Time card fraud costs companies nationwide millions of dollars a year and is no different that your employee stealing cash or goods from your business. According to statistics, many hourly employees have admitting to cheating on their own time cards or for a coworker by punching in for them when they were running late. There are a number of job descriptions that allow for easy manipulation of hours worked including remote employees, and salespeople who are responsible for tracking their own time. Keep reading to learn more about preventing time card fraud and catching an employee who is cheating you by manipulating the number of hours they have actually worked.

Examples of Time Card Fraud

Some examples of time card fraud include: employees taking care of their personal business for a lengthy period of time while on the clock, employees arriving to work later than their scheduled shift but recording they were present and starting on time, employees taking extended breaks or lunches and then not recording them properly, and employees fudging hours for work that was supposedly performed on the clock that was never actually done.

How to Prevent Time Theft

The first tip to preventing time card fraud is to make sure that your employees are aware of any and all company procedures and policies. One of the best ways to do this is to have a signed employee agreement that clearly outlines policies and procedures. This form will allow each employee to acknowledge that they have read and understood all policies including those pertaining to timesheets. The disciplinary process should begin with a verbal warning for any infractions that occur, and your employees should also be provided a copy in writing that states any violation of policy, including falsifying time clock usage will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination. All supervisor’s should have an understanding and be proficient with timekeeping practices and wage laws and be trained on how to identify time keeping discrepancies. You should also create a specific process for employees that are working remotely to make sure that the hours submitted are accurate, for example you may choose to implement time keeping software with GPS technology to give a true accounting of the whereabouts of your employees at a given time during their work day.

Investigation of Time Card Fraud

If you suspect that one or more of your employees are stealing from you by committing time card fraud, contact a private investigation firm to investigate. The knowledgeable experts at Advanced Private Investigator & Security of Miami, FL can provide you with services including surveillance and tracking devices to keep tabs on your employees and confirm their whereabouts. Should your investigator discover any discrepancies the photo and video evidence provided by the private investigator assigned to your case is extremely useful during the termination process. In fact this evidence and can even protect you against a lawsuit should your employee try to take you to court for unlawful termination of their employment.

Private Investigator & Security Services in Greater Miami, Sunny Isles, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Weston, Plantation City & Miami Gardens Florida

To learn more about time clock fraud, loss prevention, asset recovery, GPS tracking, surveillance, undercover operations, identity theft, and much more, contact the knowledgeable experts at Advanced Private Investigator & Security of Miami, FL today.