Smartphone use in Australia is going through the roof, how can you leverage this to better manage your workforce?

A new study by TNS Global has confirmed Smartphone usage in Australia is growing at an exceptional rate.

The international study, now in its 8th year, uses an online panel across 43 markets. This year, 34,000 consumers worldwide took part in the survey, with 504 Australian respondents split across gender, socioeconomic background, and age.

"The biggest surprise this year is we're starting to see Smartphone usage go through the roof," TNS director of technology Marcus Pritchard told Marketing magazine.

"HTC, LG and Samsung are also becoming top of mind for replacement phones, we're seeing the death of the traditional phone."

And it’s not just the iPhone, Pritchard says consumers are becoming more open to other Smartphone alternatives as they learn more about them. "It's about the experience that each can deliver," he explains.

However the study does reveal that Australia is still a little behind other developed markets for technology adoption, the quality of mobile service, and data download speeds.

Check out the complete article in the latest online edition of Marketing Magazine.

So how can you leverage this growth in mobile technology to manage your workforce more accurately and efficiently?

New mobile workforce management applications developed for Smartphones, improve workplace productivity by making it easier for supervisors and employees to complete a wide range of work related and administrative tasks from any location, at any time.

By utilising the mobile devices they are already familiar with, employees can clock in/out or on/off specific jobs from remote work sites, request leave, and review their work information in real time.

While supervisors and managers can monitor real time operations and onsite records, check anomalies, approve timesheets, and respond quickly to leave requests. GPS tracking or Google Map functionality also allows supervisors to check where specific clockings were made.

To find out more about Mitrefinch’s Mobile Workforce Solutions and how they can enhance your employee time and attendance, rostering and absence management processes see www.mitrefinch.com.au, call Sales on 1300 884 831 or email sales@mitrefinch.com.au

Unlimited leave policy abuse treated "very seriously" by Fair Work Australia

Fair Work Australia, the national workplace relations tribunal, has upheld an international corporation's dismissal of a worker who fraudulently used his carer's leave to take a weekend off, advising that such an action could harm other employees by undermining the employer's trust-based "unlimited" leave policy.

A production worker at Nyrstar in Hobart, Tasmania initially sought annual leave for a weekend last September, but was refused on the basis that it would have left the operation short-staffed. He then sought carer's leave, with the support of a medical certificate providing that he needed time off to attend appointments with his daughter, who had been on crutches after an injury.

The company approved the leave and planned to cover the absence with a labour hire employee. However on hearing rumours that the worker's leave request wasn't authentic, management employed the services of an independent investigator who conducted surveillance on the employee, and returned with a report and DVD that showed he had travelled with his family to the Tamar Valley Resort, for the weekend in question.

The employee was confronted with the evidence and after having a chance to explain his actions, was eventually dismissed due to “his utilisation of carer's leave under false pretences” and that he had "consciously taken a decision to defraud the company".

Commissioner Deegan from Fair Work Australia took into account that the employee's misuse of his unlimited entitlement to leave, "could have the effect of bringing about a change in policy and lead to greater restrictions on the availability of leave for other employees in the future". "For this reason I think it is understandable that an employer treat very seriously any circumstances in which such entitlements are abused".

Nyrstar’s HR manager, Tim Wilson-Haffenden, told Fair Work Australia that the company provided a personal leave entitlement that included carers' leave. It was a "no debit/no credit" system, "in the sense that if an employee is sick, then providing they supply the appropriate documentation, they are entitled to paid sick leave".

Wilson-Haffenden advised that the system was treated with a fair degree of trust and that in the context of good relations between management and employees, there was no systematic abuse.

Commissioner Deegan said she was satisfied that the employee intended to go on the trip to northern Tasmania when he applied for the carer's leave.

As such, his use of the leave for that purpose, supported by the medical certificate claiming he had to take his daughter to "appointments" was "at no time a legitimate use of that leave", she said.

Consequently, the company had a valid reason for dismissing the worker based on the dishonest answers provided to Wilson-Haffenden.

Source: http://www.workplaceexpress.com.au/

By administering and tracking both paid and unpaid leave policies, Mitrefinch’s Time and Attendance System (Mitrefinch TMS) plays a valuable role in helping organisations maintain compliance with federal, state, and union mandates.

Today, due to the robust workplace legislation surrounding the Fair Work Act, organisations are struggling to accurately track leave for all their employees. Yet with the rise in Workplace lawsuits being brought up against organisations, it is more important than ever for management to accurately track and administer leave time.

Mitrefinch’s Time and Attendance System allows organisations to:

• Keep a central, remote repository of all employee leave records, facilitates tracking of all leave types such as Vacation/Personal leave


• Automatically determine leave eligibility based on an employee’s hours worked and hire date.


