Mitrefinch Time and Attendance Systems up for Innovation in Business Award

The Mitrefinch team are pleased to be representing the South West Sydney region in two categories at the upcoming NSW Business Chamber Awards which celebrate and recognise business excellence across the state. 

As winners of the Innovation in Business and Young Business Executive Awards at the regional South West Sydney Chamber Awards back in September, Mitrefinch will contest these categories at the overall State Business Awards gala dinner which take place on Friday November 29th at Sydney’s Technology Park.

Our Innovation in Business entry focuses on the ongoing development of our workforce time and attendance solutions; to include smart mobile and web applications, as well as the integration of leading-edge Lumidigm multi-spectral imaging technology for accurate employee data collection. 

While Marketing Manager, Jamie Fitzsimons, is in the running for the Young Business Executive title. 

“Simply been nominated as a finalist has provided us with a fantastic opportunity to reflect on our accomplishments to date and feel proud of what we have achieved as a team, especially as we celebrate our ten year anniversary in Australia this month” said Ms Fitzsimons. 

“We attribute much of our success to the users of our time and attendance and workforce management systems who are a driving force for continued innovation and product development within our business.” 

Tickets for the State Business Awards can be purchased direct for the NSW Business Chamber - http://www.businessannualawards.com.au

Are your staff going home on time?

Do you find yourself staying late at work more than you'd like or does your Smart Phone mean you are constantly connected to the office? 

Well it turns out you aren’t the only one with Australians working on average 7 hours overtime each week, and this unpaid overtime equates to $109.6 billion or 7.4 per cent of GDP. 

It has been well documented that a poor work and life balance has a direct impact on our health, relationships and workplace. A recent report out of the UK found that one in five employees had taken a day off sick because they could not cope with the pressure of going into work, with most citing excessive workload and/or long hours as the most significant causes of stress in the workplace. 

Now in its fifth year, Go Home on Time Day (Wednesday 20 November) is an annual initiative of The Australia Institute, in partnership with beyondblue. The Day is a light-hearted way to start a serious conversation about work-life balance - and we are keen supporters of the cause!

As a provider of automated Workforce Management systems, we are often asked about the value of tracking employee time and attendance data when an organisation only has salaried staff on the books. 

In our opinion, if you don't measure it you can't manage it. By having all staff clock in and out of work, managers and supervisors can easily identify just how much unpaid overtime their team members are putting in, and if there is a particular pattern forming. 

What's more, if your employees have to frequently work extra hours, workplace health and safety may be jeopardised through increased fatigue, potentially leading to a workplace accident and subsequent legal action. 

Armed with this information you may be able to justify hiring additional staff or bringing in contract labour at times of increased activity, or at the very least acknowledge the effort being put in by your team - perhaps introducing a Time in Lieu scheme or incentives for those that are working longer hours. 

In the long run, this will ultimately benefit your business as a motivated and happy workforce generally means increased productivity. 

To find out more or get your organisation involved in Go Home on Time Day see: http://www.gohomeontimeday.org.au/

2013 Australian Payroll Benchmarking Report

The 2013 Australian Payroll Association Benchmarking Survey is now open and we encourage all our readers to get involved.

By collecting and analysing payroll data and publishing benchmarks, the survey and subsequent report aims to assist participants in understanding how they compare with other businesses within their particular industry, as well as across many other sectors, whether they are top performers and where improvements might be found.

All participants will receive a complimentary copy of the report when it is launched in January 2014.

The report is unique as it is the only survey of its kind in Australia that specifically relates to the costs and efficiencies of the payroll operation.

Complete the survey here before 22 November.

In addition, feel free to pass on to other colleagues or peers that may be interested in getting involved.

2013 Australian Payroll Association Benchmarking Survey is now open

Melbourne Cup Day brings with it Sickies and Long Lunches

The Melbourne Cup carnival is in full swing, with many organisations across Australia busy planning themed lunches and office sweep stakes ahead of tomorrow’s big race. 

However legal experts are advising employers to have all the right policies in place before Cup Day to avoid getting caught out. 

Joydeep Hor, managing principal, at People + Culture Strategies, explains that it doesn't matter whether you decide to have a half-day or not: you need to set expectations for all staff so there's no disappointment or confusion on the day. 

“Issues have arisen in the past for some of our clients where their staff assume they have the rest of the afternoon off, when in fact they are required in the office”. He also added, "There are plenty of complications regarding the consumption of alcohol and the risk of inappropriate behaviour, the disclosure of corporate information." 

Hor recommends that businesses spend some time setting guidelines for all staff about whether or not they should come back to work, if alcohol can be consumed, and any other related topics. 

Despite it been a Public Holiday in Melbourne, Victorian employers have raised concerns about the tendency for workers to call in sick on the Monday before Cup Day - giving them an extra long weekend. 

While the majority of employees take a legitimate four-day weekend by applying for leave in advance, employers have also experienced a significant increase in unplanned absences or sickies on the day. For example, figures by absence management company Direct Health Solutions predict that there will be a 20-25 per cent spike in absences from work nationally tomorrow. 

The impact of staff taking a ‘mass sick day’ on a business is significant in terms of financial costs and lost productivity. Where possible, employers should encourage staff to use up any stockpiled leave if they are planning on taking an extra-long weekend. 

DHS chief executive Paul Dundon reports that sick leave costs us about $30 billion a year. "It seriously reduces service levels and causes a big disruption by affecting those who do show up." 

People working in call centres and manufacturing and production industries are most likely to chuck a sickie. 

Dundon acknowledges that the risk of being short-staffed can be minimised on Melbourne Cup Day if businesses host special activities or a luncheon.