Fingerprinting at work??

[pjrocco]

Not sure if anyone has heard of this or knows anything about it, but I would greatly appreciate some help.

My company is starting a new time card, it is a digital time card that reads your fingerprint. Pretty cool, although I dislike it...

I don't think it is right for my company to have my fingerprint on their permant record. I do not have anything to hide, I just think it is overkill.

I am refusing to do it, and as they told me... "If you do not do it, you do not get paid"

Thanks in advance!

[greencobra]

It's the future pjrocco. From what I read, your print is not on file, just in a giant database that tells the clock someone with that print does work there and it's alright to "clock in/out" that account. I'm wondering if your company has problems with people clocking others in and out, if your not doing secret government work, then it's desperate measures for desperate times.

Your company could be within it's rights to terminate your employment if you refuse unless you are union, then in that case, they'll file a grievence on the employees behalf.

[pjrocco]

It's the future pjrocco. From what I read, your print is not on file, just in a giant database that tells the clock someone with that print does work there and it's alright to "clock in/out" that account. I'm wondering if your company has problems with people clocking others in and out, if your not doing secret government work, then it's desperate measures for desperate times.

Your company could be within it's rights to terminate your employment if you refuse unless you are union, then in that case, they'll file a grievence on the employees behalf.

I work for a printing company. Nothing major.. From what they told me, my fingerprint will be put into a database along with all my personal info.. So that means my company will pretty much have everything about me. For some reason this rubs me the wrong way.

I mean, its not worth losing my job.. but I hope you can see my point of view.

Thanks greencobra!

[coffeeman]

Be glad they only want your fingerprint.
In order to get to see one of my clients I use a retina scanning device to get access to the facility.

[greencobra]

I mean, its not worth losing my job.. but I hope you can see my point of view.

Yes, I do see your point. Pretty soon we'll have no privacy at all. Never thought I'd see this in my lifetime.

[The Deacon]

Interesting situation. The most obvious reason for them doing it is to prevent one employee from punching the timecard of another. While I'm sure you never do that, perhaps some of your fellow employees did. Would you consider it less of and invasion of your privacy if the company linked the timeclock to a camera and took your picture every time you punched in? Assuming you don't find that idea any more appealing, and assuming time abuse is at least part of the reason for the new system, how would you address it if you were "Senior Management"?

[pjrocco]

Interesting situation. The most obvious reason for them doing it is to prevent one employee from punching the timecard of another. While I'm sure you never do that, perhaps some of your fellow employees did. Would you consider it less of and invasion of your privacy if the company linked the timeclock to a camera and took your picture every time you punched in? Assuming you don't find that idea any more appealing, and assuming time abuse is at least part of the reason for the new system, how would you address it if you were "Senior Management"?

Deacon,

****, if they took my picture everytime I punched in, I'd smile and wave to the camera. :D But a fingerprint? I think that is a bit of overkill.

When I addressed the VP of my company he told me "I know your not the problem but everyone has to do it" I told him I though it was BS that your going to keep my fingerprint and all my personal info on file. He then told me he couldn't help me.

I guess I have no choice but to do it... It still bothers the **** out of me that my company will have my fingerprints like they are the police. :mad:

Thanks Deacon.

[The Deacon]

Ok, different people think differently. Now to me, security cameras are much more invasive of "privacy" than a single finger print in file. To me, a fingerprint is, in the final analysis, just another way of proving "YOU" are really "YOU". Not much different, at least in principle, from having you sign in and out.

You might smile at the camera, but your co-worker who comes in a couple times a week "under the weather" might not feel the same way. To me, a picture, and especially a video, can reveal a lot more "private" information than a fingerprint.

I dunno, maybe I'm a Polyanna about this issue, but I always figure someone having positve proof of where I was at a given moment is more likely to give me an airtight alibi than to put me at the scene of the crime.

