Definition of the word time card

The origins of the phrase "time card" can be traced back to the late 19th century in the United States, during the industrial revolution. The rise of factories and assembly lines created a new system of labor where employees worked in shifts, and employers needed a way to keep track of workers' arrival, departure, and overall hours worked. One such method was the "time book," a manual ledger used by foremen to record arrivals and departures of workers. In 1888, the first time card was patented by Willard LeGrave Bundy, an American inventor. The time card was essentially a replacement for the time book, and it worked by using a punch clock system. The time card featured a plastic or paper card, often colored, that the employee would insert into a machine called a punch clock. The clock consisted of a metal plate with circular holes, each representing a specific time. When the employee inserted the card into the clock, levers would push down onto the card, leaving behind a punched pattern that corresponded to the time. The time card made keeping track of workers' hours much easier for employers, as it was faster, more precise, and more reliable than the time book. It also provided employees with a record of their hours worked, which helped to prevent disputes. Today, time cards and punch clocks are still widely used in various industries, although they have been mostly replaced by electronic time-tracking systems.