A swipe in time saves nine: testing an automated timecard system in Berkeley, California.

• Author: Rabkin, Anna

A pilot program for automating timecards suggests big rewards for citywide implementation and identifies personnel issues that must be addressed.

Small red and black boxes on the lobby walls of the civic center building in Berkeley, California, were the subject of lively speculation. The boxes, each with a number pad, slot and small digital screen, do not open doors to private offices, nor are they automatic teller machines (ATMs), although the technology is similar. They are clock boxes that replace most paperwork required to issue paychecks to city employees.

The automated timecard system eliminates the printing, distribution, completion, authorization and collection of individual timecards. It reduces the manual data entry of hours worked and eliminates the need for timecard filing, storage and purchase. Only back-up documents recording "exception hours," such as leave or overtime authorizations, need to be filed. The technology eliminates labor intensive manual tasks, thus increasing productivity, and significantly reduces the amount of paper used.

The Technology: Swipecards

The city auditor's office created a four-department pilot project to test this new automated timekeeping technology. Three of the departments involved in the test employ office workers in Berkeley's civic center building. The fourth department, the city's refuse division, located about three miles from the civic center, has both office and manual workers. The 135 employees were issued plastic cards with a personal identification number (PIN), similar to ATM cards. When the card is swiped through a clock box, the computer records the arrival or departure time. This electronic input replaces manual record keeping of employee work hours.

The clock boxes, which cumulate hours swiped in, are connected to a dedicated computer server that integrates the hours swiped in with exception hours entered at departmental personal computers. Exception hours are defined as hours when employees are not on site to swipe their cards. Authorized staff in departments enter overtime hours, off-site paid time, sick leave and vacations and make corrections for missed swipes or for overtime that was not authorized.

Hours are accumulated in the system during the two-week pay period. At the end of the pay period, payroll clerks check the hours for completeness. Once the review is completed, supervisors sign off electronically, and the data are downloaded into the payroll system. The payroll software computes the payroll, produces edit reports for a final accuracy review, and prints paychecks and reports. Employees are paid based on the...