Employee Punch Card

An employee punch card is used with a time clock that requires a manual punch. When an employee arrives to work or plans to leave, they insert the punch card into the clock to create a timestamp. Older time clocks printed the date and time on the card, which was used as a timesheet to calculate the hours worked for payroll processing. But today’s time clocks typically store the time data within the system, rather than printing it into a timecard.

Punch clocks aren’t as common in modern workplaces. Many employees rely on digital time-tracking solutions rather than employee punch cards. Even those using physical clocks typically use swipe cards or proximity cards rather than punch cards. More advanced clocks can use physical characteristics to allow employees to record time stamps, such as finger scans or facial recognition. These reduce the risk of buddy punching by ensuring only an employee can clock in with their unique physical data.