Give your HR Department the gift of Employee Self Service

With the Christmas and Summer holiday season well and truly upon us, HR departments across the country are being bombarded with various requests for time off.

How your business deals with these requests can make a big difference to your bottom line - as well as your HR team's wellbeing!

Mitrefinch's Time Management System, TMS, lets your employees manage their own time and attendance in a controlled, accessible and efficient way.

Our web-based interface can be customised to allow remote clocking in from desktop PCs, laptops and the latest smart phones - enabling staff to clock in and out of tasks, appointments and projects whether they are in the office or out in the field.

Employees can also view their accrued leave, entitlements, and request updates to their personal records without having to bother the HR department. It TMS allows you to take full advantage of today’s flexible work schedules and split shifts, keeping your costs as low as possible and increasing your organisation’s productivity.

Employee Self Service is ultimately designed to make your business more profitable and your HR team more efficient.

To find out how, please visit www.mitrefinch.com.au or call 1300 884 831 and put Employee Self Service on your Christmas Wishlist today!

Mitrefinch Christmas Hours of Operation

The Mitrefinch Australia Office will be closed on Monday 27th December, Tuesday 28th December and Monday 3rd January.

Our Support Desk will be operational as normal throughout the remainder of the holiday period.

Call 1300 884 817 or email support@mitrefinch.com.au for assistance

How does your Fatigue Management processes stack up? Running the risk of a costly court case?

A recent court ruling saw VicRoads win the largest Chain of Responsibility fatigue case to date with a trucking company from Gippsland fined $95,000.

As reported in the latest edition of the Logistics Magazine, VicRoads spent six months investigating this case and found that the company was allowing its drivers to exceed safe working hours and possessed false driving records.

Don Hogben, Director for Vehicle Management and Safety, said that “the outcome of this investigation sends a clear message that if heavy vehicle operators do not comply with the Heavy Vehicle Driver Fatigue laws, they will be caught and prosecuted.”

The Australian Transport Council reports that, "Australia has the highest proportion of single heavy vehicle fatal crashes compared with five other OECD nations". The majority of these incidents are likely to be associated with fatigue.

While VicRoads advises that driving while tired amounts to around 20% of all road deaths, making it one of the biggest killers on Australian roads and as dangerous as drink driving.

In an effort to combat this trend, the Heavy Vehicle Driver Fatigue reform was introduced back in September 2008, and aims to ensure heavy vehicle drivers are not behind the wheel for long stretches and are getting adequate rest between shifts.

This legislation now holds all parties within the ‘Chain of Responsibility’ liable for any breaches of the legislation.

Workplace fatigue is not isolated to the transport and logistics industry. At Mitrefinch we understand that not matter what sector you operate in fatigue can significantly affect a worker’s ability to operate effectively, with side effects including reduced performance and productivity, and greater potential for workplace accidents.

For the past 30 years our Time and Attendance system has been assisting organisations with effective fatigue management, enabling them to proactively monitor staff work and break hours.

Mitrefinch Time and Attendance enables employees to clock in/out or on/off jobs via wall mounted devices at the depot, head office or manufacturing plant, or via the Internet and mobile or wireless devices for remote staff. This attendance data is recorded and Supervisors and HR are sent an alert when an employee is approaching their work hour limit, enabling them to adjust rosters and shifts accordingly.

The Mitrefinch system supports current workplace legislation and modern awards, as well as any organisation-specific work rules, and can easily accommodate any new legislative changes. This ensures that your staff are only permitted to work if they satisfy all the associated rules, providing you with ‘peace of mind’ that they are alert to perform their duties in a safe manner.

In addition, by automating annual reporting and maintaining a complete audit trail, Mitrefinch Time and Attendance arms you with all the information needed in the unfortunate event of legal action.

Ask yourself, how does your fatigue management plan stack up? If you haven't got the processes in place maybe it's time you took a look at a system that will help safeguard your business.

Contact Mitrefinch on 1300 884 831 or sales@mitrefinch.com.au to find out more.

Extra Christmas Holiday? Penalty Rate confusion continues...

Political pressure to protect Christmas Day penalty rates continues to mount amid confusion over different approaches adopted by the states.

Previously when Christmas Day has fallen on a weekend, workers received penalty rates on substitute public holidays the following week.

Governments in NSW, Queensland, Western Australia, NT and Tasmania have already moved to pay workers Christmas Day penalty rates in addition to penalty rates for working on Monday, December 27. While the ACT, South Australian and Victorian governments have so far refused.
Confused yet? You’re not the only one!

The Australian Industry (Ai) Group told a Fair Work Australia hearing in Melbourne, on Wednesday, that there was potential for "public holiday chaos", with six states adopting five different approaches. Chief executive Heather Ridout said in a statement the submission was made to "avoid unnecessary cost and confusion".

The Ai Group argues that penalty rates should be paid on substitute public holidays and not on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and Australia Day when they fall on weekends.

However, the Australian Greens have pushed the Federal Parliament to introduce a common standard across the country, whereby public holiday penalty rates are paid to all workers rostered to work on Christmas Day, regardless what day of the week it falls on.

Greens leader Bob Brown said it was unfair that workers in some areas be penalised just because their state hasn't set up fair treatment on penalty rates.

"People need fair compensation for giving up time with family and friends at Christmas," Senator Brown said.

From a business perspective, the continuing chaos over Christmas holiday trading leaves employers with a staff rostering nightmare. “Employers, struggling to manage Christmas and New Year rosters don’t know when penalty rates would apply, either for the weekend itself, or the substitute day, or for both”, advised Senator Abetz, Opposition Leader of the Senate.

For retailers the costs are significant, with Coles Supermarkets warning the NSW Government that it will lose $15 million in sales due to the current structure of the state's public holiday schedule, which will prohibit it from opening on Boxing Day.

The Ai Group's application, if successful, would offset any legislation passed by state governments.