[Rob]

Interesting. When I started to work I was employed by a firm that had a contract with a well known and very big US software/hardware producer and our office was located in the building of this company. We all were issued ID-cards with our photos, name and department on it and it had a magnetic strip on the backside with our data on it. Forgetting that **** card at home got you in serious trouble because you needed it to enter the building, to use the elevator, to move around in the building, to enter printer-rooms/Xerox-rooms and to get your lunch. Even if you had to use the toilet you needed the card because there was one of these nice security doors which opened without the card in the direction of the WC but only with the card in the other direction. If you forgot the card in the office you could only wait and hope that someone would come from the other side and open the door or you knew the 10-digit code to open the door that changed weekly (which usually nobody did) :rolleyes:

Years after that, I worked in a building where you also needed a card to move around but it was a bit more modern with a microchip in it that was scanned by the doors and elevators. You just had to keep it in your wallet but still - if you misplaced it you were in trouble. Visitor cards were only valid for a certain timeframe and for certain floors. If you had to go somewhere else in the buliding than your office you had to get a new card at the reception.

A device that reads your fingerprint or retina sounds a bit futuristic to me but I think it's not that bad at all. You can't forget them at home or in the office and they both prove your identity quite quickly and there's no need to memorize numeric codes anymore. :D

Cheers, Rob

[The Deacon]

Am with you 100% on that Rob. We have the chip type cards and locks where I work now, not too bad, but I can't wait for them to go to a fingerprint system for both those and our computers, where we now have to change our password once a month, not reuse one for a least a year, etc, etc. As you said, something that can't be faked and can't be forgotten is the safest and simplest way.

[dialex]

What if you damage your finger (hit it with the hammer, burn it with acid, cut it with the knife aso.) and it won't match the pattern anymore? What if this repeats on a regular basis? :eek: Will they make an exception for you and forsake the **** fingerprint?

[Hannibal Lecter]

My Dear Friend Pjrocco,

I guess I have no choice but to do it... It still bothers the **** out of me that my company will have my fingerprints like they are the police. :mad:

I understand your concerns about privacy. If I might give you something to think about...

Here where I work I am, in addition to other duties, sort of the building security administrator. Access to every security camera, and I can enable/disable microchip passes, PC access, even to the extent of locking down the entire facility with a keystroke. I will tell you from personal experience that you have nothing to fear. How do I deduce this?

Generally speaking, companies enact policies like this as a way to target a certain offender. They know who is committing the transgression but need to prove it. They generally will not bother with you unless you raise a red flag ahead of time; at least that is the way it is here. The only time we generally bother checking things is when a problem occurs; otherwise we leave well enough alone.

I share your concerns, but as paranoid as I am I believe you have nothing to worry about. As was mentioned earlier, worst case scenario you have an alibi during the time you are at work. The same security measures that can convict will also vindicate.

I hope this helps, my friend.

--------
Hannibal

[David Lowry]

Where I work I had to be fingerprinted before I could even start working. I was finger printed on my 3rd day. The first 2 days are just orientation. Everyone gets fingerprinted at my place of work. I just figured it's normal and it will be widespread soon.

My $.02 :)

[pjrocco]

Thanks guys...

They are only making temp people use this system all of the regular employes get to use the old method of filling out a time sheet.

O well..

Thanks again.

Rock

[Mr Blonde]

As Deacon asked "what would you do if you were senior management"?

Well, get your nose on the workfloor! Or at least that of middle management. This system smells like '(middle)management' is way too far from the workfloor. Walking around, wishing everyone a good morning for example, goes a long way to seeing who is 'on time' and 'who's not'. Heck, showing your face to check to see how everything is going, goes an even longer way to motivating your staff and then a lot less people will want to 'be late'. It takes a lot of time for sure, but the returns are worth it.

Wouter

[spyderknut]

The state of Florida maintains fingerprints of several professions including doctors. Teachers too I think.

If you don't want to comply, dust off your resume and look elsewhere for employment. The grass may however be no greener there when you arrive. Lots of ways to limit your privacy as others have pointed out.