Archived So we now have no time clocks at my store!!!

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Last night I came in for my closing shift and couldn't clock in because the time clock was gone. As in, not even on the wall anymore. Instead, there was an LCD screen with a bar code scanner.

So then our ETL-HR came out of her office and told me she had to give me something, which turned out to be a little card with my name and a barcode on it.

So she told me that our store is one of like 15 stores in the company that is testing a new way of clocking in/out. Instead of using the time clock, we have to scan the card on the little scanner.

I thought at first "ok, no big deal. Seems kind of like a waste of money though"

Then I found out what the real huge change was. We can now clock in/out from damn near anywhere in the store! Corporate pushed a software update to our store, and we can now clock in/out from the registers. They added a menu on one of the K keys that says "clock in/out", you then pick what you want to do and scan your card at the register.

The coolest part of all? You can clock in out from the freaking price scanners on the sales floor! You just have to scan your card on them.

They even added an option to do it on the PDAs, but it doesn't work yet. You just get an error message if you try it.

I asked our ETL-HR why we are doing this and she kept saying "think of all the time that is being wasted having everyone walk up front to clock in out. It wastes your time and the companies time". That is what she kept saying "wastes your time and the companies time", so I am pretty sure that most be some corporate talking point they sent her.

I guess it is true if you think about it. I know backroom TMs, for example, move so damn slow and come across so many "distractions" (talking, roaming the floor, etc) on their way up front to clock in/out or go to lunch they probably each burn 5-10 minutes on every trip. I suppose if you add that up across 2000 stores that is a lot of wasted payroll.

The only downside to this is that there are now rules about how we clock in/out. Apparently cashiers are not even allowed to be in clerical on the clock anymore pretty much. They have to clock in/out from their register, and if they do it from any place else it is a coaching.

We on sales floor have to clock in/out "from the nearest available price scanner/register" or if we are closest to the LCD screen scanner on the wall in clerical at the time we need to clock in/out. If we don't, it is a coaching. So in other words, if I am working electronics, I have to use the register back there to clock in/out. If I walk up front to do it I'm in trouble.

Also, we always have to use the card - no exceptions. The registers will let us key in our number, but I was warned by our ETL-HR that if we do it the LOD gets some kind of alert and they have to have AP investigate it as a possible "theft of time" issue. Basically, they are paranoid another TM is clock in/out for you if you don't use the card. Also if we lose the card more than one time it is a write up because the card is considered "equipment".

Overall though, I really like this. I personally hated having to go across the damn store to clock in/out and then walk all the way back to the back of the store to the break room. Then have to walk all the way back up front again to clock in and all the way back again to my department.

Also the little card they gave us works for our TM discount, so that is pretty cool too.
 
Cool.
I'm sure there will be LOUC coming out of this but it sounds nifty.
Keep us updated.
 
WalMart had something similar when I worked there briefly. Except that we could only clock in/out at the actual time clocks.

However we could scan our barcode on price scanners, and view tasks that management wants us to complete for the day.

Sounds like Target is moving that direction. Very neat.
 
that sounds pretty cool. Im a backroom team member and i always have to run up to the front to clock in/out...it will be cool when they have it avaliable on the PDAs, that will help tremendously!
 
that sounds pretty cool. Im a backroom team member and i always have to run up to the front to clock in/out...it will be cool when they have it avaliable on the PDAs, that will help tremendously!

from the description, my only issue for us backroomers is the where we have to clock in/out from. I am not always in the backroom at the end of my day and certainly not always back there at lunch time. Sounds inconvenient for in-stocks as well.
 
"Time wasted walking" aside, the annoying thing for me is being at the store well on time, but then showing up as 1 or 2 minutes late because of those times where there's 15-20 people at the time clock all punching in or out at the same time. They ALL have to punch in 8-10 numbers (some do the full 10...two leading zeros), and then a handful of them redo it to view their last punch, stare at the screen the whole 3-5 seconds it's displayed, looking it over up, down, back, forth, and sideways to make sure it really was that particular minute.

By the time all of this happens, some people end up being 1 or 2 minutes past clock-in/out time. Not a big deal, but, annoying. Because corporate thought our picture name badges with barcodes on the back (swipe through the time clock....500% faster than pushing all those stupid buttons), was "too expensive." I still have one, so doing punches only takes a split second.
 
But...but....what about the TMs who take their time SLOWLY walking to the timeclock so they can pad that extra 3-4 mins?
Thing of the past.
 
Now thats scary. They want you to clock in and out as soon as possible. Target is wanting take every single second away from TMs having to walk up front to clock in and out. And then they want them to walk in and clock in before they even get through the front door.
 