Read more:
News.com.au, Smart Company, Herald Sun

Whatever the decision, Mitrefinch's Time Management System (TMS) takes the stress out of employee allowances and entitlement calculations via an in-built, fully customisable Award Interpreter. Easily calculate base and overtime pay, weekend and public holiday penalties, as well as leave loading and shift penalties, ensuring consistent application of your business rules. A direct interface to your external payroll application further reduces payroll administration and the potential for costly payroll errors.

For more information contact Mitrefinch Sales on 1300 884 831 or visit Mitrefinch Online

Payroll Professionals call for accurate workforce management information

Absence management is still a major priority for payroll professionals, according to the results of Cybershift's 2010 APA Trendline Survey, "It's About Time". This admission comes as little suprise with recent industry research revealing that up to 6 billion man hours are lost to employee absence across Europe alone each year.

The Cybershift survey was conducted among attendees at the American Payroll Association (APA) and Canadian Payroll Association (CPA) conferences earlier this year, and covered a range of employee management topics; from current time and attendance challenges to the use of a contingent workforce and proposed new workplace legislation.

Results reveal that almost one-quarter of payroll professionals believe accurate employee time tracking information would make their jobs easier. In addition, nearly half of the respondents admitted that they find it difficult to capture accurate, real time data for absence, annual leave, sickness and payroll adjustments.

"It may surprise people, but many businesses are still using laborious manual processes to schedule, deploy and track the time and attendance of their workforce. Not only is manual tracking cumbersome and time consuming, but it also can impede decisions regarding workforce deployment and lead to compromised payroll accuracy,” stated Morné P. Swart, CyberShift's VP of Product Management.

The 1,088 APA and CPA members who responded to the survey represented organisations of varying sizes and across a broad range of industries.

For more information on the Cybershift Survey click here.

Gummi Bear Proof Biometric Time and Attendance Systems

A recent article on ZDnet.com.au (Sweet bypass for student finger scanner) suggests that students at a NSW high school may be able to cheat the school’s new biometric attendance system using lunch box lollies.

Henry Kendall High School, on the NSW Central Coast, recently made the decision to replace the school's manual sign-in system with biometric fingerprint scanners to accurately record senior student attendance.

School Principal, Bob Cox, told the ABC that the biometric system was preferred over swipe cards, which students can abuse by signing-in for each other.

But biometric systems are not without their own flaws, and as Darren Pauli from ZDnet advises “a litany of fingerprint scanners have fallen victim to bypass methods, many of which are explained publicly in detail on the internet”. He adds that, “the hacks could potentially be used by students to make replicas of their own fingerprints, or lift those of others from imprints left on the reader".

To add further fuel to the fire, Pauli refers to Tsutomu Matsumoto, a Japanese cryptographer who, “used gelatine, the ingredient in Gummi Bears, to forge a replica finger that fooled 11 fingerprint scanners during tests in 2002. Gelatine has virtually the same capacitance as a finger's skin, meaning it can fool scanners designed to detect electrical charges within the human body”.

However, while it has been proven that conventional biometric readers can be circumvented, there have been some serious advancements in biometric technology since Matsumoto’s 2002 tests.

Multi-spectral imaging sets the new benchmark in Biometrics. Pioneered by Lumidigm, multi-spectral imaging technology was developed to overcome the fingerprint capture problems conventional imaging systems have in less-than-ideal conditions.

By measuring fingerprint characteristics that are at and beneath the surface of the skin, this enhanced data capture mitigates traditional system vulnerabilities and flaws, eliminating common real world performance problems that occur when users can’t enrol on standard fingerprint devices, which often leads to user frustration, an increase in system costs, lower productivity and can breed resistance to universal biometric technology adoption.

Mitrefinch Australia have recently partnered with Lumidigm, and are now integrating their superior imaging technology into all their biometric time and attendance systems.

"The integration of Lumidigm technology greatly enhances the overall application of Mitrefinch's biometric time and attendance solutions", said Allan Murdoch, Mitrefinch Australia Business Development Director. “The robustness of the Lumidigm sensor allows our customers to have a biometric solution in environments where standard fingerprint readers were not previously feasible.”

Commenting on the partnership, Lumidigm’s Director of Business Development, Seth Miller, said, “Mitrefinch was quick to understand the value of Lumidigm technology and incorporate it into their advanced customer solutions. Time and attendance is an important market for Lumidigm and Mitrefinch is an excellent partner in that space”.

For more information on this new wave of biometric time and attendance technology contact Mitrefinch Australia on 1300 884 831 or visit www.mitrefinch.com.au

More employees throwing creative sickies, employers need to monitor the cost of absenteeism

Almost three in 10 workers have "chucked a sickie" at least once this year, according to CareerBuilder’s annual survey on workplace absenteeism. More than a quarter of employers attribute the bogus sick days to increasing job stress and burnout.

Of the employers who checked up on an employee, 70 percent asked the employee to provide a doctor’s note upon return to work, half called the “sick” employee at home, and 18 percent had someone else make the phone call. Interestingly, 15 percent of bosses admitted that they actually drove by the employee’s house or apartment.

Chucking that sickie however could lead to further stress with sixteen percent of bosses advising that they have fired staff for missing a day on the job without a proven excuse.

Some of the more creative excuses that bosses have heard include; an employee’s mother was attacked by a chicken, a finger was stuck in a bowling ball, and a foot was caught in a garbage disposal.

CareerBuilder surveyed 3,100 workers and 2,400 employers for the purposes of the report. Read the full article in Chicago Breaking Business.

Last year in the UK alone, absenteeism cost the economy an estimated £13.2 billion. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) concluded that ‘a key element in managing absence effectively is accurate measurement and monitoring,’ as ‘monitoring absence allows the employer to identify trends and to explore underlying causes’.

Apparently, ‘in the latest CIPD absence survey fewer than half of employers monitor the cost of absence, just under half of organisations have set a target for reducing absence and just over one third of organisations benchmark themselves against other employers’.

