How To Prevent Employee Time Theft

Particularly for remote jobs or roles that can operate with little or no oversight, employee time theft can become a problem for business owners. Sometimes, instances of time theft can seem small and insignificant but add up to significant financial and productivity losses. 

This guide outlines the various forms employee theft can take and offers strategies to reduce its occurrences in your organization. 

What Is Employee Time Theft? 

Employee time theft refers to the deliberate act of employees misusing or abusing work hours for personal activities, resulting in loss of productive time for the company.

This can become a significant concern for businesses because it affects productivity and profitability, as employers end up paying employees for time in which they’re not actually working. Beyond financial consequences, this can create a negative work culture.

Different Kinds of Employee Time Theft

Time theft is any misrepresentation of working time, but it comes in a wide variety of forms. 

Absent coworkers

Clocking in for absent coworkers is known as buddy punching, which is one of the most obvious forms of employee time theft. You can prevent this with automated systems that record the person clocking in or that can only be activated from the employee’s personal phone. 

If employees don’t have an accurate clock-in system, arriving late or leaving early can become a form of employee theft, as they are paid for beginning their shift before they even arrive at work. 

Extended breaks

Extended breaks are another form of time theft, as clocking in before actually returning to work is misrepresenting working hours. Even while on the clock, excessive personal phone usage can constitute employee time theft, as their attention is not on their work responsibilities. 

Unauthorized overtime

Unauthorized overtime is another form of employee time theft, as employers are legally required to pay for hours worked, even if the employee didn’t have permission to work those extra hours. 

Understanding the Causes of Employee Time Theft

Before you can begin to prevent time theft, you need to understand why it happens. The “theft triangle model” is an explanation that suggests that most employees aren’t actively scheming for ways to steal from the company. 

Still, if the right three conditions present themselves, they might not resist the opportunity. The theft triangle model names opportunity, motivation, and reasoning as factors that encourage time theft. 

So if it’s easy for an employee to steal time, it could be because they are unsupervised or experience frequent “opportunities” to fudge their time sheet or engage in personal activities on the clock. 

Employees might find the motivation to steal time if they’re tired, want to go home early, or activity comes up that they’d rather attend than work. 

Finally, reasoning includes the things employees tell themselves to justify their theft, such as resentment at being overworked or underpaid or believing that instances of petty time theft won’t hurt the large corporation. 

Though some of these factors might be unavoidable, employers can take steps to limit the opportunities for time theft. 

The best way to reduce these opportunities is to address issues of managerial oversight, such as a lack of clear time management policies, inadequate monitoring and tracking systems, or minimal effort to motivate and engage employees.

Implementing Strategies to Prevent Employee Time Theft

As an employer, there’s not much you can do to reduce the motivation and reasoning that might convince employees to steal time.

Still, that leaves one element you can control. So, what can employers do to reduce opportunities for time theft? 

1. Implementing Time Tracking and Monitoring Systems

In the past, paper time logs were the only option. Now, advances in technology have made automating time tracking easy! 

By implementing biometric or ID-based time clock systems, you can take the guesswork out of managing employee time sheets. If your employees work remotely, you can even monitor their activity with time-tracking software to ensure they stay on task. 

Reduce opportunities to misrepresent hours (or even make honest mistakes!) by implementing time-tracking systems like time clocks, software, or biometric systems that can help monitor and track employee time accurately. 

Though these systems are fairly effective, it’s important to regularly review and audit time records to identify discrepancies or patterns of time theft.

Time tracking software can display all apps and websites accessed by employees while they are on the clock, which can alert you to excessive social media usage or other forms of distraction.

Finally, these systems often enable employers to integrate time and attendance systems with payroll, automating what would otherwise be a tedious aspect of managing your workforce.

2. Establishing Clear Policies and Expectations

Some instances of employee time theft are unintentional. Ensure all team members understand what is expected of them by clearly defining work hours, breaks, and time-off policies. 

​​When formulating a policy on time theft, it is important to take into account the possibility that an employee who engages in such behavior may simply lack a clear understanding of their job expectations. 

For instance, if a retail worker consistently pulls out their phone when there are no customers around, it may be because managers have not clearly communicated their expectations. 

To prevent employees from wasting company time, it is essential that they have a comprehensive understanding of their work duties. Merely asking them to perform a task, such as restocking or wiping down surfaces, might lead them to view it as a one-time assignment. 

Instead, clearly communicate that when they are not assisting customers, they are expected to complete specific tasks. If those tasks have been completed already, encourage a proactive approach to identifying other things that need to be done. 

This clarification should be provided from the very beginning, ideally outlined in the employee handbook within the section pertaining to the time theft policy. It is important to establish a clear framework for the employee’s role and responsibilities, not only for the initial day but also for the first week, month, and beyond.

Beyond implementing time-tracking tools, work to create a culture that encourages integrity and hard work, whether or not it is actively monitored. If employees feel they are valued members of a team, they may be more likely to perform to a higher standard so as not to let their coworkers down. 

