Pencil Whipping: Definition, Dangers, and How to Avoid Getting Pencil Whipped

How many times have you clicked “I agree” on a website’s privacy policy or signed a form without thoroughly investigating it? If we are being honest, at some point in time, most of us sign something without reviewing it. Even if we do look at it, we probably don’t understand just what that document says. And to top it off, most people will never remember it.

That’s an issue in businesses today, regardless of the industry we consider. It goes by the name of pencil whipping. What is it in a business setting? Where does it happen? And why exactly is it a problem? We examine all of these questions and more in this article.

What is pencil whipping?

Pencil whipping means to approve any form or document without proper review or knowledge that the task should be approved. In other words, you’re approving something you don’t know is up to standard.

This includes all documents that need some sort of verification. Signing off on a shipment, certifying an employee, or even something as simple as checking the end of the day checklist off are all subject to pencil whipping.

What are some industry-specific examples of pencil whipping and how can they be avoided?

Where pencil whipping happens in manufacturing

1. Safety checks

Safety checks, particularly daily and/or scheduled checks are very susceptible to pencil whipping. These checks include anything that could be unsafe, from machinery to computer systems, to employee outfits and gear. Almost every manufacturing company has probably had this happen to their safety checks.

2. Scheduled equipment checks

Equipment needs to be checked every so often. But when you use it every day, it’s easy to forget that a proper inspection needs to be done. Even if people remember, some will simply sign off on it because everything seems to be all right. Pencil whipping can sometimes leave equipment unchecked for months.

3. Inventory checks

Checking inventory can often be a daunting task, especially in a huge warehouse. When employees hurry to finish tasks, they can sometimes report inaccurate “accurate” stock counts. You may not necessarily call that pencil whipping, but it still is a sneaky example that almost every inventory warehouse suffers from.

4. Training certifications

Finally, training certifications are the last large area that deals with pencil whipping. Often employees will get training certifications without actually completing any training. In many cases, it is excused because the employee already knew how to do the task or was previously trained. Sometimes, people feel like they don’t have the time or the company won’t pay them to take the time. Regardless, it happens.

If no one gets hurt and nothing happens, why does it matter? Let’s take a look at the consequences of pencil whipping and why these small oversights are a big issue.

Pencil whipping can be criminal

The short answer to the above question is that pencil whipping can be criminal. It can also cause serious injuries to your employees and damage your company’s reputation. Here are some of the other ways in which it can hurt employees and companies.

1. Prosecution.

Your employer can prosecute you if your pencil whipping leads to someone being hurt. They can follow the paper trail back to the person who originally signed off on the faulty item or process in question and bring it to the authorities' attention.

2. Termination of employment.

Following on the heels of the first point, your employer can fire you at any time, with no notice if they find that you have been signing off on documents without properly reviewing them.

3. Third party legal liability.

If you hurt someone else, not only can the business sue you, but the person or company in question can charge you to the fullest extent of the law. Depending on the situation, this can end in heavy fines or jail time.

That being said, what are some proactive steps employees and companies can take to reduce and/or eliminate pencil whipping?

Catching it before it’s too late

Taking a proactive, friendly approach to pencil whipping is the best way to make sure that it doesn’t happen. Here are four steps in order to do just that.

1. Get rid of the quota.

Telling your employees that the company needs a certain number of products by the end of the week might make them act carelessly and neglect the appropriate checks. Tying rewards and incentives to faster production has the same effect. Instead, get rid of the quota and implement incentives to boost your employees’ motivation to care for the company.

2. Pay close attention to your CMMS.

A quality CMMS will tell you whether something is about to hit a critical failure or not. If someone said that they checked this off, they may be lying.

The best CMMS systems, such as UpKeep’s solution, offer maintenance checklists and mobile solutions to make checking in on your systems much easier.

3. Ask employees.

Many companies would like their employees to tell them when issues are coming up, but there often is a disconnect. Give employees immunity to share whether or not pencil whipping is going on in your workplace and be understanding when you find who is doing it.

4. Do random checks.

Have random checks performed on equipment to make sure all workers are safe and that protocols are being followed. This is also a great addition to your preventive maintenance strategy and generally a good thing to do.

Pencil whipping creeps upon you, but you can take charge

Pencil whipping is insidious. Very few people start out by deliberately planning to not check their equipment on schedule, or by not adequately training their employees. It starts with a late evening, or an exhausted team that needs to get some food and sleep before they can work again. The second time builds from the first. And the creeping has already started down the path to eventual problems, big and small.

With a few simple changes, companies can cut pencil whipping down considerably. It takes some time and effort, but that investment will pay off in the long run for all concerned.