Labor and wages are among the most costly overhead expenses many companies face each month. Employees must get paid if they are to continue working for your company, but it is possible for some employees to abuse the time card system in order to collect money for time they didn't actually spend engaged in work.

Time card fraud can take a toll on your company's bottom line. A private investigator can be a valuable ally in helping you identify and eliminate time card fraud in the future.

Educate Employees

Efforts to eliminate time card fraud from happening within your company should always begin with employee education. Make sure that your workers understand your company's clearly defined boundaries when it comes to clocking in and out of work.

You should have employees sign a written statement indicating that they have been educated on time card policies and they agree to punishment if found guilty. Education can help eliminate a lot of inadvertent time card fraud that well-intentioned employees may not even realize they are committing.

Identify Potential Threats

It can be beneficial to focus your efforts on the employee groups that are most likely to commit time card fraud. Companies that employ remote workers or salesmen who travel throughout a specific region rely on the honesty of their employees when issuing paychecks.

Because these employees are not physically on the premises when punching in and out of work, it can be easier for them to fudge their hours during a specific pay period. You should closely monitor all remote employees and consider investing in a biometric time clock or GPS logger to accurately track time card usage.

Hire a Private Investigator

Once you suspect an employee of committing time card fraud, you will need to have solid evidence before you can take action against that employee.

A private investigator can conduct surveillance on an employee to determine if meetings reported on time cards actually occurred. These same investigators can also track the movements of remote employees to determine if work was being conducted during the hours indicated on the time card or if the employee said they were working but went to a movie or sporting event instead.

The evidence that is gathered by a private investigator can be used to help shield your company against a wrongful termination lawsuit if you need to terminate an employee who is committing time card fraud. For more information, reach out to a company such as Star Quality Private Investigations.