klokgangen

Klokgangen is the practice of recording the time spent on work and related activities, primarily in Danish-speaking settings. It covers methods for tracking when a person starts and ends a shift, when breaks occur, and the total hours worked. The term is commonly used in payroll and human resources to refer to the timesheet or time attendance process. The term is of Danish origin and translates roughly to the act of clocking time.

Historically, klokgangen began with mechanical time clocks in factories, where employees inserted cards and clocks stamped time. With the rise of digital systems, computer-based timekeeping, biometrics, and mobile apps have become standard. Modern klokgangen often integrates with payroll, scheduling, and HR information systems, enabling automatic overtime calculation, leave tracking, and compliance reporting.

Methods and technologies include badge or card readers, PINs or passwords, biometric verification, and mobile or online portals. Data collected typically includes clock-in and clock-out times, breaks, job codes, and approvals. Privacy and data protection concerns are common, leading to policy controls on who can view records and how long data is stored, as well as consent requirements in some jurisdictions.

In practice, klokgangen aims to ensure accurate wage calculation and workforce planning while complying with labor regulations. Critics argue it can encourage surveillance or time-focused management at the expense of productivity, prompting consideration of alternative approaches such as flexible working arrangements or output-based performance metrics.