Time Clock Abuse

Question: Some of my employees stay on the clock even though they are not working. How do I put a stop to that?

Answer: The first step is to establish a written policy that says that all staff are required to clock in and out, and also that everyone has to request overtime or extra hours - they can't just stick around.

Having this in writing and announcing it at a staff meeting will help all by itself. Also, ask why people are not clocking out. Is there a more convenient place to put a time clock so that people remember to use it? There are also biometric devices now (see www.countmeinllc.com) that prevent fraud and are simple to use.

You need to understand why the problem exists to best solve it.

Certainly, if you see people hanging out who are still clocked in, address it then and there; tell them to clock out.