What is Time Theft?

Time theft occurs when an employee accepts pay from their employer for time that they have not actually put into their work duties. This can take many forms, from arriving late and leaving early, to taking extended breaks, to conducting personal business while on the clock.

Buddy Punching

One of the most common forms of time theft is “buddy punching,” where one employee clocks in or out on behalf of another employee who is not actually present.

Prevention

Modern workforce management tools prevent time theft by using technologies like:

• GPS Geofencing
• Biometric verification (facial recognition, fingerprint scanners)
• IP address restrictions