Automated labor alert and remote messaging system

An alarm system for alerting when an employee has worked beyond a predetermined time limit, said system comprising:

• a plurality of time collection devices, each including:
• an input device for detecting an input time when the employee clocks in and, in response to the detection of said input time, for generating an input signal indicating the input time and an employee identification signal identifying the employee;
• a controller interfaced with said input device, said controller including means for storing information relating to employees whose hours require monitoring, and means, responsive to the input signal for the employee if the employee is one whose hours require monitoring, for determining said predetermined time limit and storing said predetermined time limit in memory;
• and
• a timer interfaced with said controller for recording said input time and for detecting an elapsed time after said input time;
• a host computer interfaced with said plurality of time collection devices;
• at least one alarm device interfaced with said host computer, wherein when said elapsed time exceeds said predetermined time limit an alert message is communicated from one of said plurality of time collection devices to said host computer to said at least one alarm device.

An alarm system for alerting an employer of a potential child labor violation occurring when a minor employee works beyond a predetermined time limit, said system comprising:

• a time collection device including:
• an input device for detecting an input time when the employee clocks in and, in response to the detection of said input time, for generating an input signal indicating the input time and an employee identification signal identifying the employee;
• a controller interfaced with said input device, said controller including means for storing information relating to the minor employee, and means, responsive to the input signal for the minor employee, for determining said predetermined time limit and storing said predetermined lime limit in memory;
• and
• a timer interfaced with said controller for recording said input time and for detecting an elapsed time after said input time;
• and
• a plurality of addressable alarm devices interfaced with said controller, wherein at a predetermined time before said elapsed time exceeds said predetermined time limit an alert message is communicated from said time collection device to selected ones of said plurality of addressable alarm devices.