Half a million fingers

If you think your latest HR tech programme is a headache to implement, take a look at the new attendance monitoring system coming into force in the Indian state of Karnataka.

Complaints have been flooding in against Karnatak’s 550,00 government employees, with accusations of late arrival and non-attendance widespread.

From November, all employees will have their attendance recorded and live-monitored by a biometric system. Employees will be given thirty minutes leeway in terms of checking in and out, outside of which they will be docked pay or have the day recorded as a half-day holiday.

Biometric systems in Indian have not generally proved successful, with a similar scheme in Kochi falling apart when the Kochi Corporation failed to pay the biometrics company for installation, leading to the withdrawal of maintenance services.

Systems are available which monitor an employee’s fingers (surface and sub-dermal), hand geometry, veins and irises.

In September, a Pennsylvanian mining company was sued by a worker who refused a biometric hand-scan ‘because he believes in the Bible’s mark of the beast prophecy,’ and saw a connection between the technology and verses relating to the Devil in Revelations.

About the author

Andrew Baird

Andrew is the CEO of HRville. He is also Employer Brand Director of Blackbridge Communications, Editorial Director of Professionals in Law and an associate of The Smarty Train. Previously, he was the MD of TCS Advertising.