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Razorfish shames its timesheet laggards
—Posted by Brian Morrissey |
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I seriously suggest accountants pulling those hours our of their asses and leave people alone.
Posted by: Somebody | Jun 24, 2008 5:34:35 PM
Haha, this is awesome. And @somebody, you know how agencies get paid for their services, right?
Posted by: | Jun 24, 2008 6:24:36 PM
perhaps some employees should film some HR execs and senior staff. maybe at a holiday party. saying "candid" stuff about clients. then post that footage to YouTube. ha ha ha ha. hilarious.
Posted by: | Jun 24, 2008 7:35:16 PM
I've always hated time sheets. Is an idea any less valuable because you thought of it in 15 minutes? Or should a client pay more because you were a moron that week and couldn't think of shit for hours on end? Unfortunately, we've built a ridiculous model, and the accountants can continue to believe what is on that sheet is a reflection of how we spent our time. I'll be sure to charge the client for the 3 hours I can't sleep tonight, because I'm thinking about their project. Maybe I'll write down 6 hours, because sleep time should be more valuable.
Posted by: thatguy | Jun 24, 2008 10:30:47 PM
Hmmm.. A public showcase of employees that the accounting dept. labels as "slackers" due to lack of time-sheet submissions... That must go over GREAT with anyone thinking of signing up to work there - It really just screams out that your agency values it's employees... hurray!
Why not make timesheets mandatory for payroll (with a huge buffer for edge cases/exceptions)?
Or, better yet, why not look into why people aren't submitting time-sheets - What software are you guys using? Is it easy-to-use? Does it require a great deal of time to enter in your hours (i.e. clients + profits)? Is there an easier way? Have you included those who would be entering their timesheets in this search for a more cohesive way to manage hours/projects (they're called a creative dept. for a reason... why not see if they can spare some of that 'creative' to help their own agency out?)?
Nah, let's just ridicule our employees.... that'll teach 'em. Next up: Limiting employees to one (1) bathroom visit each business day in order to decrease costs associated with the purchase of toilet paper.
Posted by: Brent | Jun 25, 2008 1:52:28 AM
Now that is funny. We used to have a sign ont he door as you went out that said "Did you fill our your timesheets?"
Now we use 1time (http://1timetracking.com Has email reminders to keep everyone up to date.
I think the tv idea is a bit of fun though and will help as well.
Posted by: Derek Organ | Jun 25, 2008 4:57:20 AM
Maybe they should show vids of HR people saying, "I laid off sixteen people today."
Posted by: Bob | Jun 25, 2008 8:52:55 AM
I know a lot of people that would absolutely love to not do their timesheets just to get their mug on a flat-screen monitor in the lobby...
Hell, I'd almost take it as a compliment!
Posted by: Kurre | Jun 25, 2008 9:09:49 AM
"I haven't submitted my time sheet in 3 weeks and I owe 5 months of child support"
Not sure I could work for a company that the employees seem to come last and timesheets first.
Posted by: Doug | Jun 25, 2008 9:49:37 AM
Some people on this thread have obviously never had to meet payroll.
Posted by: Marc | Jun 25, 2008 10:08:08 AM
Who came up with time sheets? I wouldn't be surprised if they detest this idea as well!
Posted by: Time Sheet Hater | Jun 25, 2008 10:19:22 AM
It's so funny how people rag on accounting or HR, but want their paychecks on time. Sorry! Realism hits again, duh.
Posted by: PropsforOps | Jun 25, 2008 3:10:35 PM
Marc -
I live and die by timesheets... not by choice but out of necessity.
There are just so many better ways of going about this... from what I was emailed, it wasn't done in "the spirit of fun" but rather as an idea to "crackdown" on delinquent employees.
If it wasn't money that was on the line, yeah, i think it'd almost be worth it to not do timesheets for long-enough to be featured on the TV.. i know a bunch of people that would quickly turn that into a game to see who can get more TV time before being forced to submit their hours.... it's just one thing if they took the playful attitude towards this idea but a completely different statement is made if it was a legitimate attempt to come down on certain employees.
