Myths about a Biometric Time Attendance System Debunked

Singapore is amongst the top countries in the world for technological adoption and breakthroughs in the workplace. Though changes in workplace procedures generally produce positive results for the Singaporean companies, employees may occasionally still resist them. So whenever employers plan to introduce process changes in the workplace, they need to start with accurate information. If you are planning to install a biometric time attendance system in your business premise in Singapore, it’s even more important to focus on the facts. Here is a list of the most common myths concerning biometric time attendance technology, we will attempt to debunk them and hopefully, help you improve your workforce.

Myth: Installing a biometric attendance system means the company does not trust its employees

Fact: Installing a biometric system in workplace is not about trust but more about accuracy and efficiency. Biometric time attendance systems have been created for more than just employee time theft prevention. A biometric system eliminates ID card punching errors, such as misplacing a card or punching in other’s card. Unlike traditional method of filling attendance registers or card punching, employees can punch in and out in seconds using a biometric scanner. With an integrated biometric attendance tracking and payroll software, employees can rest assured that they will be paid appropriately for all hours worked. So, a biometric time attendance system is not only beneficial for employers but also provides a number of benefits to employees as well.

Myth: Biometric devices store employees’ physiological characteristics, which is against their privacy

Fact: This is a common myth which most employees have about biometric time attendance systems in Singapore but biometric devices do not store employees’ physiological characteristics that can invade their privacy. When employees are first enrolled in a biometric device, the system captures the unique features of the individual's hand, finger, iris or voice. The device then converts this captured feature into mathematical file which came to be known as biometric template. Any time attendance system relies on multi spectral biometric capturing technology which captures the unique physiological characteristics of the employees and records this as a numeric string. This numeric string is then used to verify a person's identity whenever he or she punches in and out of the premise.

Myth: A biometric attendance system is expensive and hard to manage

Fact: Employers can easily purchase a biometric time attendance system in Singapore at affordable rate from a reliable supplier of biometric devices and attendance tracking software. There are different modalities available, such as facial recognition, fingerprint scanner, iris and voice recognition. Employers can purchase a biometric system with the best modality that suits their budget and organisational needs. Biometric attendance tracking systems are easy-to-use and can be managed remotely. With a cloud-based biometric system, employees can be automatically enrolled into the system the first time they punch in at the terminal. So you don’t need to have an extra staff to enrol your employees or manage the biometric system.

Employers who are looking to adopt biometric time attendance system in Singapore can avoid resistance from their employees by choosing the right biometric system and providing proper information to their employees about this new change in the workplace. Being transparent about how biometric systems work can significantly reduce employee resistance, while also helping you capture accurate attendance data and prepare payroll without any errors.

How a Time and Attendance System Helps Employers to Comply with the Employment Law

The relationship between employer and employee in Singapore is regulated by the contract of employment between them. Any employment contract must comply with the Employment Act of Singapore. The Employment Act is the country’s main labour law and it provides for the basic terms and working conditions for all types of employees who are under a contract of service with an employer in Singapore. Foreign employees holding a work pass are covered by the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.

The Employment Act extends to the entire employment process, starting from the appointment, compensation to termination. All businesses, in their capacity as an employer, need to comply with the employment laws when hiring, paying and terminating employees. While hiring and terminating employees can be easily done by the HR department but compensation needs an automated data tracking and managing system for accurate payroll calculation. An effective time and attendance system in Singapore can be significant a great time saver for attendance tracking and payroll calculation.

Biometric Time and Attendance System and Payroll

Biometric time and attendance systems use the biometrics (such as fingerprint, iris or facial recognition) of each employee in order to clock in and out of the system during the day. The payroll department can generate attendance reports for compensation, without any errors and in less time. The HR department can calculate total hours worked by each employee, statutory holidays and manage overtime. Your time and attendance system can be configured to meet those requirements and ensure that you are in compliance with the Employment Act.

With biometric time and attendance systems, organisations can cut the amount of time spent on payroll each period. The payroll department is no longer required to keep files of paperwork or spend time scanning the documents into the system in order to prepare payroll. The payroll department can create a 100% accurate report within minutes.

A biometric time attendance system also eliminates time theft by employees. This indirectly benefits the payroll department as they can accurately determine the total work hours of each employee and compensate them accordingly.

Proof of attendance is very important during an audit by the Singaporean Ministry of Manpower. A biometric time and attendance system in Singapore can make all the difference when dealing with such audits. Biometric time attendance systems include attendance tracking software, payroll software and absence tracker software. You can easily pull records of individual employees to show them to the auditors.

Singaporean companies dealing with attendance and payroll issues should consider switching to biometric time and attendance system to eliminate these problems and comply with Employment Act.