Dear Seniors, I want to know whether for monitoring the hours worked in a factory, is it required to have the signature of the workman twice- in time as well as out time, or having just 1 signature at in time is sufficient.
Is there any legal requirement which asks to take signature only once or twice; How prevalent is the practice of taking signature both at in time and out time?

From India, Bangalore
It all depends upon the company rules. When I was working in India, in a defence establishment, I had to sign in when entering work. However, in a factory, I had to clock in and out both times. In the UK I had to clock in and out when working in an organisation, where even managers had to clock in and out. However, in academia, I neither signed nor clocked in and out.

However, I think, it's good practice to sign both in and out as there will be a record. For example, in an organisation when there was a fire, people did not know who was in the building. In another case, the secured locked the building for the night and there was a person still in the building. It took quite a while to contact the security to get out of the building.

Kindly see BBC News - Should workers be forced to clock out to smoke? and Making Hourly Employees Clock Out When They Leave The Building Minnesota

I do not know the rules in India, now.

From United Kingdom
Dear Nash, Thanks for the inputs. It is good to know that it is considered as a good practice and followed in certain parts.
Info in Indian context would be helpful, since I am based out of India.
Regards,
Kanishk

From India, Bangalore
Dear Kanishak
No law as such prevents you to ask workmento register their In and Out time.If you are a "Factory" and "Standing Order Act" is applicable to you. There is provision to mention such operational level (day to day) practices/rules & Dos &Donts in Standing Order. Entry. exit, attendance. leave rules, misconduct,punsihment, disciplinary proceedings etc. are prescribed innstanding orders and all workmen are to be governed by it. Factory might have its own "certified standing orders" and in absence of own certifed standing orders "Model standing orders" are applicable.
Regards
Shailesh Parikh
Vadodara, Gujarat
99 98 97 10 65

From India, Mumbai
Dear Kanishk,
As rightly said by my friends and members. it all depends on the Model Standing Orders you have certified for your Company.
Also the punching / registering of in and out time of workers gives you the absenteeism report and the productivity given by each worker at the end of the day.
The attendance report of the workers will also help you to produce per man hours and per man output for daily production report.
So in short, the punching / registering of attendance of workers is mandatory and very essential for number of reports and also during the time of wage settlement...

From India, Mumbai
Dear Mr.Kanishk,
To my knowledge there is no statutory provision in Factories act to seek employees signature while they report or leave the factory. The biometric attendance recording system is equivalent to an employee registering his signature. As you are aware in a biometric attendance system the employee needs to record his finger print on a device that captures his attendance. This will also ensure foolproof attendance monitoring. The erstwhile barcode recording system was not foolproof in the sense yet another employee can also swipe the card on behalf of his colleague. The biometric attendance recording device can also be linked to payroll using software applications. Host of reports such as Leave recording, late coming reports, early out reports, late sitting reports can be generated through this.
M.V.Kannan

From India, Madras
Dear Shailesh, Ankit, Kannan,

Thanks for the response. As per the comments, model standing orders have the final say in specific matters. Biometric system faces problems in factories where the workers handle chemicals-their imprints are erased due to handling of chemicals. Usually it is seen that for monitoring in and out time of contractual worker a register is maintained in which time entry is made by security guy and worker's signature/thumb imprint is taken. This at times leaves a scope of exit time being filled later on to show 8 /9 hours shift but whereas exit time may be different. One of the ways to address this could be taking signature both while going out and coming in. While this is not a foolproof method it atleast gives a scope that worker acknowledges the time entered. My query is does any act/model standing order requires this to be done. Since this kind of monitoring is usually not liked and challenged stating law does not require it, I want to know if the practice of taking sig both at in time and out time has a backing of any legal requirement.

From India, Bangalore
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