Encouraging employees to take pride in their work can also reduce instances of time theft, as it encourages accountability and a constant desire to improve. Clearly communicating performance expectations and holding employees accountable for their time management can also contribute to an honest and positive work environment. 

3. Promoting Employee Engagement and Accountability

Another way to promote employee accountability is to foster a positive work environment by promoting open communication, providing feedback and recognition, and encouraging employee involvement in decision-making. 

Recognize and reward employees for their punctuality and productivity, and provide incentives for meeting or exceeding targets. All of these steps can make employees feel valued and, therefore, more invested in their work and less likely to waste company time. 

4. Allow For Flexibility

Especially if your employees work remotely, allowing for flexibility in their workdays can reduce motivation to commit time theft. 

For example, if an employee is permitted to clock out for a few hours in the afternoon to pick up their kids from school or walk their dog, they won’t feel the need to do those activities on the clock in an attempt to get everything done. 

Flexible working hours positively affect employee morale and can boost productivity by ensuring that when employees are on the clock, they are fully focused on their work. 

What Are The Consequences of Employee Time Theft?

Employee time theft can have several consequences, both for the individual employee and the organization as a whole. Though rounding up by five minutes or browsing social media on the clock may seem inconsequential, over time, they can create significant financial consequences. 

1. Loss of Productivity

When employees engage in time theft, they are diverting their time and attention away from their assigned tasks. This can lead to decreased overall productivity within the organization, as important work is not being completed as intended.

On an individual level, employees can damage their own performance records if they allow themselves to be easily distracted at work. If a task that should take an hour to complete takes them three hours, the employee might face consequences even if they’re not caught for time theft. 

2. Financial Loss

Time theft can result in financial losses for the organization. If employees are being paid for the time they did not actually work, or if they are misusing company resources for personal purposes, it can directly impact the company’s bottom line. 

A study from the American Society of Employers found that approximately 20% of every dollar earned by employers is lost in employee time theft. Though stealing a few minutes here and there might not seem significant to employees, employers should take steps to protect that 20% of overall profit. 

3. Decreased Morale and Trust

When employees witness others engaging in time theft, it can create a sense of unfairness and resentment. This can lead to a decline in employee morale and a breakdown of trust among team members. 

If employers begin monitoring work more closely, relationships between employees and managers might also become more strained. It may lead to conflicts, resentment, or disciplinary actions that can damage working relationships and team dynamics.

4. Reputational Damage

If time theft becomes widespread within an organization, it can tarnish the company’s reputation. 

Customers, clients, and business partners may lose trust in the organization’s ability to manage its workforce effectively, leading to the potential loss of business opportunities. 

Even on the day-to-day level, if customers witness employees scrolling social media while on the clock, they may feel neglected and choose to patronize other businesses. 

5. Legal Consequences

In certain cases, time theft can result in legal consequences, particularly if it involves fraud, embezzlement, or violation of labor laws. Organizations may face lawsuits or regulatory penalties if they fail to address and prevent time theft adequately.

Educating Employees about Time Theft and Its Consequences

Conducting Training and Workshops

Sometimes, employees might steal time without fully realizing the consequences of their actions. To prevent oversight or accidental time theft, educate employees about the concept and impact of time theft. 

Time theft can look different in different circumstances, so outline the various unethical ways employees might misrepresent their hours worked or not give their best effort. Provide guidance on time management and productivity to help employees develop their skills and become more productive. 

Communicating Consequences Clearly

Finally, be sure to clearly set and communicate the consequences of time theft. Having set consequences in place can ensure fair treatment for all employees and often prevent them from misrepresenting their time in the first place.

Even the act of letting your team know that the managers are on the lookout for time theft may be enough to discourage anyone from trying it. 

Monitoring and Reviewing Effectiveness

As with any HR strategy, the best way to maintain an effective anti-time-theft system is to constantly review what is in place. 

Ask employees for feedback, review data from your time-tracking systems, and regularly check in with managers to hear their thoughts on productivity and accountability. 

It will be difficult to know what’s working and what needs improvement in your organization if employees don’t feel they can be honest with you. 

Set aside time to meet with your employees one-on-one to check in with them about their output and hear their feedback about company culture. Regular conversations can build relationships, strengthen trust, and prevent miscommunication surrounding expectations or feedback. 

Conclusion

Preventing time theft is a central concern for many employers, as failing to do so can dampen productivity, waste money, and allow a negative company culture to develop. 

To prevent employee time theft, organizations should establish clear policies and expectations regarding work hours, attendance, and the appropriate use of company resources. Regularly communicate these policies to all employees and provide training sessions to ensure understanding. 

Work on improving your organization’s monitoring systems to prevent instances of oversight. For example, implementing time tracking systems, such as electronic time clocks or digital attendance systems, can help accurately record employee hours. 

Regularly review and audit timesheets and attendance records to identify any inconsistencies or patterns of abuse and foster a positive work culture that promotes accountability and emphasizes the importance of time management. 

By implementing these preventive measures, organizations can minimize the occurrence of employee time theft and foster a productive and responsible work environment.