What Is an Attendance Checklist Needed for?
Daily attendance sheets help companies keep track and document the physically present or remote participation of their employees. Depending on the focus of the business, an attendance list can help with work scheduling, payroll, seminar scheduling, compliance, and productivity.
Attendance sheets aren’t just used in the workplace, however. Event planners, seminar organizers, sports facilities, schools, and daycare centers also use attendance lists. Likewise, an attendance list in general use is a document used to prove the presence of a group at a location within a certain timeframe.
In the wake of the Corona pandemic, attendance records are more needed than ever. Tracking people’s whereabouts in industries that have never used the practice before (e.g., when visiting restaurants, theaters, cinemas, museums, recreational, amateur, and competitive sports, and lodging establishments) has seen a stark increase since the strict lockdowns and other social gathering restrictions have gradually lifted. Attendance sheets have become part of the new normal as businesses strive to remain compliant with the CDC’s guidelines and state regulations to ensure everyone’s safety by keeping the curve has flat as possible.
This article briefly discusses:
1. The importance of attendance control in various fields
2. The structure of an attendance list
3. The benefits of a digital attendance tracking application
Why Attendance Documentation Important Is
Without an attendance tracking system, it can be difficult for team leaders to keep track of employees working hours and ensure they are fulfilling their obligations. At the same time, these systems can be used to document unexcused absences.
With the help of attendance records, not only do employers in various industries save time, but they can also reduce errors when evaluating the attendance of their employees. In addition, it can give owners peace of mind that tasks such as scheduling, insurance coverage, and coordinating information are taken care of so that they can focus on what really matters: growing their business.
1. Comply with Regulations
HR managers use attendance monitoring to be able to check that agreed-upon working hours are being observed. In schools and daycare centers, the attendance list is used to prove that students and children were in the care of the institution during a specific period of time.
2. Document
In many areas, the daily attendance record also serves primarily as proof that someone attended an event. These include continuing education, conferences, trade shows, sports courses, volunteer services, or other recreational activities.
3. Collecting information
Collection of personal data of participants and visitors via attendance lists also serves to safeguard organizers or other responsible groups of people. In emergencies or special situations such as the Corona pandemic, fires, or other disasters, people can be verified and contacted in this way. In addition, attendance lists for event organizers simultaneously provide information for a detailed customer portfolio.
How Do You Structure an Attendance List?
Depending on the function, goal, and context, there are different formats of attendance lists. Here, two questions must always be asked:
- What information do I need from the person?
- What information would I like to have from the person?
The required information usually includes: first and last name, full address and phone number, email address if applicable, date and time if applicable.
Other information includes: job position, company name, reason for attendance (e.g., continuing education, speaker, etc.), invitations, confirmations, room lists, seating lists, special requests, arrival and departure dates, transfer requests, accompanying persons and others.
Such extensive information is usually requested at events like training, conferences, or trade fairs to get a comprehensive picture of the participants. The information gathered from attendance lists not only supports planning but also helps with analysis after the event and serves as an important database for future events.
It is important for all types of attendance lists that data protection regulations are complied with, i.e. that the data is not passed on to third parties and must be protected from their access. Attendance lists specified by the legislator must be kept for the duration of the prescribed period and must be handed over in full on request. At the end of the period, the attendance lists must be destroyed.
In the case that attendance lists are required by law, companies, institutions, and event organizers are also obliged to ensure that the information provided by individuals is accurate and complete. For example, the organization holding the event is responsible for checking whether the lists contain obviously false information (plausibility check). Individuals who refuse to provide their contact information or provide incomplete or false information must be excluded from receiving the service or activity.
The Benefits of a Digital Attendance System
With the help of the Lumiform app and software, you can digitally upgrade and implement a smart attendance system in your business. By logging attendance via a mobile device that’s instantly uploaded ot the cloud, it can drastically reduce errors that would otherwise occur in manual record keeping. This enables clean, transparent documentation.
Furthermore, Lumiform enables businesses to gather thorough and comprensive digital attendance records:
- Get an immediate overview of the presence of employees or participants on site.
- Create a complete report from all attendance records automatically – this saves time on follow-up.
- Add pictures and notes as additional supporting documents to the attendance list.
- Easily track times spent by staff in the company or by attendees at events.
- Use the flexible form builder to adapt attendance lists to new circumstances over and over again.
- Save time by making it easier to analyze all data and quickly identify areas that need attention.
- The very simple operation provides no room for error. The app offers a simple solution to messy paper documentation and record keeping.
- Allow attendance to be confirmed by electronic signature.
Try Lumiform for free