The Mitrefinch Time Management System (TMS) is a proven tool for the recording, monitoring and reduction of absenteeism in the workplace. Amongst other tools at the user’s disposal is the Bradford Factor report. The ‘Bradford Factor’ is a widely-recognised Human Resources mechanism for measuring employee absence. In short, a computerised time and attendance system is a must-have for companies looking to minimise costs and crack down on absenteeism throughout the hard years ahead.

To find out more about how Mitrefinch can help reduce absenteeism in your organisation visit Mitrefinch Online, email sales@mitrefinch.com.au or call 1300 884831

Employee Absenteeism amounts to 3.9 million lost days

A report released by the Small Firms Association (SFA) in Ireland has found that small businesses lost 3.9 million days in 2009 due to employee absenteeism, costing them up to €563m (AU$800m).

Avine McNally, Acting Director of the SFA said the research showed some marked differences across sectors and regions, with employees in smaller firms less likely to miss work than their counterparts in larger enterprises.

The national average for absenteeism is 8 working days but this rises to 10 working days when considering companies with more than 50 employees. For small firms, the average actually falls to 2.6pc or 5 working days.

In monetary terms, based on average earnings of €143 per day (AU$203) absenteeism costs small businesses with sick pay schemes an estimated €563m ($AU800m) per annum.

However, this does not take other costs such as the requirement to replace absent staff with other workers or overtime payments into account. If the indirect costs such as the effect on productivity and quality, the increased work pressure on other colleagues and the administration time in managing absence were all considered, the actual overall cost could be closer to €900m (AU$1.3b), commented McNally.

According to the report, stress was cited as one of the primary reasons for absenteeism. Stress can not only lead to lost days, but also a less productive workforce, faulty decision-making, and ultimately the possibility of legal action being taken against the company for negligence or constructive dismissal, she added.

Similarly, a recent study by VicHealth and Melbourne University found that depression resulting from job stress costs the Australian economy an estimated $730 million every year.

McNally concluded that, “employers should be aware that there are a wide range of factors that can influence employees’ attendance patterns and levels. These include good communication, training and development, working conditions, job design, team working and the creation and fostering of a culture and organisational morale, which encourages and recognises excellent attendance."

"Promoting employee health and welfare, tackling the issues surrounding stress in the workplace and management training for handling absenteeism, should assist in reducing absenteeism.”

Read the full press release from the SFA here.

Jamie Fitzsimons, Marketing Manager for Mitrefinch Australia advises, "Organisations need to have an effective means of measuring staff absence in place, enabling them to assess the extent of the issue and decide the best means of tackling the problem.”

The Bradford Factor is a widely-used formula for measuring an employee’s irregularity of attendance and the effects of absenteeism on a company. The formula draws on the assumption that regular, short spells of absence can cause more disruption to a business and result in higher costs than fewer, but longer spells of absence.

Mitrefinch’s Employee Time Management System (TMS) is built around The Bradford Factor, allowing employers to profile their staff by absence tracking. It measures how the work absences of individual employees are impacting your business - by recording the number of absences and the duration of each incidence and providing a ‘score’ for each employee. With this information readily and quickly available, management can deal with problem areas before they do any more damage to the organisation’s bottom line.

For more information on the Bradford Factor and how Mitrefinch’s Employee Time Management System (TMS) can assist with effective Absence Management contact Mitrefinch Sales on 1300 884 831 or visit us online.

More and more Aussies working away from the office

Almost half of Australian workers are now spending more time doing business out of the office than five years ago, according to a recent survey by Telstra to mark the launch of their new Ultimate USB modem.

The survey of over 2000 Australian employees found that one quarter spend five or more hours working away from their office. This is largely due to improved mobile and broadband technology and flexible workplace conditions.

Telstra Spokeswoman Rebekah O’Flaherty said, “Our research shows almost half of all working Australians are spending more time doing business outside the workplace than they were five years ago and they’re attributing that to better technology and increased flexibility of employers.”

Almost 80 per cent of respondents said they would work outside the workplace if allowed by their employer, claiming they would be just as if not more productive if they were allowed to work remotely.

In response to the findings, Paul Colgan, Managing Editor of The Punch advises, “As the technology improves and more and more companies make it an option for their workers, it’s worth stopping to think about how to really realise the potential of remote access.”

He adds that it’s not just big corporations that reap the rewards from having staff working remotely, “small business, too, can get huge benefits from having staff out on the road and handling correspondence or doing paperwork on the fly”.

With more people working from home, or on projects at remote sites away from the office, the collection and management of employee time and attendance data can become increasingly complex.

Mitrefinch provide a range of Employee Management solutions to enable both employees and managers/supervisors to work remotely. From mobile time recording and tracking via iPhone, Blackberry or other Smart Phones, to an Employee Self-Service web application allowing staff to clock in/out or on/off jobs, request leave, shift and work record changes, and check attendance information.

Supervisor functionality includes checking, editing and approving anomalies, planning absences and shift changes, future work planning, skills search, and reporting, allowing them to easily manage their work from PC's or mobile devices wherever they may be.

For more information on Mobile Workforce Management contact Mitrefinch Sales today on 1300 884 831, email sales@mitrefinch.com.au or visit www.mitrefinch.com.au

Links to full articles:
Sydney Morning Herald: Aussies working out of the office more
The Punch: Is it time to put the brakes on remote working

Preventable job stress costs economy $730 million annually

Job strain related depression costs the economy an estimated $730 million every year, according to a new report released by VicHealth and Melbourne University this week.

Associate Professor Tony LaMontagne from the University of Melbourne School of Population Health, said that “job strain”, where workers have little control over their job, but who are under high pressure to perform, accounts for 13 per cent of depression in working men and 17 per cent in working women.

The $730 million price tag takes the costs associated with absenteeism, lost productive time, employee replacement costs, government-subsidised mental health services and medications for depression into account.

“These figures represent a significant burden on the Australian economy that is preventable by improving job quality,” said LaMontagne.

