Where I worked overtime/TOIL needed management approval so th clock-in machine was just used to screw you. You couldn't get anything out of it. Unless I suppose if you made a proper claim but you'd need real support and you'd till probably not have a case.
I'd say best rid of them they can be used to prove persistent lateness etc when they want grounds to be rid of people.
Flexible working dispute - time punch cards
In a bakery I worked in we just clocked in and out when we came to work and when we finished, but refused to clock the breaks. Of course that calls for a collective action but maybe its a possibility.
Its described here:
Breaks
The first day on job you got instructions that all breaks should be timed. These instructions were quickly demented by the bakers who’d been working there for a longer time than we had been. All in all, we had one hour break a day, and if you didn’t punch out your break on the clock, the salary-office would take one hour from your paycheque. If you punched out during your break, but stayed longer than one hour, they would take more from your salary, but if you didn’t punch out at all they took the hour anyway. In that way, you could only loose if punching out. Instead, we took longer breaks in turns. It worked well and everything was just fine. The boss couldn’t argue much, because no one was punching out. If anyone was asked why he or she didn’t punch out during the breaks, that person answered that he or she had forgotten it, or that “somebody” had told him or her that it wasn’t needed. Then the boss would say that you should punch out in future, and you would say “Yes” and then keep on don’t giving a shit about it.
chrisball wrote:
I think the move toward flexible working, home working and the like, it is inevitable that older traditional means of punching in/out will go anyway, it is just a matter of when.
They don't go away, they just adapt... After years of successfully arguing against time-clocks, when the business changed premises we were all issued with electronic "security" cards which don't just record when you arrive, leave and nip out for a fag, but also where you are in the building at any given time as all the floors have the electronic locks, and dependant upon your status you are not always able to access all floors.
Like the time-clocks they're relatively easy to subvert by tailgating, swopping cards and the like.
More problematic is the IT departments occasional foray into checking when you log on or off your PC of course, and this will be used against home workers too ("We noticed you only performed four keystrokes between 11am and 5pm Mr Smith...)
First of two threads about flexible working disputes at my council.
Ok this one is that the council have said they may abolish the use of time punch cards, which a small percentage of staff use. Maybe 5-10%. Now, this would seem great, and initially when they said they'd consult the unions on it my thoughts were "excellent, support its abolition."
However, workers opinion is split 50-50. Half hate them, but a lot think the council want to abolish them to force workers into doing more unpaid overtime. Most of us without punching in do work over our hours, so this is a very good point. With punching in/out hours are calculated automatically (without necessarily deducting hours for lunch, which is also good) so you always get your TOIL and do proper hours. TOIL for everyone else is often hard to take.
What do people think? Ideally they would be optional, so tardy staff can do voluntary timing and early birds can punch in/out, but i don't think the council would go for that...