary course of your employment, it is not time dependent.

engineer_amy

While you are on the employers premises to carry out your work, you are covered by their liability insurance, whether you are clocked in or not.


A lot of the time it is down to the company's individual policy or attitude of the managers. If you are not prepared to work by their rules of being clocked in and at your workstation by 4pm, then you are late and will be penalised accordingly, either by docking pay or a warning. I'm not saying its right, but it happens. Make a fuss, or refuse to comply and you could find yourself being managed out of the company.


one of my previous jobs I worked in the office of a meat processing plant. The clock machine was beside reception in my line of sight. The hours of work were 8am to 4.30pm. Due to hygiene reasons, the production workers were not allowed to wear their protective clothing and boots outside the production floor, so they had to clock in at 7.45am, get down to the changing rooms to change and "scrub in" and be at their stations for 8am. However, at the end of the shift, they stopped work at 4.15pm and got changed, then lined up at the clock machine , waiting for the timer to click onto 4.30pm so they could clock out and get their full day. Management agreed with this timeline as it meant everyone was ready to start at 8am on the dot.

iammumtoone

Same kind of set up at the factory where I work. People have to be on the shop floor ready to start at the allotted time. This was unfair as some areas of the factory the clock machines were closer to the work station than others so the company installed additional clock machines so now there is one close to all the workstations.

It is also a disciplinary offence to clock in on the wrong machine as people were using the machine closest to the canteen at break times, but they should to be back to their workstation before break ends.

Maybe you could suggest to the works council that more machines are installed.

takman

anuglyguy wrote: »

Well, I am not on a national minimum wage, but:
1: who is going to pay for the time I spend on setting up the machines? 20 minutes a day give 7 hours a month...
2: what if I have an accident while setting up the machines? Would I be able to claim any compensation as the accident would happen outside contracted working hours?

You said that you just have to clock in at so you have time to be at your workstation for the start of your shift so by the time you are there your shift has started so setting up the machine will be paid by the company. Are you sure some workstations are 10 minutes walk away?. That is quite a distance at my workplace which is a manufacturing plant we have 450 employees spread over 4 buildings and the furthest possible walk is only 5 minutes from one end of the site to the other. If it really is as far away as you say i think that it a good case to get a lot more clocking in machines.

London50

You are PAID to WORK between your set hours, if you are a}not at your desk/work station at your official start time {ie 4 PM} b} have your machine up and running at that time you are not working and not entitled to get paid. You are also "paid" until the end of your shift {ie 9 PM, if you are not at your desk/station at 9 PM ready to shut it all down you have not completed a full 5 hour shift and should not be paid for the full hours.


" who is going to pay for the time I spend on setting up the machines? 20 minutes a day give 7 hours a month..."

are YOU prepared to PAY THEM for the same time period for not being at your place of work?? if so put that idea as a counter measure and see if they will except that

iammumtoone

Thinking about this further I am also in kind of the same position as OP even though my clock machine is 1 minute away from my desk. From leaving my car to getting to the clock machine takes 10 minutes. The car park is large and at my start time the places at the front have been taken so I am left to park quite a distance from the building entrance, I have to wait for security to let me in (this can take a few minutes depending if they are dealing with someone else at the time). I then have to walk up 3 flights of stairs (or take lift which time wise is no difference) then the walk to the office

How would my journey (which I doubt is unusual) differ from someone who it takes 2 mins to get from car to clock machine then another 10 from clock machine to workstation? It doesn't and I would never even consider just being in the car park at my start time acceptable work practice,

usefulmale

London50 wrote: »

You are PAID to WORK between your set hours, if you are a}not at your desk/work station at your official start time {ie 4 PM} b} have your machine up and running at that time you are not working and not entitled to get paid. You are also "paid" until the end of your shift {ie 9 PM, if you are not at your desk/station at 9 PM ready to shut it all down you have not completed a full 5 hour shift and should not be paid for the full hours.


" who is going to pay for the time I spend on setting up the machines? 20 minutes a day give 7 hours a month..."

are YOU prepared to PAY THEM for the same time period for not being at your place of work?? if so put that idea as a counter measure and see if they will except that

Absolute twaddle. Once you 'clock in' you ARE at work and are being paid for your time. Setting up the machines IS work just as operating them is. Are you suggesting that if, in the middle of the shift, the machine needs retooling / resetting etc, that the employee should not get paid?