By the SightShield team · · 3 min read
What buddy punching is
Buddy punching — proxy attendance — is when one person marks attendance for another who is late or absent. It happens with paper registers, with ID cards handed to a colleague, and even with fingerprint machines when cheap sensors accept silicone or glue copies. In factories and sites with large teams, it often extends to contractors inflating headcount.
The cost is not only the wages paid for time not worked. Overtime calculations, shift planning and compliance records all become unreliable.
How each method can be cheated
| Method | How proxies happen | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Paper register | Anyone can sign for anyone | High |
| RFID / ID card | Cards are handed to a colleague | High |
| PIN code | PINs are shared | High |
| Basic fingerprint | Fake prints on low-quality sensors; rare but possible | Low to medium |
| Fingerprint with live-finger detection | Very difficult | Low |
| Face recognition with liveness detection | Rejects photos and phone screens | Very low |
The technology fix
- Face recognition terminals with liveness (anti-spoofing) detection, which reject printed photos and videos.
- Fingerprint readers with live-finger detection where fingerprint is preferred.
- A CCTV camera above the attendance terminal, so any punch can be checked against video.
- Cloud attendance software that flags patterns — the same two people always punching seconds apart, punches outside shift times.
- For field staff, mobile attendance with selfie and GPS geo-fencing.
The process fix
- One terminal per entrance that everyone must pass — no side doors.
- Supervisors check exceptions daily, not at month end.
- Contractors’ workers enrolled individually, not counted by the contractor.
- A clear written policy that proxy attendance is misconduct.
- Delete enrolments promptly when people leave.
Warning signs in your attendance data
- Several employees punching within seconds of each other, every day.
- Perfect on-time records for staff often seen arriving late.
- Overtime claims without matching work output.
- Punches at times when the gate camera shows no one at the terminal.
- Contractor headcounts higher than supervisors observe on the floor.
Handling it with staff
When moving to face recognition to stop proxies, explain the change as fairness: everyone is paid for the time they actually work. Share the policy in advance, give a short grace period, and provide a simple way to correct genuine missed punches. Most staff welcome a system that stops colleagues getting away with proxies.
Example: an office with card attendance
A 120-person back office in Electronic City used RFID cards, and HR suspected some staff were punching for absent colleagues. The attendance report showed pairs of cards punched within seconds of each other almost every morning, while the entrance camera showed only one person at the reader. The company moved to face recognition terminals with liveness detection, announced the change two weeks ahead, and kept cards only for the visitor desk. Late marks rose briefly in the first month, then settled, and overtime claims fell because recorded hours now matched who was actually present.
Attendance reports that matter →What it looks like in a factory
A typical setup for a 200-person factory: two face-recognition terminals at the staff gate, one at the contract labour gate, a camera above each, and cloud software that exports to payroll. Shift supervisors receive a daily list of missing punches and late arrivals. Within a month the headcount on paper matches the headcount on the floor.
Biometric attendance systems →Quick answers
Can face recognition be fooled by a photo?+
Quality terminals with liveness detection reject printed photos and phone screens. Check this feature before buying.
Is fingerprint attendance enough to stop proxies?+
It is far better than cards or registers. Face recognition is harder to cheat and works better for workers with worn fingerprints.
Can contractors’ workers be added to the attendance system?+
Yes. Enrol each worker individually so attendance is recorded per person, not as a contractor headcount.
How quickly does buddy punching stop after switching to face recognition?+
Usually immediately, because the device records only the person in front of it.
Can we see who tried to punch for someone else?+
Rejected attempts are logged on many devices, and a camera above the terminal shows who was there.
Can face recognition be fooled with a photo?+
Terminals with liveness detection are designed to reject photos and screens. Choose models that include it.