Time and Attendance vs Time and Labor Management

What is the difference between Time and Attendance and Time and Labor Management?

Nothing. There is no difference. The two different phrases are simply part of the evolution of the employee time management industry. “Time and Attendance” is the former name for these types of systems and “Time and Labor Management” is the newer, more modern name. In fact, Time and Attendance systems were first called “TimeKeeping Systems” — and some still are.

Time and Labor Management is a newer name for the industry because the industry is now all about managing both time and labor. The time being managed can be either worked (attendance) time or absent (absenteeism) time so calling the industry and these systems by the name of Time and Attendance leaves out part of what is being managed – absenteeism time. To those in the industry, this is an important distinction from Time and Attendance as much of the focus now is on managing labor and managing a company’s labor force.

The phrase Time and Attendance is in fact slightly incorrect for the employee time management software industry also because these types of systems track absenteeism just as importantly as they track attendance. Absenteeism Tracking is very important in many companies and in many labor contracts. Much of negotiations in labor contract focus around the amounts of given and allowable absenteeism in each union group so the Labor Management System must track and report on the actual amounts as they are planned or as they occur.

Remember too that our Canadian cousins north of the border call it Time and Labour Management. They like to spell words using the old British spelling.

Bruce Anderson
President
TimeandAttendanceCompare.Com
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