• Generate absence management and vacation planning reports


• Store doctor’s certifications and will send alerts when new certifications are required


• Reduce the likelihood of Workplace investigations and employee lawsuits


• Eliminate administrative error and reduce admin time as employees can request leave and explain absences online while supervisors oversee anomalies and authorise or decline requests automatically


• Reduce the time required to manually administer federal and state leave laws by as much as 65%.


• Employees can check their own leave records and entitlements quickly and easily

If you would like discover how your organisation can benefit from effective Leave Management and avoid costly law suits contact Mitrefinch today on 1300 884 931 or email sales@mitrefinch.com.au

Employers shirk employee obligations with Sham Contracts

As per an article in the latest online edition of the HR Leader, a Brisbane call centre has been ordered to pay a total of $214,500 after being found guilty of underpaying its staff by using “sham contracts”.

Contracting Plus Pty Ltd was found guilty of violating workplace laws by paying its workers less than the minimum hourly rate of pay, amounting to $46,000.

The former Brisbane CBD call centre attempted to classify workers as “independent contractors” rather than employees, and therefore avoided mandatory requirements relating to salary and benefits.

At the ruling, Federal Magistrate Michael Burnett said that, “Sham contracting is a serious matter because if workers are incorrectly classified as independent contractors, they can miss out on fundamental entitlements such as minimum pay rates, penalty rates and annual leave.”

Burnett ordered that the fines should go towards reimbursing the employees of Contracting Plus Pty Ltd, a large number of whom were under the age of 21.

“To purposely deny vulnerable and low-skilled workers these important employment entitlements by disguising them as contractors is particularly reprehensible,” he added. “As such, it is important that my agency mark its disapproval of such behaviour and deter others from doing the same.”

Michael Campbell, Fair Work Ombudsman Executive Director, praised the decision, advising that it sent out a very clear warning to other would-be employers looking to evade workplace legislation and their obligations to employees.

The HR Leader reports that the trend of so-called sham contracting appears to have spread into several sectors, with a recent investigation led by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) halting hundreds of illegal contracts at construction sites across Australia. Nationwide audits look set to continue, with well-known multi-nationals such as Bovis Lend Lease and Multiplex construction being questioned by the CFMEU.

Construction workers have teamed up with the union to create the ‘Stop the Sham’ campaign, in an effort to voice their anger against the growing practice of sham-contracting. They are also calling for co-ordinated Federal Government action.

CFMEU Construction National Secretary Dave Noonan said that he blamed authorities for turning a blind eye to the practice, and as well as treating workers unfairly, the organisations responsible were also evading business taxes.

“These companies are taking lucrative Federal Government construction contracts with one hand, and undermining Australia’s tax base with the other,” he said.

To read the full article see: http://www.humanresourcesmagazine.com.au/articles/27/0C06F927.asp

There is an easier way to comply with penalty rates and workplace legislation without resorting to Sham Contracts

Ensuring that you are compliant with penalty rates and modern awards can represent a major headache for many organisations, but you don't need to evade the law to elevate the stress of effective Award Interpretation and Time Management processes.

Mitrefinch's Employee Time Management System (TMS) can do all the hard work for you via an in-built, fully customisable Award Interpreter.

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.

If you would like discover how your organisation can benefit from more efficient Award Interpretation and effective Employee Time Management contact Mitrefinch today on 1300 884 931 or email sales@mitrefinch.com.au

You can't afford not to.

(Source: HR Leader)

Flexible work options to boost job opportunities in rural areas

The introduction of a high-speed broadband network and a shift in employee attitudes towards working remotely will undoubtedly benefit regional areas in terms of increased job opportunities. This was the outlook from Cisco’s “The Changing Nature of Work” debate last week.

Speaking at the event, Senator Kate Lundy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, explained that the growing flexibility of working locations and advancements in technology and infrastructure would present a ‘phenomenal opportunity’ for those not living in metropolitan areas.

“People will have choice in this country about where they work, and how productive that work can be, like no other country. The change would set Australia up to be a fascinating test bed for change in work practice across the world, and lead by example,” she said.

Jacob Murray-White, Head of Salmat@Home, said that geographic diversity and ‘working from home’ allows organisations to “to reach out to people all over Australia and therefore attract a really high quality of people who really want to work from home.”

He added, “it allows people to make a lifestyle choice about where they want to live and it allows them to work in what is essentially a very nice work environment at home doing a high white collar style job on their own terms – it means that we get some fantastic people who would have no other way of participating in this type of work force.”

As a precursor to the debate, Cisco conducted a survey "The Connected World" which questioned over 2600 workers from around the globe. The results revealed that two thirds of participants would rather have flexible working arrangements than a higher salary, while in Australia the figure was even higher at 73 per cent. However, 43 per cent of Australian employees believe that they needed to be physically ‘in the office’ to make decisions more effectively and efficiently, with nothing replacing daily ‘in-person’ interaction.

