Yes, the 80s were great for many things

But, let’s be honest, we’re more than happy to let a lot of them go. And that’s ok

Who doesn’t feel a serious fondness for the 1980s? How can you not, after all, when it’s the decade that gave us the Walkman, Cheers, Converse high-tops, Back to the Future, mixed tapes, The A-Team, leg warmers, David Hasselhoff, the Rubik’s cube and the Gameboy and that’s even before we think about the music: Michael Jackson, Madonna, Queen, Wham, AC/DC… the list goes on. And who doesn’t look back and smile at how excited we could get over an Artic Roll or Viennetta?

Yes, there is plenty to love about this neon-clad, shoulder-padded decade, and we do.

But, let us not forget there was also instant mash, shell suits, questionable hairstyles, a lot of mesh clothing and smoking on planes. And that’s before we get onto technology. As much as you may reminisce fondly over simpler times and 10p bags of sweets, would you seriously like to be carrying out your job on a Commodore 64, without any internet connection? Who could afford the storage space we’d need for all of our photographs, CDs, videos and cassettes if mp3, streaming and digital photos hadn’t come along?

There has also been a complete transformation in terms of workforce management. The core values of any business remain the same, of course: to make money and waste as few resources as possible in doing so. Bulky – and often inaccurate – clocking-in machines have been replaced with digital time and attendance systems that use biometric data, paper holiday request forms, so often lost or damaged, are now digital absence management systems and cloud-based attendance management software has removed the inconvenient and costly factor of human error.

uAttend by Chronologic is the perfect way to gently nudge your business into the 21st Century, and can cost from as little as £14.99 a month, depending on the number of employees you have. Plus, you have the added reassurance of knowing our friendly support team has your back, for any questions or help you may need at any time.

So yes, by all means keep a rotary phone, even if only as decoration. They are, without question, far cooler than any phone we have now, not to mention the lesson in mindfulness they offer every single time you need to dial. But when it comes to paper clock-in cards and punch clocks, well, maybe it’s time to bid them a fond (or not-so-fond) farewell.

Slice of Artic roll, anyone?