Clock watching for the 7 minute clock in window

[ixchel]

Can someone help explain to me what the benefit in the clock out/in window of time is?

If you aren't sure what I'm talking about, it's when employers round to the nearest 15 minute mark based on what 7 minute window you clocked in is. So if you clock in at 6:52, they start paying you at 6:45, but if you clock in at 6:53, you get paid from 7:00. This makes no sense to me. My facility has a punitive policy for people who mess this up, too, win the time period being an entire year. I'm an early person. Always have been. I'm not saying I'd eat up the time clock with overtime minutes, but I also don't want to get written up for being 8 minutes early. I've never had a job that does it this way, so I'm wondering, where is the advantage? How is this actually a good idea?

[abbnurse]

My facility does not issue a write up if you clock in or out within the allowed window. I would never abuse the system by always clocking in late intentionally, (but within the window) but most of my co-workers do---Every.Single.Day.

Same here,vintagemother. We were not actually considered "tardy" until 7:08am. Hence the small crowd of people rushing in to clock in by 7:07am! But I usually tried to be in the "waiting to clock in at 6:53am" line.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Of course we all got there at 6:30, so someone had to set a timer for 6:50 to remind us to stop working off the clock and run over to get in line.

I do that every morning, actually. I get into work at 7:30 and start working immediately prepping for the day, have an alarm on my phone to remind me to clock in at 7:55. I will sometimes clock out on my computer at 1700 and continue working for 15-20 minutes until I'm done with what I'm working on. I hate leaving with unfinished work on my desk.

The joys of being a non-salaried office manager.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

That is the way it is for us, too. (I used to keep books and do payroll; we paid for every minute.) Anyway, I don't have to stand around and wait, because I am NEVER early! I am one of those breathless ones who run in at the last minute.

[RN_2012, BSN, RN]

Most places don't let you clock in more than 5-7 minutes early because they want to help the budget. If you are early just sit in your vehicle a little before walking in then clock in on time.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Well clocking in at 6:52=extra 15 minutes paid x number of employees who do it... that's a lot of money that a cash-strapped facility doesn't want to pay, so they're on us about clocking in before the 7 minute mark. At the end of the shift, on the rare occasion that I'm finished w/ everything early, I will watch to make sure I'm not clocking out at 7:22 and docking myself for 15 minutes. I skip enough 15-minute breaks to want to get paid for those full 15 minutes at the end of a shift even if I'm finished working.

[misstrinad]

My facility does the same thing. I can't say I'm sure why, but others seem to have answered that.

[misstrinad]

One of our afternoon nurses is always 30-45 min early. She comes to the unit, gets her self ready, makes a pot of coffee, checks on a few residents, checks in with me, the supervisor, and manager and if I'm ready will do report /count early and then runs back to clock in a couple min before her shift ends. She's been doing that for 20+ yrs and it has worked out for her being such an early bird.