does anyone else's company do this?

[paddingtonbear1]

I work for a small IT company. They've just introduced a new rule where we have to sign in and out every time we come in / leave the office (incl. lunch times, etc). There is a 'signing in' book in reception. Up until now we've just used a key fob to get in and out (we'll still do that as well). There were 2 doors we could use to get in and out, so they're changing one to an emergency exit. They say this is for 'health and safety'. The guys in the office reckon it's more likely to be to keep tabs on everyone! Is this usual? Do other's companies do this too? I've not come across it before, except for visitors.

When I worked we had a t-card board to say whether you were in or not but just so that other people could see if you were there, and also as a 'register' in case of fire. Also the place I do sessional work for now has a board for the full time staff to tick in/out and to say where they are if out on appointments. Again this is so the admin staff can tell callers where people are.

Sounds like they just want to keep closer tabs on you all!

It's not uncommon to have some kind of system in place epecially if people go in and out a lot. Could be a fire thing possibly.

Is it a problem?

At my workplavce (a v large bank in Canary Wharf) we have electronic fobs that keep a record of when you enter and leave the building. It is so they know who's missing after a fire / other event. Seems to be getting more common.

yes, used to have to do this at my old work, apparently for fire reasons although when we had a fire practice they never did anything with the book so god knows what the point was.

Same for me - big company and card system logs you in and out. Visitors have to sign in and out. All for fire

We have swipe cards to log in and out, and visitors have to sign in and out - again, fire precautions.

no not really a problem for me, esp. as I'm only actually there 3 days a week! I think people generally felt it unnecessary as we have fobs already for going in and out. Morale is a bit low at the moment, the atmosphere isn't all that great. Our secretary isn't impressed as she has to have the book on her desk and make sure people sign it!
We don't tend to go in and out a lot - once we're there that's it, apart from lunch.

The book where I work now is for fire safety (and supplements to board on the wall for the regulars).

Everywhere else I've worked it's supposed to be for that. But project managers are always quick to cross-reference it to time sheets (which ignores the work done at home, the phone calls at weekends and in the evening etc)

Does the signing in involve a time?

I have to tick in and out everytime I come in or out of the building. It's just a fire thing.

yes it does involve a time, both in and out.
there have been a few people taking the p** for a while, taking longer lunches, coming in a bit late etc, and there have been complaints. which I guess is why we thought there could be more to this!

Well if there is an existing problem then there might indeed be more to this. Perhaps they need more information about the problem of people not being at work when they should in order to address the complaints. Or perhaps this is their way of addressing the problem.

Obviously they need a more long term way of addressing the morale problem which may be contributing to this, but an effective immediate thing is perfectly valid. I would have communicated the actual reason for it rather than dressing it up as Health and Safety personally.

But if your fobs for going in and out record time, couldn't they just look at that information?

we fob in, to let us through the security door.

and then we put a pin by our name on the evacuation board.

if there was a fire or bomb or whatever then they'd pick up the evac boards, no time tolog on and do a print out of all staff in the building to do the roll call. 500 staff would take a longtime to print out.

we don't do it, but i might start it, just to make them come in/back from lunch on time

as i work with a load of piss takers!!

oh dear blondie
a few people here take long lunches as well.
They did mention timekeeping at the last company meeting (a week or so ago), without naming names but we all knew!!
There was no mention of this new book then though. Apparently they were just going to spring it on us with no warning, but the secretary said they should tell us first!