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ConstructionPublished 16 August 2026 · Updated 6 September 2026 · 2 min read

Subcontractor attendance: agree purposes, access and review

A practical responsibility checklist for recording subcontractor attendance without confusing it with contract certification or physical access control.

By Attendify Vision · Product-led guidance with sources and labeled examples.

State every real purpose

Before collecting subcontractor attendance, explain what the record will be used for: workforce coordination, attendance review, invoice support or another defined purpose. Do not describe collection only as safety or site access if payment review is also an intended use.

Attendance evidence is not automatically a certified measure of contract delivery. A check-in does not establish task completion, trade classification, invoice entitlement or continuous presence.

Agree the responsibilities before rollout

Scroll the table sideways to read all columns.

DecisionQuestions to settle
Worker informationWho explains the collection, use and support path?
Identity dataWho supplies and checks employee identifiers?
VisibilityWhich organization and which people can access records?
CorrectionsWho investigates disputed or missing work?
Retention and sharingWhat is needed, for what purpose and for how long?
Contract useHow will reviewed attendance relate to other evidence?

Legal roles and obligations depend on the actual arrangement and jurisdiction. A contract clause alone is not a universal answer to lawful processing, employment status or payment withholding.

Keep biometric decisions separate

Face identification or verification introduces sensitive processing and needs a suitable assessment. Employee consent is not a universal worldwide solution. UK-specific ICO biometric attendance guidance discusses necessity, appropriate grounds and genuine alternatives; its guidance is under review following statutory changes.

Attendify’s face and kiosk features are controlled. A shared kiosk is not a ready-made non-biometric fallback, and general subcontractor self-service access should not be assumed.

Treat attendance as one evidence source

If an attendance record conflicts with a supervisor account or contract record, investigate. Do not let a missing digital punch automatically determine a payment decision. Preserve the original evidence and document any correction and review.

Recorded attendance also cannot replace a separate emergency muster process: offline delays, missed punches and later departures can make the digital view incomplete.

Check the actual access model

Before sharing any data, test the roles and actions required. Attendify’s current site and organizational scope limitations mean it should not be described as a complete contractor-isolated portal. See roles and permissions.

Use a small pilot with fictional records to validate identity, visibility, correction responsibilities and the export handoff. Involve the relevant commercial and privacy reviewers before deciding how the data affects contractual outcomes.

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