Fernanda Afonso, organisational development specialist for Freehills and national chair of the Australian Psychology Society, said that while a high proportion of employees would prefer more flexible working conditions, it is important to remember that we are social human beings and need to feel connected to a broader community in some kind way.

Interestingly the Cisco results suggest that the ability to work outside office hours, doesn't necessarly result in a shorter working week for employees, instead participants said that on avearge they worked an extra 2-3 hours per day, while 10 per cent said that they were always online and work through their waking hours.

Afonso said that the responsibility should lie with employees, who must set strict boundaries for a work/ life balance and communicate what is acceptable for them personally.

"Sometimes we do expect our managers to second guess what’s going on in our life, so I think it’s important for the individual to communicate that,” she advised.

To read the full article see the HR Leader: http://www.humanresourcesmagazine.com.au/articles/E8/0C06F6E8.asp

To support today’s flexible working practices such as job-sharing, flex-time, and remote offices, Mitrefinch’s Time and Attendance software (TMS) and HR systems are available as web-based applications, an iPhone App or can be deployed on other smart phones, WAP enabled mobiles, notebooks and laptops.

This enhanced functionality enables organisations to monitor the time and attendance of all employees, and automate time-intensive administrative tasks, in turn enhancing productivity, improving 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.

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

Mitrefinch User Group Conference to showcase new Time and Attendance developments

Mitrefinch's Australian clients will congregate at the Company’s Annual User Group Conferences in Melbourne and Sydney this April.

These free half day events will provide clients with an opportunity to experience the advanced data visualisation and mobile working features available in the latest release of Mitrefinch’s Time and Attendance system, TMS Version 6.0, as well as new developments in biometric technology, data collection devices, and other employee management add on solutions.

Debbie Guppy, Mitrefinch Group CEO, from Mitrefinch’s UK head office will be on hand to provide the keynote speech, and announce the launch of a new Customer Referral Club, which aims to acknowledge and offer incentives for any new business that clients refer to Mitrefinch.

In addition, senior management and members from Mitrefinch Australia’s support and technical team will be sharing their expertise with attendees, and providing advice on how to gain the best possible return on investment from Mitrefinch’s employee management solutions.

Attendees will also have ample opportunity to exchange real world knowledge and experience with their peers and system users from other industry sectors over a networking lunch.

“Our clients have found direct access to senior management to be a key differentiator from other conferences”, advises Allan Murdoch, Mitrefinch Business Development Manager. “The insight we receive from our attendees is invaluable, I believe we learn more from our customers than any other source. Their feedback drives the direction of our development to meet their needs."

The Mitrefinch User Group Conferences will be held in Melbourne at the Punt Hill South Yarra Grand on Thursday April 14th and in Sydney at WatervieW Conference Centre, Olympic Park on Friday April 15th.

Further User Group Conferences are planned for Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth later this year.

The User Group Conferences are free for all Mitrefinch users to attend, however RSVP by March 25th is essential.

To reserve your spot you can register online or contact Mitrefinch directly on 1300 884 831 or sales@mitrefinch.com.au

For more information on Mitrefinch's User Group Conference please see the Event Page

Mitrefinch proud to support Australia's National Payroll Week

As a leading provider of Time and Attendance Systems and Employee Management Solutions, Mitrefinch Australia are once again proud to support National Payroll Week, an initiative of The Association of Payroll Specialists (TAPS).

National Payroll Week focuses on raising the profile of payroll and acknowledging the hard work of all payroll professionals. This year the initiative will run from March 21st to 25th.

Payroll is one of the most highly regulated functions within a company. Compliance with complex federal and state legislation, workplace agreements and award structures is essential, yet despite these challenges, payroll personnel continue to calculate employee’s pay accurately and on time, every pay run.

As part of the National Payroll Week, TAPS will run their Poster Campaign and a Photo Competition. Now in it's 17th year, the Poster Campaign encourages TAPS members to celebrate their profession and spread the word about the important role payroll plays within the business.

“During National Payroll Week we are delighted to acknowledge the essential role that payroll personnel play in every business”, said Jamie Fitzsimons, Mitrefinch Marketing Manager.

“Payroll error rates can account for up to 1.2% of total payroll costs. This amounts to millions of dollars in overhead costs for many Australian businesses. Having qualified personnel as well as a user-friendly system to help automate payroll can significantly reduce payroll processing time, offering huge cost savings”.

Mitrefinch’s Time Management Solution, TMS, is used on a daily basis by many payroll professionals around Australia, helping their organisations to reduce labour costs and eliminate payroll errors, while improving workplace productivity and efficiency.

For more information on TAPS or National Payroll Week please visit: www.payroll.com.au