As the name implies, an employee’s ID Badge is for the purpose of identification. It is used at the workplace in all types of organizations in the corporate world. Other than private companies, Government organizations as well as health and educational institutes require staff members to wear ID badges.
What is an Employee ID Badge?
An employee’s ID badge may be printed on a piece of paper and laminated. The badge may also be made of plastic or metal. It consists of the employee’s name, designation as well as his/her picture. These are the basic requirements that help in the visual identification of an employee within an organization.
Additionally, the badge may also carry an electronic chip. The latter serves the purpose of authorizing computerized access to certain employees. Moreover, these chips also help in maintaining an employee’s attendance and keeping a record of time logs.
Purpose
An employee ID badge may serve a number of purposes other than the simple visual identification of staff members. Here are the important functions served by these badges:
- Security
This is the foremost purpose of an employee ID badge. Every single worker, from the support staff to the senior officer is supposed to carry an ID badge for the purpose of security. It prevents unauthorized individuals from gaining access to an office building. Visitors can also be identified easily. They may be provided separate visitor’s badges.
- Categorizing Designations
Since an ID badge bears an employee’s designation, it can easily be seen at a single glance who an employee is and which department he/she belongs to.
- Authorizing Access
Certain places in an organization have limited access. Only authorized individuals can enter them. An employee ID badge makes it easier to provide this access to the concerned employees. Badges with chips are usually used for this purpose to computerize the whole process.
- Maintaining Time Logs
Keeping a record of every individual employee’s entry and exit timings would be difficult without employee ID badges. These are, therefore, effectively used for the purpose of maintaining time logs as well as attendance for employees.
Types of Employee ID Badges
As technology has evolved, various types of ID badges have emerged. Here are the most common types of ID badges used in companies and organizations.
- Basic
The most basic type of an employee ID badge is a simple card. It carries the most basic information of an employee – name, designation, and department – along with his/her picture.
- Magnetic Badges
These are in the form of a magnetic strip that carries encoded electronic data. These badges are scanned to decode the stored data. Magnetic badges can carry much more information as compared to a basic badge.
- Smart Cards
A smart card consists of a microchip. It can carry loads of data about an employee which can then be used for various purposes. These include identification, authorization, and maintaining attendance records.
It is mandatory for employees to carry their ID badges to work. They may be displayed on the clothes or produced upon request for identification purposes.
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