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.

Mitrefinch to focus on new Trends in Time and Attendance at TAPS Workplace Review

The Association of Payroll Specialists’ (TAPS) are hosting their annual Workplace Review Conference in both Melbourne and Sydney this month. The event is Australia’s longest running payroll conference and this year’s theme is “Give your Payroll a Workout".

Give your payroll a workout at the TAPS Workplace Review and Payroll Expo

The conference will feature an impressive line-up of educational sessions with a strong emphasis on recent changes to legislation, as well as popular pay and HR related topics such as long service leave, super reforms, expats, payroll fraud, workplace health and safety, salary packaging and fringe benefits tax. 

The team from Mitrefinch will be on hand to present an informative session on “Trends in Time and Attendance”, focusing on new advancements in workforce management, incorporating leading-edge biometric and mobile technology, as well as the different ways in which employee time and attendance information can be effectively utilised across other areas of the business, outside of payroll processing and HR management. 

The Payroll Expo will run in conjuction with the Workplace Review, providing attendees with an opportunity to learn more about the latest payroll and HR technology and tools to implement best practices, operational efficiencies and cost savings. 

“We are pleased to be associated with TAPS and the Payroll Expo once again, and are especially looking forward to presenting as part of the educational sessions”, said Jamie Fitzsimons, Mitrefinch Marketing Manager. 

“As well as advising attendees on new trends in workforce management, we will also demonstrate how up-to-the-minute time and attendance data can be used for effective labour costing, fatigue management, mobile workforce tracking, and staff and production scheduling.” 

The Conference will take place at the Bayview Eden in Melbourne on October 17/18 and at Luna Park in Sydney on October 24/25. 

For more information contact Mitrefinch direct on 1300 884 831 or visit the event website. 

Workforce Time and Attendance Management for Manufacturing

The manufacturing industry is subject to rapid changes in supply and demand, often as a result of seasonal changes, special promotions or new product launches and changes in the economy.

Improve the efficiency of your production staff with specialised Workforce Time and Attendance Software

To remain productive and profitable, manufacturers must respond to these fluctuations by ensuring that their workforce matches the supply and demand situation. 

By achieving this balance, they can avoid problems related to over or understaffing such as increased labour costs, decreased productivity or poor product quality. 

With an automated Time and Attendance System, supervisors and managers can easily assign employees to pre-defined work shifts and rosters, and schedule staff across a multitude of production sites. 

A good time and attendance application should also be able to accommodate complex award entitlements, rosters and work schedules, ensuring you have the appropriate number of staff, with the required skills, available for each shift.

How you capture your employee's time and attendance data is also important. Time clocks and terminals need to suit the environment. Will the area be hosed down? Are staff required to wear latex gloves? Do employees work with different oils or lubricants? Is the area refrigerated or chilled?   

Data capture options can include; biometric fingerscan technology, touch screen kiosks, durable proximity fob and swipe card terminals, or mobile applications. 

Working with some of the world's leading manufacturers, Mitrefinch's Time and Attendance system provides manufacturers with the tools to: 

• Accurately track employee time and attendance, reduce absenteeism, and improve productivity 
• Plan for future work and cover with our budget costing and time allocation tools 
• Easily track expenses against revenue 
• Automate compliance with work rules and industry award entitlements 
• Ensure shifts align with machine time, in order to maximise productivity 
• Manage overtime planning and allocation 
• Increase site safety with integrated Access Control, Fire Evacuation and Fatigue Management Reporting 
• Access real-time information on overtime, absences, and productivity and use this data to make important strategic decisions
• Capture employee time and attendance information from a range of sources

For more information on Workforce Management for Manufacturing visit Mitrefinch online or call 1300 884 831