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Tracking workers’ presence
In the name of efficiency, county expands its time clock system, leaving some employees disheartened by what they see as a show of mistrust
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Sun Archives
- County chips away at overtime costs (3-3-2009)
- Budget crunch directs scrutiny to work cards (2-9-2009)
- Businesses brace for legislative session (1-23-2009)
- Counties bracing for fight with Gibbons on budget (1-16-2009)
- Time off without pay could mean savings (12-14-2008)
Beyond the Sun
More Clark County hourly employees will punch a time clock to start and end their workdays as officials roll out a plan they say is primarily aimed at streamlining the county’s payroll system.
This fall several departments will start using the Kronos system, which requires employees to swipe ID badges through a timekeeping device. By June 2010 the county will have added 4,600 employees to the system.
Among those who will have to clock in are the county’s public information officers, code enforcement personnel and maintenance workers. Managers will be exempt.
County Comptroller Ed Finger said the move will reduce the number of employees required to do the county’s payroll. About 35 employees spend some of their time dealing with payroll paperwork throughout the county’s three dozen departments, he said.
It’s not, he said, part of an effort to catch or punish employees who might not be working as many hours as they claim.
“It’s about being more efficient,” Finger said. “When you’re as big as we are, you get a return on the investment in a system like this just because of the efficiencies in payroll processing.”
Still, the county will consider phasing in a biometrics-based time system — which would require the employee sign in with a fingerprint or iris scan, for example — that might prevent employees from punching the clock for fellow workers who are late or don’t show up to work.
Several employees at the Clark County Government Center told the Sun that the time clock system appears to be an effort to shorten the leash on county workers.
“We’re all happy about it,” deadpanned one employee, who declined to give his name.
Another employee called punch clocks a “morale killer.”
“Some jobs just don’t lend themselves to the punch clock,” he said, citing employees whose jobs take them away from their offices. “If there is a problem with some employees, then deal with them individually.”
Employees who work remotely will not be required to drive to a county facility to swipe their ID cards, Finger said. The system will likely allow employees to clock in remotely through a computer or other means.
Guy Hobbs, the county’s fiscal chief during the 1980s, said proving the authenticity of timecards in some of the county’s larger departments “is virtually impossible.” A time clock system should help address that, he said.
“That was always something we talked about as being a weakness,” he said. “There’s no question it’s needed.”
Still reeling from moves by the state Legislature that they say left the county with $180 million less over the next two years, county commissioners are unlikely to empathize with employees who disapprove of the system.
Commissioner Tom Collins said employees who have “always come in 15 minutes early and left 15 minutes late” might be insulted by being required to clock in and out, “But ... it’s probably going to catch some dead wood.”
Currently, about 5,300 county employees, including University Medical Center’s 4,000 employees, punch some kind of time clock.
In use at UMC since 2000, the Kronos system appears to have produced significant savings, said John Espinoza, chief human resources officer. “I don’t know that anyone has tried to plot it out to verify the exact savings, but a lot of efficiencies are gained in consistency and process,” he said.
Finger said the county has for two years discussed expanding its use of time clocks. The County Commission approved a $3 million investment in the Kronos system in May 2008.
A report by Washington, D.C.-based Nucleus Research found the system saved an average of 1.2 percent for businesses and governments by eliminating payroll errors. The report also says organizations that are “complex” and use “dispersed” employees, as Clark County does, could see much greater savings.
The Nucleus Research report also boasted of Kronos’ ability to reduce payroll fraud.
“If it works like they say it does, how can we argue with that?” Commissioner Steve Sisolak said.
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Personally as a hourly employee already where they use Kronos I do not mind this at all since I believe in working an honest day for my wages. If you do your job and show up the way you should, the installation of the system should not matter in the least as long as they make a way to log in when you have to be somewhere else for meetings etc at the start of your day or if it goes till the end of your day.
What I am concerned about is if they do not make all the exempt NON management do the system. Every single day I see these exempt NON management employees coming in late and leaving early since they consider themselves like management, even if they never have to work overtime.
Fine if they want to exempt management (which I do not understand since they have to process timecards for them also....guess it is a perk), but do what the UMC is doing and make exempt NON management also clock in.
Thumper
After reading your posts under every category that you choose to respond to - I've come to the conclusion you need professional help.
I have never seen a person as negative and filled with bigotry as you. And don't hide behind some fake facade of "telling it like it is". It goes much deeper than that in the way you think. You must sit in your house all day with the windows and blinds closed, with your mind set in a permanent negative mode. My guess is you don't speak to anyone and stay to yourself, which is your choice. However, there are things going on in your head that raise cause for alarm.
Great!! Finally the County will be forced to compensate all the County employees that currently work over their scheduled shift.
As far as employees clocking in and out - nothing new here. It's been going on for years. And those who feel that they aren't trusted - well maybe these employees CANNOT be trusted. If you put in an honest day's work - you shouldn't be intimidated by "punching a clock".
