Punch clocks: Tracking staff's working hours can plug the productivity gap

A European court ruling that requires companies to track employees' exact hours could yield useful productivity data.

All companies in the European Union will have to track their employees’ working hours: That was the ruling delivered by the EU’s top court Tuesday. At first sight, this appears to be a pointlessly cumbersome measure. But given the technology available today, it may actually be a good idea.

The European Court of Justice ruling is the result of a legal action by Spanish labor unions against the local subsidiary of Deutsche Bank. The lender said it was tracking only overtime, as required by Spanish Supreme Court rulings interpreting the local worker rights legislation. But the ECJ ruled in favor of