Time clocks are not complicated

The purpose of a time clock is to record timestamps. One stamp records the start time, another records the stop time. That's basically it.

If that is all you need, buy a punch clock for less than a couple hundred bucks. Sure, it won't have modern conveniences, but will provide time records. Pick the one that looks good to you, it really doesn't matter as they all do the same thing. The cheaper it is, the easier it is to replace.

Why is it called a punch clock?

Because of old technology. Back in the day, time clocks machines printed timestamps on paper. They used an old mechanical process that "punched" a metal typewheel through an ink ribbon. They also had a loud, unmistakable "ka chunk" sound.

That's where the word buddy punch comes from too. Whenever an employee punched in for one of their friends. Ahem, just to be helpful of course.

And so you know, after sunsetting the old Acroprint 150 and 125 mechanical time clocks, the old technology is now a thing of the past. Acroprint replaced their mechanical clocks with a machine that prints using dot-matrix in mid-2025.

Time clocks can't read minds either, they require an action. So please don't expect AI to replace time clocks any time soon... Unless of course you want employees to clock in by asking AI questions.

Here are a few examples:

• Inserting a paper time card
• Placing a finger on a sensor
• Entering a PIN on a keypad
• Clicking a button
• Swiping a badge
• Facing a camera

Time clock software does not have to be complicated either.

But that is a different topic.