Can Scheduling Software Help Restaurants Close the Buddy Punching Pay Gap?

As a restaurant owner, we’d like to ask you a question: what’s the biggest line item in your budget? If you’re like many restaurant owners, the answer is labor. Much of that cost is necessary and legitimate, but there are other factors and habits that can drive up your labor costs unnecessarily. Many restaurant owners are plagued with problems like unauthorized overtime, buddy punching, time theft, and more. But what can be done to fix it?

Surprisingly the answer could be as simple as choosing the right scheduling software for your restaurant. Not sure what the “right” scheduling software looks like? Not convinced that scheduling software is the answer? That’s okay!

We’ve put together a list of features that enable modern scheduling solutions to help restaurant owners eliminate chronic time tracking problems and close the infamous pay gap caused by buddy punching and other problematic behaviors.

• Geofencing
• Facial recognition
• GPS-enabled time tracking

Geofencing Prevents Buddy Punching

A geofence is an invisible barrier that defines a geographic area — in this case, that would mean your restaurant. Modern scheduling software is smartphone compatible, which opens up lots of possibilities on the geofencing front.

You might set up your scheduling software so that when an employee crosses into the area defined as your restaurant’s area, they are prompted to clock in. Alternatively, you can just set location-based restrictions that prohibit individuals located outside of the geofenced area of your restaurants to clock in.

Either way, moving the clock-in process to employee’s individual mobile devices cuts down on habits like buddy punching significantly.

Facial Recognition Adds An Extra Layer of Security Against Buddy Punching

What if an employee gives their device to their friend, you might be wondering? While it does make buddy punching more difficult, you’d be correct in pointing out that geofencing is not a foolproof solution. However when you factor in some of the other features that come standard with many modern scheduling software, a great deal of that additional risk is eliminated.

Facial recognition capabilities can be present in an app-based scheduling software like the one described in the geofencing section, or it can be built into a more traditional kiosk-based time clock setup. By snapping a photo to ensure the individual punching in or out is actually the individual who should be punching in or out, facial recognition software shrinks the risk of buddy punching to near zero.

GPS-Enabled Mobile Time Tracking Stops Buddy Punching and Employee Time Theft Once and For All

With features like geofencing and facial recognition, you can rest assured that your restaurant employees are actually clocking in and out for their own shifts. But what about all that time in between? Isn’t it possible for employees to commit time theft in other ways, perhaps by taking long or unapproved breaks during their shifts?

A mobile time tracking solution uses a GPS signal to pinpoint your employee’s location throughout their shift, which means you never have to wonder if they wandered away for a while during their shift again.

Choosing the right restaurant scheduling software can be tricky. After all, it’s possibly your restaurant’s single greatest defense against buddy punching and other forms of employee time theft. Search for a scheduling software with features like geofencing, facial recognition, and GPS-enabled mobile time tracking, and watch your buddy punching pay gap close for good.