As such, it is hard to comprehend why more Australian organisations don’t rate employee wellbeing a core part of their business, since they would ultimately be the economic beneficiaries of taking steps to reduce depression among their workforce, through reduced staff turnover and recruitment costs and improved productivity.

“There has always been legal and ethical reasons for employers to address poor working conditions and to support staff, but these new findings add an economic incentive as well. Employers would be the major beneficiaries of reducing job strain over the long term, because the greatest costs fall on employers due to lost productivity and employee replacement,” said LaMontagne.

In addressing the issue, employers can start by making changes to job control, moderate job demands and by introducing a support structure to foster the development of their people.

Interestingly the release of this report coincided with R U OK? At Work Day, an initiative that recognises we spend a lot of time in the workplace, and that staff should be given the opportunity to connect with family, friends and colleagues and ask "R U OK?"

The initiative aims to help employees feel good about themselves by connecting and supporting others within the organisation, and through that connection and support, reducing workplace stress and depression.

Download the VicHealth and Melbourne University Report here

Mitrefinch Absence Mangement, a component of the Mitrefinch Time and Attendance System, measures the work absences of individual employees and how this impacts the organisation's overall productivity. Real-time colour coded reporting allows management to quickly identify potential problem areas and resolve any issues before they get out of hand.

For more information contact Mitrefinch Sales on 1300 884 831 or visit us online.

Mitrefinch to feature at The Association of Payroll Specialists’ upcoming Payroll Expo

Mitrefinch Australia will be exhibiting their range of Time and Attendance software solutions at the upcoming Association of Payroll Specialists’ (TAPS) Annual Workplace Review Event in Sydney later this month.

As Australia’s biggest and longest running payroll conference, this year’s Workplace Review boasts an impressive educational line-up with a strong emphasis on recent changes to legislation, including a “Comprehensive guide to the NEW Paid Parental Leave Scheme”, as well as other sessions related to; the Fair Work Act, Superannuation, Terminations, Expats, and an Excel Masterclass.

Also new in 2010 is the “Payroll Expo” where attendees can learn about the latest payroll technology and tools to implement best practices, operational efficiencies and cost savings. Mitrefinch will be exhibiting as part of the Payroll Expo at Booth 8.

The event will take place on October 21-22 at The Sebel Hotel in Parramatta.

The Payroll Expo is open to the general public on Thursday 21 October from 2pm to 5pm. Entry is FREE, but you must register by sending an email to expo@payroll.com.au. Mitrefinch have also negotiated a special deal for clients who want to attend the conference. By writing on the application form that you are a Mitrefinch client, you can attend the conference at the discounted TAPS member rate of $1,100 for the 2 days.

To download the application form or for more information about the Conference and Payroll Expo visit http://www.payroll.com.au/

ABOUT TAPS
Established in 1990, The Association for Payroll Specialists (TAPS) is the voice of the Australian payroll community, representing over 6,500 payroll professionals. TAPS provides a number of specialised benefits necessary to assist payroll people and keep them up-to-date with Australia’s unique payroll environment including; training, qualifications, publications and recruitment.

For more information see: www.payroll.com.au

Hawker Pacific Aerospace reap the benefits of Mitrefinch’s Employee Time Management System

Based near London’s Heathrow Airport, Hawker is a leading aircraft parts and repair company multinational organisation, serving a diverse international customer base which includes commercial airlines, air cargo operators, domestic government agencies and aircraft parts manufacturers.

In 2008, the decision was made to roll out Mitrefinch's integrated Time and Attendance and Access Control system for their 300 strong workforce, to overcome problems associated with unplanned absence, lateness and ‘Ghost clocking’. In addition, managers and supervisors were been swamped with vast amounts of time-consuming, paper-based employee administration.

The Mitrefinch Time Management System proved instantly effective: ‘lateness was reduced in many areas’ and Hawker staff grew to appreciate the obvious benefits of the Employee Self Service functionality offered by the system. Hawker’s IT Manager Colin Booth also appreciated the ‘excellent’ Mitrefinch hardware installation and the ‘efficient, professional’ Mitrefinch Support Helpdesk.

Two years on from the installation of the Mitrefinch systems, Colin Booth enthuses, “We now have a system that is easy to use and more accurate. The reports we have set up run efficiently and are easily modified when needed. The diary function in the HR Manager Module is very effective as it helps us remember important events which we were easily missed before and sends prompt reminders by email to managers”.

Colin adds that the Mitrefinch Time Management System has proved a success for Hawker, “With TMS we can instantly see who is in the building and on shift and with our various complicated shift patterns, the system helps us identify who is doing what at any point in time, making our life easier when we are arranging appointments or training events for employees. The introduction of Employee Self Service has been a great success – the system is transparent to enable employees to see what hours or overtime they have worked and the booking and recording of holiday balances is much more accurate - all of which have helped to reduce the amount of time managers spend on clock card queries”.

“Overall, the system has been well received and is now being used effectively by all. It has definitely helped us improve our processes and save us time. The Helpdesk remains extremely efficient and the onsite visits from the Mitrefinch consultant who helped us customise our system were invaluable.”

For more information you can read the original case study online here.

CTA evaluate Biometric Time and Attendance following an incident with an imposter

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) are currently evaluating long-term security solutions, which include implementing a biometric time and attendance system, following an incident at one of their garages on the Chicago South Side last week.

According to a release from the CTA, an impersonator wearing what appeared to be a CTA uniform, drove the bus out of the 103rd Street garage and was seen later that night by another employee. The bus he was driving struck another bus, and when the employee alerted a supervisor, the man fled.

The man is believed to be an acquaintance of a CTA bus driver and is suspected of stealing a uniform shirt from that employee. Security camera footage from the bus indicates that the suspect was familiar enough with CTA procedures to log in and start the bus, but he did not appear to be an expert driver, the release said.

