What is buddy punching and how do you stop it?
Buddy punching is when one employee clocks in or out for another, so the time record shows hours the absent person did not work. No federal rule uses the term, but the FLSA requires records of hours worked each workday and each workweek (29 CFR 516.2(a)(7)), and the DOL says any timekeeping method must be complete and accurate, so a false punch is both a pay problem and a recordkeeping problem.
What it costs: a worked example
Example: an employee whose friend clocks them in 15 minutes early, 4 days a week, at $16.00 an hour.
- Padded time: 15 × 4 = 60 minutes = 1 hour a week
- Wages: 1 × $16.00 = $16.00 a week; × 52 = $832.00 a year
- Employer Social Security and Medicare at 7.65% (IRS Topic 751): $832.00 × 0.0765 = $63.65
- Total: $895.65 a year for one employee
If the padded hour lands in a week already at 40 hours, it is paid at 1.5× and costs $24.00 instead of $16.00.
What federal rules say about time records
- Employers must keep hours worked each workday and total hours each workweek (29 CFR 516.2(a)(7)).
- No particular timekeeping method is required, as long as it is complete and accurate (DOL Fact Sheet #21).
- Time cards must be kept at least 2 years (29 CFR 516.6); payroll records at least 3 years (Fact Sheet #21).
- Time the employee actually works must be paid, even if not requested (29 CFR 785.11). When you correct a buddy punch, change the record to the hours actually worked; do not cut hours the person did work.
Seven controls, lowest cost at the top
| # | Control | What it stops |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | One personal login or PIN per employee; no shared codes | Anyone using a known group code |
| 2 | Written policy: clocking for someone else is a disciplinary offense for both people; each employee signs it | "I didn't know it wasn't allowed" |
| 3 | Clock-in device where the manager on duty can see it | One person punching several cards at the door |
| 4 | Daily check: compare the first punch at each location to who is visibly on the floor | Early punches for people still on the way |
| 5 | Weekly exception report: punches more than 7 minutes before or after the scheduled start | Repeated early or late patterns |
| 6 | Log every manual edit with who changed it and why | Silent fixes that hide the pattern |
| 7 | Pair the time record with the sales or register log: no transactions for an hour after a cashier's punch is a question to ask | Punches with no activity behind them |
Biometric time clocks are outside the sources for this page; check your state's rules before collecting fingerprints or face scans.
Exception report template
| Date | Location | Employee | Scheduled start | Clock-in | Difference | Manager note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Store A | J.R. | 9:00 | 8:44 | −16 min | Arrived 8:58; record corrected to 8:58 |
| Tue | Store B | M.T. | 12:00 | 11:58 | −2 min | None needed |
When the clock-in is real but early
If the employee is on site and working, that time is paid (29 CFR 785.11), and management has to enforce a rule against early work rather than just announce it (29 CFR 785.13). See time clock rounding rules for how early punches interact with rounding.
Where the data comes from
In Assistlify, each employee joins by their own invite link or QR code and clocks in and out with breaks; the attendance CSV export can be lined up against the published schedule for steps 4 and 5. Without software, see tracking hours without payroll software. For register-side signs, see signs of register theft.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check your state labor department for current rules.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check your state labor department for current rules.
Questions
What is buddy punching?
One employee clocking in or out for another so the time record shows hours the absent person did not work.
Is buddy punching illegal?
No federal rule names it, but the FLSA requires records of hours worked each workday (29 CFR 516.2), and DOL Fact Sheet #21 says records must be complete and accurate.
How much does buddy punching cost?
In our worked example, 15 minutes padded 4 days a week at $16.00 costs $832.00 in wages plus $63.65 in employer FICA, or $895.65 a year.
Can I dock pay for a buddy punch?
Correct the record to the hours actually worked; time the employee actually worked must be paid (29 CFR 785.11). Check state law before any other deduction.
Sources
- eCFR 29 CFR 516.2 Records for employees subject to minimum wage and overtime (checked 2026-11-12)
- US DOL WHD Fact Sheet #21: Recordkeeping Requirements under the FLSA (revised July 2008) (checked 2026-11-12)
- eCFR 29 CFR 516.6 Records to be preserved 2 years (checked 2026-11-12)
- eCFR 29 CFR 785.11 Work suffered or permitted (checked 2026-11-12)
- eCFR 29 CFR 785.13 Duty of management (checked 2026-11-12)
- IRS Topic 751: Social Security and Medicare Withholding Rates (checked 2026-11-12)