Access Control Systems: Helping You Manage Your Contractors

Posted on: 11 July 2018

Managing contractors is a little different to managing your employees. Using contractors may be a cost-effective way of bringing different skills in to your business and of hiring extra staff when you need them without making permanent hires; however, this may add to your management and security workload. How can an access control system help?

More Accurate Timesheets

If you're using contractors, then you may pay them by the hour and rely on individuals to submit timesheets telling you how many hours they have worked in a given pay period. While most contractors are honest about the hours they work, some may tweak their timesheets here and there to boost their earnings. They may add hours worked to their reporting, even though they weren't on your premises. This costs you money for work that isn't being done. Plus, in the long-term, projects may even cost more and take longer than you anticipated, as you'll have to keep contractors on for longer until the work is actually done.

An access control system, where contractors must use a PIN, key card or fob to enter and leave your building, could reduce timesheet manipulation. If your control system allows you to track and report on people coming in and out of your building, then timesheet manipulation becomes harder to get away with. For example, a contractor would be less likely to sneak off a couple of hours early and then claim those hours as worked if they know you have an independent record of their attendance.

Increased Security

While you may be happy for your permanent employees to work on an access-all-areas system, you may not want to give contractors access to all of your business premises all the time. You can use access control systems to set limits on where temporary staff can go in your building. Their keys, PINs or fobs can open some doors but not others.

Plus, you can also set a contractor's access to only work during certain hours. So, if you don't want temporary employees to get into your building after working hours or over weekends, then you can block their ability to get in during these times. This could enhance your overall site security.

If you're considering setting up an access control system, it's worth talking to local locksmiths to get advice. There are various types of control systems that could benefit your business; a locksmith will be able to help you establish which one will work best for you.   

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