“The CTA and the Chicago Police Department are working closely together to identify and quickly apprehend this individual,” CTA President Richard Rodriguez said in the release.
“The safeguards in place to keep our garages secure clearly were circumvented and that is not acceptable. Because this person was in a uniform and familiar with the CTA, we are tightening our check-in procedures.”

Bus operators are required to show their driver’s license to the garage clerk when reporting for their work assignment, at each CTA garage. It is mandatory for all employees to visibly display CTA identification at all times and they are disciplined if they fail to comply. In addition, all garage doors will be closed and locked overnight with the exception of those used to allow buses to exit and enter.

The CTA are in the early stages of implementing a biometric time and attendance system which will require employees to swipe in and out as they enter and exit garages.

For the complete story, please see the Sun-Times Media Wire or the CTA website.

Mitrefinch biometric time and attendance fingerprint readers and Access Control solutions harness the latest multispectral imaging technology, allowing organisations to tighten up security and help ensure that imposters are unable to force their way onsite.

Standard biometric readers can be circumvented, as they capture only the image of the fingerprint ridge surfaces that come into contact with the sensor. These ridges are easy to imitate using common household products and ingredients.

Mitrefinch readers on the other hand can differentiate between living flesh and non-living flesh or other synthetic materials, eliminating the threat of imposters and spoof fingerprints.

For more information contact us on 1300 884 831, email sales@mitrefinch.com.au or visit us online at www.mitrefinch.com.au

New Coalition may result in an extension to the benefits offered by the Paid Parental Scheme

With the Labor Party back in power, they have renewed their commitment to complement benefit enhancements under the new Paid Parental Leave Act.

Sussan Ley, the Federal Coalition's new childcare spokeswoman, says she would like the party's 26-week paid parental leave scheme to remain part of its policy platform.

However, some Coalition MPs have expressed concern about the scheme's generosity, advising the Liberal Party that they prefer its more generous parental leave proposal to the Paid Parental Leave Act and will give it a majority on "any policies on which they agree.”

Ms. Ley says she will consider any changes proposed by her colleagues, but believes the general structure of the scheme is sound. She said, "I am extremely supportive of the current proposal and I know members of the Coalition are".

Mitrefinch Workforce Management System invaluable to Scottish Government, 5 years on

Providing for the daily needs of up to 5.1 million individuals, whilst juggling the administration of 500,000 staff across 50 sites nationwide is a mammoth task by any standards.

Which is why, in 2005, the Scottish Government and its Agencies made the decision to invest in an integrated Flexitime and Access Control system from Mitrefinch. The Government required a complete system that could function smoothly across multiple sites, capture and store a wide range of employee data and ensure tight security throughout government buildings. According to the Scottish Government, “Mitrefinch ticked all the boxes.”

The installation across 10 sites was an understandably epic affair, but the Government was impressed by the willingness of the “excellent” Mitrefinch team to “go that extra mile to help deliver the project.”

Now, five years on, the Scottish Government remains a satisfied Mitrefinch customer. Mitrefinch hardware has been rolled out at a further 20 sites and a number of other organisations are networked to the system. The system has centralised Time and Attendance monitoring whereas before, the Government had many variations all requiring separate administration.

Since the installation of Mitrefinch’s application, the Government has realised the benefits of a central system in that it saves on costs and administration time. There is also greater flexibility in accessing information as and when required.

The Scottish Government's Physical Security Manager said, “I find the joined up aspect of the Time and Attendance, Access Control and Pass Imaging and production modules very easy to use and is able to cover all the areas I require. The network facility is especially good for accessing remote locations. I can basically monitor the whole estate from the comfort of my desk”.

Mitrefinch CEO, Debbie Guppy, adds that "In providing for the Scottish Government, Mitrefinch have shown ourselves to be invaluable to a large-scale, multi-site organisation".

Read the original Mitrefinch Scottish Government case study online.

Mitrefinch is a leading provider of Time and Attendance systems and Access Control solutions. Contact Mitrefinch today on 1300 884 831, email sales@mitrefinch.com.au or visit our Web site at http://www.mitrefinch.com.au/ for more information.

Fair Work Australia issue first take-home pay order

Fair Work Australia, the national workplace relations tribunal, has made its first take-home pay order, ordering a women's fashion retailer to provide a female staff member with nine months of back pay.

This ruling serves as a warning to employers coming to grips with the Modern Awards process.

Susan Balog, a Victorian single mother, whose pay was cut by $6.72 an hour when her pay was shifted to a 'modern award' at the start of the year is the first person in Australia to get a “take home pay order”. Take-home pay orders were introduced as part of the Labor Government's Fair Work industrial relations regime.

While the Modern Awards, which came into effect on January 1, resulted in pay rates falling in some states, employers were not allowed to pay employees less than there were receiving under their previous award. If this occurred, Fair Work Australia could make a take-home pay order and effectively top-up the worker's pay.

Under the new Modern Award, Balog's hourly rate fell from $19.83 to $16.47. When a 200 per cent loading for Sunday work was taken into account, take-home hourly rate fell from $39.66 to $32.94.

While the employer said it was simply complying with the new Award, and had offered to give Balog more hours to make up for her lower pay, Senior Deputy President Kaufman stated in his judgement:

"While I accept that the employer did not wish to decrease the applicant's take-home pay, and thus offered her additional hours, I do not accept that the offer is acceptable as an alternative to a take-home pay order. The employer, in essence, is seeking that the employee work more hours for less pay."

While lower pay rates under the Modern Wards can be applied to new employees, existing employees must not be left worse off.

For more information on Modern Awards and Take Home Pay visit the Fair Work Australia site

To faciliate with the consistent application of an organisation's business rules and award payments, Mitrefinch's leading Time and Attendance System, TMS, comes with an extremely powerful “award interpreter”. To find out more contact Mitrefinch Sales on 1300 884 831 or email sales@mitrefinch.com.au

Australian employees say profit sharing would boost productivity

More than half of Australians surveyed in the 2010 Kelly Global Workforce Index believe they would be more productive if they were able to share in profits or have an ownership stake in their employer’s business.

