Target joins a rank of companies using a points system to track employee attendance

Starting this September, Target will start tracking store and warehouse employees’ unexcused absences and lateness with a points system, according to a report by Business Insider. 
Employees will receive a quarter of a point for being more than eight minutes late to work, one point for missing a shift without their manager’s approval, and three points for not showing up without telling their manager. The points expire every year. If employees hit three points, they will be required to check in with their manager. And if an employee reaches the 12-point threshold, they’ll be fired.
After Target’s CEO Michael Fiddelke took the helm earlier this year, the company reported declining comparable sales for the fourth consecutive quarter. The employee attendance tracker fits into Fiddelke’s plan to refresh Target stores and regain the trust of shoppers.
“Just like I’m not satisfied with our performance the last few years, a team would tell you the same,” Fiddelke said during an interview with The Associated Press earlier this year.
“Target is focused on returning to growth, and elevating our guest experience is a key strategic priority,” Target spokesperson Brian Harper-Tibaldo said in an email to Fast Company. “We’ll continue to focus on enabling our team to deliver the delightful experience that guests depend on every day.” 
Other companies hold similar employee attendance tracking policies. 
A source familiar with Walmart’s attendance tracking policy said that Walmart has had a five-point attendance policy since 2019. The points are awarded based on the significance of the infraction, meaning clocking in late will be a lower infraction than not showing up. Points are on a rolling six-month basis, so associates start back at zero points every six months. Associates who miss time for approved leave or other excused absences do not receive points.
Walmart declined Fast Company’s request for comment. 
Other companies have relied on tracking their office employees’ location data to ensure compliance with return-to-office (RTO) policies. Last year, PwC started using badge swipes and Wi-Fi connection data to ensure that its U.K. staffers are spending at least three days a week in the office.
Amazon was previously using categories like “inconsistent badger” or “zero badger” to track corporate employees’ compliance with a three-day RTO mandate, but ended up scratching the designations, instead providing managers with raw data from employees scanning their badges when entering and leaving the building. 
In a response to Fast Company’s request for comment, Amazon pointed to CEO Andy Jassy’s 2024 message outlining the company’s RTO policy. “We want to operate like the world’s largest startup,” Jassy said.
Other companies have backtracked on their attendance-tracking initiatives after employees voiced concerns. Last year, AT&T rolled back its employee attendance-tracking system, which was internally called “presence reporting” and automatically monitored the hours workers spent in their assigned offices.