# Time Theft
6 items
$400 Billion Annual Time Theft Cost
Estimated annual cost of employee time theft to businesses in the United States, including buddy punching, extended breaks, early departures, and inaccurate time reporting. Preventable with modern time tracking systems.
16-20% Buddy Punching Rate
Industry research showing that 16-20% of hourly workers admit to buddy punching (clocking in for absent colleagues), representing one of the most prevalent forms of time theft in hourly workforce environments.
7% Payroll Loss from Time Tracking Issues
Industry research finding that businesses lose an average of 7% of their gross payroll due to time tracking issues including buddy punching, time theft, and inaccurate time recording methods.
75% Buddy Punching Impact Rate
Research finding that 75% of companies have been affected by buddy punching—when employees clock in or out for absent coworkers—representing one of the most common forms of time theft in workplace time tracking.
Time Theft Prevention
Practices and technologies used to prevent and detect time theft in the workplace, including biometric time clocks, GPS tracking, and anti-spoofing measures to ensure accurate time reporting.
Time Theft Statistics 2026
Current data on employee time theft prevalence, costs, and methods, showing that time theft costs US businesses an estimated $11 billion annually through buddy punching, extended breaks, personal activities on company time, and timesheet manipulation.