Definition
Buddy punching occurs when one employee clocks in or out on behalf of a coworker who is not present — inflating paid hours without work performed.
Field ops context
Common on construction sites and depots where shared PIN pads or honor check-ins allow proxy punches.
Prevention
Geofence mobile clock-in · facial recognition kiosk · GPS shift sessions
Full prevention guide · [Time theft](/glossary/time-theft/)