The survey also found 30 per cent of workers currently have an arrangement whereby some of their pay is tied to performance targets. Gen Y (aged 18-29) and Gen X (aged 30-47) employees are much more likely to be on some form of performance-based pay than those in the Baby Boomer generation (aged 48-65).

However, of those not receiving performance pay, more than a third (37 per cent) say they would be more productive if they had their earnings linked to performance outcomes, with Gen Y the most attracted to it.

Many employees indicate that they would be quite comfortable with some element of their compensation being tied to their individual or group performance. This shows that most are confident in their ability to perform their jobs well and believe they can share in the rewards of improved workplace productivity.

Other results from the survey, with regards to employee benefits and perks, reveal that aside from salary, the benefit that rates most highly is training, followed by flexible hours, vacation or personal time-off, and health benefits.

The Kelly Global Workforce Survey obtains the views of approximately 134,000 people, including more than 20,000 in Australia.

Mitrefinch’s Time and Attendance system, TMS, can take the stress out of employee management by easily managing performance related pay incentives. Real-time information and detailed reporting facilitates up-to-the-minute tracking and evaluation of the performance and work activities of employees against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

To find out more contact Mitrefinch Sales on 1300 884 831 or sales@mitrefinch.com.au

Australia and New Zealand employers admit they lack resources to grow their business following GFC cutbacks

An overwhelming majority of employers (84 per cent) believe they had to make too many redundancies during the GFC and many now lack the resources needed to grow their businesses, according to extensive research released this week by Hudson, the leading provider of integrated talent solutions.

The research findings, part of the Hudson 20:20 Series Report: Positioning for Growth – Building a Dynamic Workforce in a New Economic Era, reveal that almost two-thirds of employers and employees alike (59 per cent) reported that their teams are under-resourced. Many businesses (57 per cent of those surveyed) are already feeling the skills pinch, up from 44 per cent last year. While 54 per cent of employees say the team they work in is now weaker.

Simon Moylan, executive general manager at Hudson Talent Management, said: "During the downturn many organisations 'cut the fat' but these results suggest that many also 'cut into the muscle'. Employers desperately need to bolster not only the size, but also the strength of their teams to bring their businesses back to a place where they can compete effectively in their markets and establish a solid foundation for sustainable, long-term growth."

Overall, 11 per cent of the workforce was lost through voluntary redundancy, enforced redundancy or staff leaving of their own accord and employers say that 23 per cent of workforce losses were high performers.

Accurately anticipating demand helps combat understaffing and improves overall workforce productivity. To facilitate better staff utilisation while keeping operating costs as low as possible, the Mitrefinch Time Management System (TMS) ensures that you have the right staff are on hand to serve your customers, and that you are in compliance with necessary employee legislation and health and safety requirements.

TMS is fully-adaptable to your workforce management requirements - staff can be assigned to shifts according to necessary skills/training, and contracted hours. Staff can also be scheduled to mirror forecasted customer numbers over a given period, or ‘on-the-fly’ to meet emergency requirements.

For more information contact Mitrefinch Sales on 1300 884 831 or sales@mitrefinch.com.au

The future of Australia’s industrial relations and paid parental leave policy hangs in the balance

Following the weekend’s hung parliament, HR professionals eagerly await the news of a potential new Government, which is likely to impact on both IR laws and also the much-debated paid parental leave scheme.

However, constitutional law experts have advised that negotiations over the next Federal Government could drag on until the end of November.

Professor Donald Rothwell from the Australian National University's College of Law, said parliament must meet within 30 days of electoral officials confirming the names of each candidate elected but the commission had until October 27 to do this.

"This could allow Prime Minister Gillard to convene the House of Representatives as late as 26 November 2010, thereby allowing for as long as three months for agreements to be reached with the independents," he said.

Rothwell advised that Gillard could remain as caretaker prime minister until then.

Prior to the election, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that Labor would offer new fathers two weeks parental leave if re-elected, in a bid to win over undecided working families. Labor's full parental leave scheme now offers mothers 18 weeks leave at minimum wage. However for working families this still appears less attractive than the Coalition's scheme which offers 26 weeks at the mother's real wage, up to a cap of $150,000.

Australia waits....

Employees turn to flexible working to boost employee performance

Randstad’s 2010 World of Work Report has found that the need to improve employee productivity and performance remains a major challenge in the minds of employers for 2010.

Budget constraints and cautious finance departments, are driving management to look at ways to increase productivity and performance of those already employed by the organisation rather than increasing headcount.

The Report, based on a survey of more than 3,000 HR professionals, business managers and CEOs across the Asia pacific region, found that the top motivators for employees to perform well were:

• Having a strong understanding of their role in achieving organisational goals (25% cite this as their 1st motivator to perform well, with 18% citing it as their 2nd motivator)
• Good relationship with immediate manager (17% cite this as their 2nd motivator, 3rd motivator for 20% of respondents)
• A competitive remuneration package (3rd motivator for 21% of respondents).

This would indicate that improving staff retention and performance should no longer be solely centred on increasing the employee’s pay packet, but more about creating a work/life balance.

As a result, many organisations are now turning to flexible working and other creative and tangible benefits to foster employee retention and boost overall employee performance. These include:

• Paid Parental Leave
• Additional Annual Leave
• 4.5 day working weeks
• Salary sacrificing
• Paid Study Leave

Similarly, “Managing Tomorrow’s People”, a new study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in the UK, has revealed that flexible working is the most prized benefit for employees, ahead of performance-related bonuses. Of the 1,167 professionals surveyed, 47% rated ‘flexible working arrangements’ as their most important benefit, compared with 19% who opted for bonuses.

To facilitate flexible working practices, Mitrefinch’s automated Time and Attendance System, TMS, can be customised to match an organisation’s specific working patterns and legislation, supporting flexi-time and shift work across multiple sites and pay centres, while seamlessly integrating with other business, HR and Payroll systems.

