Benefits June 15, 2009

Stealing Time: Survey Finds Workers Fudging Timesheets

June 15, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A new survey commissioned by The Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated and conducted by Harris Interactive reveals that 21% of hourly workers have cheated on their timesheet to gain extra pay from their employer.
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Of the total number of respondents who state that they “game the clock,” 69% admit to punching in earlier or punching out later than scheduled, and 22% admit to adding additional time to their timesheet, according to a press release. Fourteen percent say that they do not punch out for unpaid lunches or breaks, and 5% admit to having someone punch in or out for them.

“If 21 percent of workers admit to gaming the clock, the actual percentage of workers engaging in this type of behavior is likely much higher. Employers are not only losing money by paying for time not worked, but may also be increasing their risk of non-compliance with federal labor legislation such as FLSA, FMLA, and state regulations such as California meal and break laws,” said Joyce Maroney, director of The Workforce Institute, Kronos, in the announcement.

Noting that 35% of respondents who receive an hourly wage stated that their employers use paper timesheets to keep track of employee time worked, The Workforce Institute suggests an automated workforce management system can provide immediate cost savings by reducing time-consuming processes and costly payroll errors, and can also empower organizations with the information they need to uncover significant labor cost savings.

More information is at www.kronos.com .

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