HR Q&A – My Employees Regularly Forget to Log Out During Their Breaks and Meal Periods. I’ve Told Them Countless Times, and They Just Forget to Do It. What Can I Do?

This issue is all too common for Companies large and small, but here are some great tips from HR expert Emily, MBA, SPHR:

There are a few steps you can take to help your employees remember to clock out for breaks and meal periods:

• Ask employees why they’re forgetting. There may be contributing factors worth addressing. You can also ask for feedback on what may not be working well with the current timekeeping procedures.
• Review your processes and systems to ensure they are easy to use and find. If you have a physical time clock, put it in a spot where your employees will pass by during meal and rest periods.
• Encourage your employees to use calendar reminders, especially if they clock in and out from their computers.
• Share why proper timekeeping is important—not just for the individuals, but for the team and organization.
• If it makes sense given your employee demographics, offer individual or group rewards for when employees consistently remember to clock out.
• If all else fails, use disciplinary action to hold employees accountable to your timekeeping processes. Ensure that employees are disciplined consistently.

By following these steps, combined with the powerful payroll solutions and support from APlusPayroll, you can ensure that your employees are clocking out for their allotted break and meal periods. This ensures that everyone is taking the time they need to rest and refuel throughout the day, while also staying compliant with federal labor laws.

Optimizing break times has never been easier — start today by scheduling a demo with your friendly APlus team.