A Contractor’s Breakdown
Lao Wang, 48, has been in the construction industry for 20 years, managing 5 construction sites. He thought he had seen every possible situation—until last month, when an audit report left him completely stunned:
“I’ve worked in the sun on construction sites for 20 years, only to find half my money went down the drain?” Lao Wang lit his third pack of cigarettes, his hands trembling.
Construction Sites: The Hell Mode of Attendance Management
Why have construction sites become a hotbed for “ghost employees”? Construction sites have unique complexities that render traditional attendance management completely ineffective. Unlike the regular 9-to-5 schedule in offices, a construction site is like a huge vortex of personnel flow—people come and go every day, and the monthly personnel changes give managers a headache.
Shocking Statistics
According to incomplete statistics from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD), the chaos in construction site attendance has reached an alarming level. This is not just a problem for individual sites, but a systemic crisis across the entire industry. Behind every number lies the bitter experience of countless contractors like Lao Wang.
Warning from a Real Case
A large-scale construction project claimed to employ 1,000 workers, but only 600 were actually on-site. Among the 400 falsely reported workers: 150 were former employees who “still received salaries”; 100 were “professional name registrants”; and 150 were non-existent “ghosts”.
More Terrible Than Money: Fatal Risks Behind False Attendance
False attendance is not just a matter of money—it is a matter of life and death. When “ghost employees” coincide with real construction accidents, the consequences are often catastrophic. Every false name can become an obstacle to rescue in critical moments and a nightmare for families.
Work-Related Accidents: Wasted Rescue Resources
“Ghost employee” Wang was on the list but had never reported for duty. One day, a construction accident occurred, and a head count revealed that “Wang” was missing. The rescue team searched the ruins for 3 days, wasting a great deal of resources. In emergency rescues where every minute counts, such chaos can directly affect those who truly need help.
Insurance Fraud: Risk of Criminal Liability
Insurance was purchased for 500 “employees”, but only 300 actually existed. Once caught, the contractor not only has to refund the money but also faces criminal liability. A contractor was sentenced to 3 years in prison for this—suffering heavy losses and even jail time. Insurance companies are conducting increasingly strict investigations, and the cost of insurance fraud is growing higher.
Migrant Workers’ Wage Claims: Unable to Prove Innocence
At the end-of-year settlement, 50 “workers” suddenly appeared to claim wages, all with “attendance records”. The boss knew they were fake but couldn’t explain clearly, so he had to accept the loss. In labor disputes, attendance records are key evidence, and false records put the boss at a disadvantage at every turn.
Accountability for Quality Accidents: Unclear Responsibility
When a quality problem occurs in a project, those responsible need to be identified. However, chaotic attendance records make it impossible to find the construction workers at the time, leaving the boss to bear all the responsibility. Accountability for quality issues often involves huge compensation—without finding the real responsible parties, the boss has to cover all losses.
Why Do Traditional Attendance Methods Fail on Construction Sites?
Attendance devices commonly used in offices become useless decorations on construction sites. The harsh working environment and special operating conditions cause these “delicate” devices to break down frequently. Worse still, even if the devices work normally, they cannot withstand the “innovative” fraud methods of workers.
Iris Recognition: The Ultimate Solution for Construction Site Attendance
Just as traditional attendance methods were failing, iris recognition technology emerged and completely changed the game. A large construction group deployed iris attendance systems at 10 construction sites, and the results shocked the entire industry. This is not a gradual improvement, but a disruptive revolution.
In the first week of deploying the iris recognition system, 380 “ghost employees” were exposed, and labor costs dropped by 32% overnight. Even more surprisingly, after seeing such accurate attendance data, insurance companies proactively reduced the work-related injury insurance premium rate by 40%.
Iris Recognition: Freeing Construction Sites from the “Ghost Employee” Era
The emergence of iris recognition technology has completely ended the era of chaotic attendance at construction sites. This biometric technology not only solves all the pain points of traditional attendance but also brings unprecedented accuracy and reliability to construction site management. Let’s see how it achieves this.
Unaffected by the Environment
Dust, dirt, and strong light do not affect recognition accuracy. Recognition works normally even when wearing safety helmets or masks, and remains accurate on rainy days or at night. In the harshest construction site environments, it still maintains a 99.9% recognition accuracy rate—a height that other biometric technologies cannot reach.
Suitable for Rough Work
No physical contact is required; a simple eye scan completes the recognition. Dirty hands or gloves are not a problem, and the recognition speed is fast, without delaying work. Workers no longer have to worry about cement or oil on their hands affecting clock-in, greatly improving attendance efficiency and user experience.
Real-Time Control
Managers can grasp the real-time dynamics of on-site personnel, with clear information about each person’s location and job type. Combined with a positioning system, rapid evacuation can be carried out in emergencies to maximize worker safety. Managers can check the on-site personnel status at any time via their mobile phones.
Integration with Smart Construction Sites
It directly connects to MOHURD’s real-name management platform, automatically generating various labor reports to meet government supervision requirements. It eliminates manual form-filling, avoids data errors, and makes it easy to cope with various inspections. The system can also automatically warn of irregular operations to prevent problems before they occur.
Real Feedback from Construction Site Owners
Project Manager of a Road and Bridge Group
“Previously, it took me a week just to verify salaries every month, and working overtime until midnight was routine. Now the system generates reports automatically—it’s done in a minute. The key is that there are no more disputes, and the workers are satisfied too, knowing their working hour records are absolutely accurate.”
Head of a Housing General Contracting Company
“Last year, an accident occurred at one of our sites, and the iris system confirmed the location of all personnel in 3 minutes, avoiding blind rescue. This system really saves lives! Now we are promoting it in all our projects, and the level of work safety has been raised to a new level.”
Owner of a Decoration Company
“The biggest benefit is that we no longer fear government inspections. Real-name data is uploaded in real time—when the inspection team comes, they just check the system, the data is clear, and the inspection results are very satisfactory. Now this system has even become a plus for us in bidding.”
Investment Return Analysis
Many owners worry that iris recognition systems require too much investment, but a careful calculation shows it is the most cost-effective investment. Taking a standard construction site with 300 workers as an example, the investment return cycle is surprisingly short.
Unignorable Additional Benefits
● Avoid the risk of work-related injury insurance fraud
● Reduce labor disputes and litigation costs
● Improve project management ratings for easier bidding
● Lower insurance premium rates, saving 200,000–300,000 yuan annually
Lao Wang’s New Life
“After working on construction sites for 20 years, I finally got a good night’s sleep. 312 people were reduced to 168, and every one of them is real. The money saved is enough to buy an apartment. Over the years, I don’t know how much blood was sucked by those ‘ghosts’. Now I think, if I had used this system earlier, I might have already retired.”
Compliance Reminder from MOHURD
MOHURD is promoting the real-name management of construction workers, and non-compliant construction sites will face work suspension for rectification. The iris recognition system can seamlessly connect to the government platform, solving compliance issues in one step.
Check Now
Profit margins in the construction industry are already thin, with an average net profit rate of only 3–5%. If half of your labor costs are wasted, how can you make money?
● Verify the number of on-site workers: Do you really know how many people are on your construction site? What is the gap between the salary payment list and the actual number of workers?
● Identify fake employees: How many people only exist on paper? How much hard-earned money do these “ghost employees” siphon off every month?
● Assess safety risks: In the event of an accident, can you immediately know who is on-site? Will false attendance become an obstacle to rescue?
● Develop an improvement plan: Don’t wait until something goes wrong to regret it. On a construction site, attendance is not just about money—it’s about lives.