Posted by: Brent | Jun 25, 2008 3:58:19 PM
I have yet to encounter an electronic timesheet program that was anything less than a form of torture. The most counterintuitive pieces of consumer software I've ever encountered.
Given the need for accuracy, you'd think simplicity and ease of use would have been the primary objective of the designers.
There's an opportunity for someone.
Posted by: Alan Wolk (The Toad Stool) | Jun 25, 2008 5:39:11 PM
timesheets are a relic of the empire. companies that need them, are relics.
there are far more creative and intelligent ways to understand how to function as a company in 2008, but American companies are well behind the curve, and can see no further then the all mighty dollar.
Posted by: emit flesti | Jun 25, 2008 6:43:07 PM
This problem could be very easily taken care of with an online/web based time sheet.
Posted by: TimeTracker | Jun 26, 2008 10:23:00 AM
This problem could be very easily taken care of with an online/web based time sheet.
Posted by: TimeTracker | Jun 26, 2008 10:26:17 AM
Companies should not look for ways to penalize offenders, but rather ways to incent people to do their timesheets.
And yes, it should be simple and easy to use.
Posted by: Jason | Jun 27, 2008 12:47:08 PM
This is so funny because we had the same problem! We switched to Pacific Timesheet (www.pacifictimesheet.com) and tied our time sheets into payroll. Between being easy to use, and not getting paid if you don't, we don't see anyone not filling out their time sheets these days.
Posted by: Beth Walton | Jun 28, 2008 10:05:35 AM
Just make something up, preferably on the side of an account for which we get paid by the hour. It'll work itself out.
Posted by: Shona Seifert | Jun 30, 2008 12:55:16 PM
There are certainly better ways to collect time than to publicly ridicule people. Some people might find it offensive and it is just not a good way of establishing good employer - employee relationships.
True, it might be paying off, but how are the employees feeling about this? If you can provide them with easier ways to record their time, maybe the number of timesheet laggards would decrease naturally.
For example, our firm uses online timesheets. It is easy for our employees to just log-in and log time so they do it consistently. When they don't, we just send out an email reminder and they get it done (we use Clicktime web timesheet).
Alternatively (theoretically because we don't do this), maybe you can ask employees to print out time cards and tape them to their desk so they can easily take a pen and fill in the blanks everyday. Problem with that is someone have to eventually put it into the payroll/accounting systems and it is time consuming. That's why we choose online timesheets because you can do data export and integration.
My point is... you really don't have to use very radical ways to get your employees to fill out timesheets. Make it easy and so they will have incentive to fill it out.
Posted by: Kelly Koi | Jun 30, 2008 9:33:21 PM
LOL! All of you must work at boring, stuffy corporate jobs.
Posted by: HAHA | Jul 1, 2008 10:43:29 AM
Ha! We had the exact same problem, found a good web-based timesheet (Clicktime) and now we're looking for a good shaming technique. Looks like we found it! Thanks for the article.
Posted by: Alan | Jul 8, 2008 5:05:36 PM
HR is the PE major of the professional world. I really do have no respect for what they do.
Posted by: HR Sucks | Jul 10, 2008 6:24:40 PM
Obviously most of you have never had to keep track of company time sheets or prepare them for accounting. I think its a brilliant idea.
Posted by: Tony | Aug 28, 2008 12:56:20 PM
Timesheets suck! American companies don't get how to move beyond this method - it definitely turns creative thinking into a commodity. We are being paid like plumbers and movers... Can't we think up a better way to do good work and be profitable?
Posted by: framez | Sep 22, 2008 12:16:07 AM
thanks alot
Posted by: lillian | Nov 24, 2008 12:15:14 AM
thanks alot
Posted by: lillian | Nov 24, 2008 12:15:19 AM