For more information contact Mitrefinch Australia on sales@mitrefinch.com.au or 1300 884 831

Australian Business one step ahead of the Paid Parental Leave Debate

An article on ninemsn reports that while the major political parties battle over paid parental leave policies in the run up to Saturday's election, Australian employers are already offering some form of paid parental leave.

According to the Paid Parental Leave Pulse Survey conducted by Hewitt Associates last month, 71 percent of the organisations surveyed already offer fairly generous paid parental leave, with 36 percent given 12 or more weeks.

However, some are not yet sure how to address this issue, with over half (57 percent) of the respondents undecided about what changes they will make to their paid parental leave policies.

Tim Powell, Hewitt Associates Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand, said: “As the major political parties battle-it-out on paid parental leave policy, a third of companies are waiting for the election outcome before they commit to implementing company policy”.

Nevertheless, Powell advises that Hewitt’s research has found that on the whole, Australian businesses lead the way in recognising the role paid parental leave plays in retaining an experienced and motivated workforce.

“This survey has found that irrespective of federal policies and politics, the majority of Australian corporates are already offering paid parental leave; seeing it as a competitive advantage to attract and retain talent in an increasingly tight labour market”.

“However, with different timeframes being thrown around by the Coalition, Labor and the Greens, some organisations are unsure of what best practice is and how to implement it.”

“Depending on the outcome of the coming election, we expect these companies will review paid parental leave policies and payments, to maintain this as a differentiator beyond what will be required under federal legislation.”

For more information on Hewitt Associates or to access their reports see: http://www.hewittassociates.com/Intl/AP/en-AU/Default.aspx

Mitrefinch’s Time and Attendance system is a powerful tool for analysing and managing employee time and the associated costs. Record unplanned absences, holidays and paid parental leave, building a yearly absence profile for further analysis. A built-in current and projected manpower planner allows management to act or plan work schedules according to available resources, skills sets etc...

For more information contact Mitrefinch on 1300 884 831, sales@mitrefinch.com.au or visit us online at http://www.mitrefinch.com.au/

Biometric Time and Attendance Technology for the Real World

The benefits of biometric Time and Attendance systems have been well documented and the biometrics field has made considerable advancements in recent years.

Despite this there are still common environmental and demographic issues that represent significant challenges for the biometrics industry and, as a result, have limited widespread adoption of the technology for employee management purposes.

The true test of a biometric Time and Attendance system is how it performs under real world conditions. This article examines some of the environmental issues that can cause a major headache for System Administrators and how the next wave of biometric technology can help address the problem.

Damp or Cold Environments
Most biometric systems are relatively reliable in sheltered, enclosed environments. However, the reality is that many Time and Attendance systems are often required to perform outdoors or in cold, refrigerated areas. In particular, conventional biometric fingerprint sensors can struggle in damp conditions as excess moisture obscures fingerprint ridges, resulting in images of puddles, rather than fingerprints. Sweaty hands can cause a similar problem.

Dry Hands
Standard biometric readers rely on a firm and complete contact between fingertip and sensor, in order to capture accurate and reliable images. Unfortunately, the common problem of dry hands, caused by anything from climate conditions or natural skin characteristics to frequent hand-washing or air travel, means that this is not always possible.

Rough Conditions
In the rough and tumble of daily life, our hands can become worn, torn and dirty. Especially in the Manufacturing and Construction sector, it is common for employees to be working with greasy, rough or dirty hands. This in turn means that workers’ fingerprints can be difficult to pick up by conventional biometric readers that rely on quality, clean contact between the finger and the sensor.

How multi-spectral imaging can help
The core problem with conventional technologies is that they rely on clear and complete contact between the fingerprint and the sensor, a condition that is elusive in the real world.

Multispectral imaging is a sophisticated technology that was developed by Lumidigm*, a world leader in pioneering biometric solutions, to overcome the fingerprint capture problems conventional imaging systems have in less-than-ideal conditions.

Multi-spectral imaging combines multiple spectrums of light and advanced polarisation techniques to extract unique fingerprint characteristics from both the surface and subsurface of the skin which is unaffected by surface wear and other environmental factors.

This enhanced data capture capability overcomes the fingerprint capture problems conventional imaging systems encounter, as when the fingerprint ridges on the surface are marred by an injury, dirt or moisture, the subsurface information remains intact, and the multi-spectral sensors can collect it.

Mitrefinch Australia are now incorporating Lumidigm’s award winning technology into their new biometric Time and Attendance terminals. The robustness of Lumidigm’s technology will allow Mitrefinch customers to have a biometric solution in environments where standard fingerprint readers were not previously feasible.

If you would like to find out more about Mitrefinch Biometric Time and Attendance solutions contact 1300 884 831 or sales@mitrefinch.com.au. Mitrefinch Consultants are on hand to provide online and onsite demonstrations of their biometric terminals in action and can also run small pilot programs to ensure that the technology will work for your organisation.

* Lumidigm’s technology advantage is protected by numerous US and International PCT patents. They provide identity management solutions for civil ID, point-of-sale, time and attendance, physical and logical access, and portable electronic device applications.

Growing demand for HR and IR Specialists

Melbourne based recruitment agency, IPA recruitment, has found that nationwide job vacancies increased for the first time in three months in July.

Job vacancies increased 13.9 per cent in July, the first increase in jobs on offer since March this year.

IPA’s General Manager of Sales and Marketing, Darrell Hewton, said the data showed employers were relaxed about the result of the federal election.

"Business hates political uncertainty, especially around the future of industrial relations laws...however, with few policy differences distinguishing the parties and the prospect of a settled IR landscape for the next few years regardless of who wins, employers are relatively relaxed about the result" said Mr Hewton in a report released on Thursday.

Mr Hewton said employers who had held off hiring for the last few months were entering the market and were confident enough about the 12-month outlook to make the commitment to expand their teams.

