What Is Buddy Punching? How to Prevent Time Theft in the Workplace The practice of an employee punching another employee\'s time sheet for them while the other employee is not working is known as “buddy punching.” That is, a \"buddy\" takes attendance for another worker by swiping a card, signing a sheet or entering a PIN. How to Prevent Buddy Punching in the Workplace Invest in Biometric and Smart Attendance Technology A biometric attendance solution helps to establish identity by physical characteristics and makes it hard for one staff member to clock in for another.