31 May Hotel group Yotel deploys biometric time and attendance system for employees

UK hotel group Yotel has rolled out a biometric time and attendance system for staff at three of its airport hotels to help management effectively manage the payroll process, according to a report by Big Hospitality.

The system is expected to help Yotel, which offers ‘cabin’ style rooms at an hourly basis, improve the efficiency of its overall operation.

“Yotel is the only airport hotel company that sells rooms by the hour, which has helped us to achieve a 200 percent occupancy at Heathrow,” said Gemma Gowers, Yotel’s finance director. “It’s therefore imperative that all our hotels are fully staffed around the clock so we can provide the first class service that our customers demand. With over 70 crew employed on different rotas, it’s difficult to monitor attendance accurately, especially on nights and during peak periods.”

Installed at Yotels in Heathrow, Gatwick and Schiphol airports, the biometric system requires staff to place their hand onto the scanner at the beginning and end of each shift.

The scanner captures their palm prints and inputs them into the software on the central server located at Yotel’s head office in London. It then compares the employee’s handprint against a stored profile and time stamps his or her record.

The biometric time and attendance system will provide a more accurate record of which employees were on site at any one time, as well as eliminate the need for employees to complete time sheets.

The system also produces management reports for each Yotel venue which Gowers said helped with future planning and improving performance management.

In the event that staff stays longer than their scheduled shift, Yotel will be able to see whether any issues need to be addressed or determine the specific areas where it requires additional crew and plan schedules more effectively in the future.