Demand for human resources and industrial relation specialists also rose. "With the introduction of modern awards in July, we are seeing increasing need for HR and IR staff across the board," he said.

Mitrefinch’s Time and Attendance System, TMS, can help take the stress out of complex award administration. Our specially designed “award interpreter” ensures consistent application of business rules and award payments across your organisation.

For more information contact Mitrefinch Australia on 1300 884 831 or email sales@mitrefinch.com.au

The emergence of mobile workforce management applications

While many organisations have already implemented time and attendance systems, scheduling and employee analytics, mobile applications can raise the bar for effective workforce management.

This is particularly timely considering a recent study by Citrix Online found that 47% of UK companies have seen an increase in workforce mobility over the last five years, largely due to increased availability of the required technology to send employees onto the road.

The increasing availability of devices and applications designed to enhance employee productivity on the go is also driving greater workforce flexibility.

Leslie Hand, research director for IDC Retail Insights, says “by leveraging a solution that integrates mobile technology with your scheduling solution, shift requests automatically follow your organisation’s defined business rules to identify and prioritise the list of possible workers,” she says. “Shifts are filled with the right employee for the job and you avoid the challenges that can result from having too few employees on a particular shift.”

Hand explains that the combined benefits can “lead to significant ROI” with “many retailers reporting full payback within 18 months [and] an integrated configurable workforce management system ultimately results in a lower total cost of ownership.”

Mitrefinch’s web-based time and attendance solution (MobileTMS) allows businesses to mobilise their workforce. Available as an iPhone App or deployed on other smart phones, WAP enabled mobiles, notebooks and laptops, MobileTMS further enhances productivity, improves workforce compliance while also increasing customer and employee satisfaction. In addition, integration with GPS technology and Job Costing facilitates real-time project tracking and analysis of employee activity from any location.

Additional Resources:
http://www.stores.org/stores-magazine-august-2010/phoning-it
http://wp.me/pV6fZ-2E
http://tinyurl.com/393qbly

New biometric technology can cut out imposters

How can you be sure that your premises are truly secure? How can the common problem of imposters or ‘spoof’ fingerprints be combated? Conventional biometric readers can be circumvented, as they capture only the image of the fingerprint ridge surfaces that come into contact with the sensor. These ridges are easy to imitate using common household products and ingredients.

In response to this issue, the new Mitrefinch biometric readers harness Lumidigm's multispectral imaging technology, which differentiates between living flesh and non-living flesh or other synthetic materials. The latest Mitrefinch biometric clocks will allow you to tighten up security and help ensure that imposters are unable to force their way onsite.

Mitrefinch is a leading provider of Time and Attendance systems and Access Control solutions. Contact Mitrefinch today on 1300 884 831, email sales@mitrefinch.com.au or visit us online at www.mitrefinch.com.au for more information on how are customers are benefiting from using biometric time and attendance systems

One billion man hours lost to sickies across Europe each year

It might be every employer’s worst nightmare: to discover that staff have been feigning sickness in order to take a well-deserved break or attend to urgent personal affairs.

According to a new study by leading employee risk and benefits management firm Aon Consulting, a staggering 120 million sick days a year are taken across Europe for reasons other than genuine illness. Of these, 35 million are taken by British employees. All in all, this costs employers an incredible €40 billion.

Significantly, Aon also asked the surveyed employees what measures would dissuade them from taking phony sick leave in the future. Along with the ability to take ‘social days’ away from the office, the provision of flexible working options was the most common request.

Indeed, it is likely that more and more companies will turn to flexible working in the fight to reduce absenteeism.

Mitrefinch provide computerised time and attendance systems which allow employers to implement and monitor flexible working patterns throughout their business.

To find out how Mitrefinch can help you better manage your flexi-time contact us now on 1300 884 831, email sales@mitrefinch.com.au or visit www.mitrefinch.com.au

To read the full Aon Report go to: http://aon.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1957

Mitrefinch take Biometric Time and Attendance to the next level

As part of a continuing commitment to new product innovation and development, Mitrefinch are pleased to announce that they are now incorporating Lumidigm’s patented multispectral imaging technology into their biometric time and attendance terminals.

The introduction of Lumidigm’s pioneering technology represents a major advancement for the biometric time and attendance industry. By capturing high-quality images, Lumidigm’s Mercury Series fingerprint sensors provide accurate enrollment and verification for all users, even when fingerprint ridges are hard to distinguish due to genetics, age, dirt, finger placement, or environmental conditions such as moisture, temperature and bright ambient light.

For Mitrefinch’s customer base, Lumidigm’s sensors will eliminate common real world performance problems that occur when users can’t enroll on standard fingerprint devices, which often leads to user frustration, an increase in system costs, lower productivity and can breed resistance to universal biometric technology adoption.

"The integration of Lumidigm technology greatly enhances the overall application of Mitrefinch's biometric time and attendance solutions", said Allan Murdoch, Mitrefinch Australia Business Development Director. “The robustness of the Lumidigm Mercury sensor allows our customers to have a biometric solution in environments where standard fingerprint readers were not previously feasible.”

Commenting on the partnership, Lumidigm’s Director of Business Development, Seth Miller, said, “Mitrefinch was quick to understand the value of Lumidigm technology and incorporate it into their advanced customer solutions. Time & attendance is an important market for Lumidigm and Mitrefinch is an excellent partner in that space”.

The Mitrefinch biometric time and attendance terminal with integrated Lumidigm Mercury technology will be available in Australia from July.

ABOUT LUMIDIGM
Headquartered in New Mexico, Lumidigm Inc. is a biometric company dedicated to enabling convenient, secure, and reliable identification and verification. Lumidigm provides biometric identity management for civil ID, point-of-sale, time & attendance, physical and logical access, and portable electronic device applications. Lumidigm’s technology advantage is protected by numerous United States and International PCT patents and applications.

For more information see: www.lumidigm.com