I work line maintenance and have to clock on and off.It is no real big deal.We still get early traps etc,it just depends on how you work it.Say that it does depend on the clocking system and what else it is being used for.
As of aviation,it is not the be all and end all.I have all the lecences,type ratings and spent the last 17 years doing it.It has got to the point were I have started to look outside the industry.It is not as bad as you think.There are jobs that compair in pay and shift patterns that you can move across to.I know a lot of people have worked hard to get were they are including myself but if you do loose your job then it may be worth thinking about something new.