 
Detrola
Member
Username: Detrola
Post Number: 56
Registered: 02-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - 10:22 am: |    |
As a former city of detroit employee there are things that I know that may surprise you.
Would it surprise to know that the vast majority of hourly city employees do not have to punch in on a timeclock or log in on a computer at the beginning and end of each day. They sign in on a sign in sheet. You simply sign your name and the time you arrived. (most often the time you were SUPPOSED to arrive). At the end of each day you write in the time you left work. (once again, more often the time you were supposed to leave).
A separate weekly Time Sheet is filled out by each employee. The time sheet is a record of the hours worked for that week. The Time Sheets are due, most often, in the middle of the week. So the hours one records for Thursday and Friday are a projection of the hours one is assigned to work. If an employee is late and or absent later in the week a corrected time sheet must be submitted.
All this paperwork is recorded by hand in the form of log books. There are several steps between an employees work site and payroll. Ideally every hour recorded on a time sheet is verified by cross referencing the sign in sheet. Sort of impossible for hours recorded for days that are yet to be worked. The sign in sheets are not submitted each week. (I've seen them collect for as long as 3 months) At each step the hours are recorded by hand with pen and paper. Done by the book, this a laborious task just to get everything recorded and submitted by midweek.
This system has evolved this way for several reasons. Sadly, it seems tailer made for abuse. Accurate accounting and corrections are difficult at best. |
Novine
Member
Username: Novine
Post Number: 96
Registered: 07-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - 10:37 am: | |
Not a surprise. I've seen plenty of time "systems" that depend on paper and employee honesty. |
Thejesus
Member
Username: Thejesus
Post Number: 2023
Registered: 06-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - 10:46 am: | |
Sounds exactly like my job...except we don't sign in or punch in...we just show up...pretty much based on the honor system, and people are a few minutes late every now and then, but no one really abuses it...
But our time sheets are also due in the middle of the week, and Thurs and Fri are both projections...
Seems pretty typical |
Dannaroo
Member
Username: Dannaroo
Post Number: 151
Registered: 05-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - 10:47 am: | |
I've work for Oakland County and The State of Michigan and we used the same type of paper documentation that you describe (there may have been other departments that operated differently, but not the ones I was in) and also had to turn in hours for days before they were worked.
Basically ditto what TheJ said.
(Message edited by Dannaroo on September 05, 2007) |
56packman
Member
Username: 56packman
Post Number: 1706
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - 11:10 am: | |
Be careful what you wish for................. |
Ray1936
Member
Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 1887
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - 12:43 pm: | |
Be careful what you wish for.................
Got that right, Packman. If it works, don't fix it. |
Paulmcall
Member
Username: Paulmcall
Post Number: 380
Registered: 05-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - 12:59 pm: | |
Problem is, it don't work in Detroit. |