Thumper now your telling fish stories,please tell us about the one that got away,let the media report the news,you could not get a scoop at baskin,robbins.
It has become very apparent to everyone of this little bunny's agenda. Safety is what you claim to be after little thumper but it is obviously just a smear campaign. Maybe the big boys wouldn't let you join their club?
Hey Thumper; Didn't your Mommy ever tell you
"It's not what you say, Thumper Honey Bunny, it's how you say it."
WHY AREN'T THE MANAGERS INCLUDED IN THIS?????
WHO ELEVATED THEM TO SAINTHOOD???????????????
slingshot...
I'd bet most Managers are on SALARY, and they are expected have to work some O.T. as part of their job, with no extra SALARY.
I find it hard to believe that the County hasn't been using a timecard system until now. They are paying people with tax monies, right? Do your jobs, punch the timeclock, and be on time.
My guess is that many employees would go unnoticed if they arrived 15 minutes late or left 15 minutes early, and I'm sure there are some that took advantage of that. It's probably the same people that are crying about punching a timeclock.
Thumper
I am almost a bona fide Senior CItizen!! I partied hardy 40 years ago up to and including when it was just not worth it anymore because it took 3 days to get over a simple hangover. But in all those days of partying, we women knew how to act like ladies, even though we were very wild and very uninhibited a lot of times; we never would think of acting like some of these young girls act today. If you wanted to expose your private parts - it was done in PRIVATE and not for the world to see. No one acted nor dressed like $10 hookers like the girls do today. IF we wore no underwear - it wasn't for everyone to see; we CHOSE who could and could not take a look or touch. Can't say that for the young girls today who advertise what they have in the sleaziest way possible thinking that THAT is what is going to find them a husband or a boyfriend. Or maybe they just want to sleep with as many guys as possible because of low self-esteem. Either way - I guess if it wasn't for the girls acting like sluts and the guys who take advantage of it - what would that do to Vegas' reputation?
Don't like discos.
LOLOLOLOL Discos went out in the 70's. I bet you stll have a pair of MC Hammer Pants!!!!
They are called "dance clubs" or just plain "clubs"now!!!
Gmag some labor info for you......
There are exempt and non-exempt employees.
Exempt employees are managers, doctors, engineers, lawyers....people who make over a certain amount of money.
Exempt employees do not work by the hour. They get paid a salary.
Exempt employees do not get overttime or comp time. They have more freedom on when they work. They can even work less than 40 hours a week and get the salary.
Non-exempt employees work by the hour and are not exempt for the labor laws for hourly wage. They (except for some job groups) must get paid overttime if they work more than 40 hours in week. They must get a 15 mintue break for each 4 hours of work and they must get a 30 minute lunch break for each 8 hours that they work.
SgtRock, it's not the amount of money that determines if someone is exempt it's if they supervise others and/or have a certain amount of independence in their schedule. At least that's what my boss told me.
Slingshot: Managers are salaried employess and do not get paid overtime. All those after hours work they do on meetings or mandatory assignment they have to attend will not get them any more than their fixed monthly salaries.
Fred Flintstone: I think your boss is pulling your leg. Some hourly workers supervise other hourly workers but are not exempt. Managers are not represented by unions but supposedly represents the management and they are designated salaried when they get hired or promoted to management position.
I was an exempt employee for years. I refer to that period as my slave days.
Gee, Nance, you are FULL of fun facts today!
How does any of that contradict what I said?
I've been in the workforce for 40 years. I
think I've got the basic gist of the way people get paid.
But THANKS~~
You said: "slingshot...
I'd bet most Managers are on SALARY, and they are expected have to work some O.T. as part of their job, with no extra SALARY."
I just thought you were having trouble with the concept.
As usual, you have completely lost me.
Having managed in many companies that implemented these systems you will find a few things happen:
1. Good non salary employees who used to come in early or stay late will no longer do so because they are not allowed to as you have to "clock in" right on time.
2. Employees that used to come in late or leave early no longer will, but they will waste their time throughout the day and still get very little work done.
3. Employee productivity will drop because of lines at the card readers and also possibly having to get back to their home building (street crews, employees at other locations) in order to swipe out on time.
4. An increase in OT for the non salary employees who are kept over time by a manager.
5. The same amount of "payroll management" by staff making corrections for all the problems and exceptions that take place.
Personally unless you are managing hundreds of staff which is not true in most county departments that have more than enough supervisors, managing employee schedules is a management issue. Know where you employees are and manage the ones that are problems.
VegasResident
There are many managers willing to overlook 10 minutes here, 15 minutes there, 20 minutes here and there - especially for pet employees. This time clock system keeps everyone honest and prevents managers from playing favorites. Just like in the casinos, there will be plenty of timeclocks accessible in the appropriate places. Also, by keeping the managers honest, there will be less accusations of unfairness when it comes to, "How come John doesn't get in trouble when he's late?" Keep it fair, keep everyone honest. The timeclock doesn't lie, but people do.