I have two points to add:

1) If you don't clock in until you are in the backroom, how do you get a PDA and walkie? Isn't that working off the clock? If I am holding a walkie or PDA, I am getting paid.

and

2) I hope they use this new system to start writing up people who don't take breaks. I can say for certainty that there are far more people at my store who take only one break or NO breaks than take long breaks. But, I bet that doesn't happen.

So, me personally. I probably don't take a second break twice a week. I know, I know. But, when I am walking up front and stop to get a bag of chips on the way instead of walking up front, then clocking out, then walking back, then standing in line with only one cashier. It evens out for me. Do some people take advantage? Of course. Does Target take advantage of people by not enforcing break policy? Of course.

Please let me know what you think. Even if you disagree. Thanks!
 
Uh, Leonhart621, why aren't you putting all that stuff away before you clock out? All that should be done on the clock.

In fact, not sure if they still do it, but hourly employees who had keys the store (flow TL, backroom TL, SR TL) used to do punch corrections when they opened the store because unlocking the door, disarming the alarm, etc. is work. Maybe that was going a little overboard, after all it was only 3 or 4 minutes. Oh wait, all those minutes add up. But, since an ETL is now there at 7am each morning to disarm the cash office, someone salaried is there each morning.
 
Hmm. I wouldn't mind if we had this at my store. They moved all of our equipment to the fitting room awhile ago which is clear on the other side of the store from the time clock, so it means that if I'm working in pFresh at the end of my shift, I have to cross the store twice on my way out. If I could just clock out at the fitting room, then I could shop on my way back to the TSC instead of having to book it back there and then go back to shop.
 
I understand what leonheart621 is saying. If we are to save our time and targets by clocking in or out at a price scanner or especially a PDA and we are still holding that equipment what was the sense in using either of those means to clock out. I am not returning equipment to TSC on my own time. I guess I could see using some other scanning device to clock for start or end meal but not for end work day. I would be happy to use a front end register to clock in. Once I am in the store (either before open or available to a guest to give assistance) I feel I am no longer on my own time.
 
Just thinking about this. I think it would be very nice if the ETL had a PDA at the front door when they let us in. Once I enter and that door closes behind me I am no longer on my own time. It would also be nice for those who are closers and locked in waiting to be let out. They are deserving of being paid for all their time. I have only closed a handful of times but always thought it was unfair to be locked in, waiting to be let out using my own time.

I think I will like this new method of clocking in and out if my store gets it.
 
We have two time clocks in the backroom and two in the clerical. Flow and morning Backroom TMs are supposed to punch in using the backroom time clocks, or they will get coached. They do this to save money on payroll since our flow and backroom people would punch in at the clerical, put their belongings in their lockers, chatting, then slowly walk over to receiving/backroom. Pretty sure they save 5-10 minutes per person.
 
Its going to be get to the point that your name badges will have GPS tracking chips. Once you walk into the store it clocks you in, and clocks you out when you leave....or how about the parking lot (in order to keep an eye on the Cart Attendants). And the LOD can track the exactly which TM is where, and can find out which TM is closest to what call button. And who tracks who and how long you are in the breakroom or TMSC.

Just think of the coachings and writeups from that.
 
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Its going to be get to the point that your name badges will have GPS tracking chips. Once you walk into the store it clocks you in, and clocks you out when you leave....or how about the parking lot (in order to keep an eye on the Cart Attendants). And the LOD can track the exactly which TM is where, and can find out which TM is closest to what call button. And who tracks who and how long you are in the breakroom or TMSC.
"Gosh, [ETL], I don't know HOW my card got hammered flat in JUST THE RIGHT SPOT...."
 
Our store may be getting this I suspect. Alot of us take along time to get to the time clocks because they are generally in two places on the other side of the store.
 
Its going to be get to the point that your name badges will have GPS tracking chips. Once you walk into the store it clocks you in, and clocks you out when you leave....or how about the parking lot (in order to keep an eye on the Cart Attendants). And the LOD can track the exactly which TM is where, and can find out which TM is closest to what call button. And who tracks who and how long you are in the breakroom or TMSC.

Just think of the coachings and writeups from that.

yep... i'm sure there's some high power execs walking around at corp. talking about the new microchips for tm (and they probably cost less than new pdas to replace). *shudders*
 
So let me get this straight Anti Vibe, where do you guys keep your equipment? PDA's, walkies, etc. Are you expected to collect that before clocking in? I am assuming this is all before the store opens since you said it was flow and morning backroom. If guests see me walking through the store with a PDA and a red shirt, they are going to assume I am working. Or is this just when the store is closed?
 
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