Timekeeping department
Securing an accurate record of the time worked by each employee is the first step in labor costing. Accurate timekeeping is usually achieved by the following:
1. A clock card or time card that provides reliable evidence of the employee’s presence in the plant from time of entry to departure.
2. Time tickets or job tickets to secure information as to the type and duration of work performed.
Both documents are supervised, controlled, and collected by the timekeeping department. Because earnings of employees depend mainly on these two forms and the timekeeper processes them in the first step toward final payment, timekeeping is a valuable link in good labor-management relations. To many workers, the timekeeper is management. Frequently the timekeeper’s performance is the basis for a worker’s first opinion of the company.