Are you Australia's Best Payroll Professional?

Does this sound like you or one of your colleagues? If so, it's time to stand up and be recognised!
The Australian Payroll Association have announced that the Inaugural 2012 National Payroll Awards are now open for entries.

The awards will recognise both individuals and teams for their hard work and dedication to the payroll function in their organisation. The outstanding work undertaken by an organisation's Pay Office is often overlooked, and the Australian Payroll Association aim to rectify this through their nationally recognised awards. 

The total prize pool is $5,500.  Winners of the team and individual categories will receive a beautiful trophy in recognition of their achievement and acknowledgement in the Payroll News eNewsletter

Entries close on 23 March and the payroll community will have until the end of National Payroll Month to view and vote for the most worthy winners.  The winners will be announced on Thursday 5 April 2012.

Don't miss this fantastic opportunity to be recognised as a team or individual for your immense contribution to payroll in your organisation.

Prizes include $2,500 for the 2012 Payroll Professional of the Year and a prize pool of up to $3,000 for the 2012 Payroll Team of the Year. 

To enter, CLICK HERE or visit the Australian Payroll Association online for more information.
See terms and conditions for more details.

Building a Better Payroll at the TAPS Annual Workplace Review

Mitrefinch Australia were pleased to be involved with the recent Sydney Payroll Expo, as part of The Association of Payroll Specialists’ (TAPS) Annual Workplace Review Event, which took place at the Sydney Showgrounds last Thursday and Friday (October 20-21).

This year’s Workplace Review, Australia’s biggest and longest running payroll conference, had a “Building a Better Payroll” focus and was opened by Keynote Speaker, James Valentine, who provided an entertaining, yet thought-provoking session, on “Change is the only Constant”. The educational seminars that followed provided attendees with detailed information on topical issues such as; Paid Parental Leave, NES Leave, Superannuation, Terminations, Long Service Leave, and Preparing for an Audit.

Building a Better Payroll - TAPS Annual Workplace Review

Completing the day's festivities, the infamous TAPS Theme Dinner, complete with some interesting entertainment and costumes on show, provided attendees with an opportunity to network with other payroll professionals and unwind after a long day in the classroom.

Day two of the conference was split into different educational streams: Payroll Essentials and Advanced Payroll, ensuring that all attendees’ information needs were met. New Horizons Learning Centres provided an Excel Masterclass, while other sessions addressed Unfair Dismissal, Balancing your Payroll, Expats, Fringe Benefits, and a fascinating session on Payroll Fraud (we were assured that attendees were shown how to effectively manage the risks associated with payroll fraud and not how to get away with doing it!)

The Payroll Expo, which ran in conjunction with the Conference, provided attendees with an opportunity to learn more about the very latest payroll and HR technologies, and the tools available to help them become more efficient, accessible and cost effective.

As such, Mitrefinch were pleased to showcase their biometric employee time and attendance management solutions, as well as iPhone and mobile applications for effective employee time management and job costing for remote staff.

In addition, Mitrefinch Consultants were on hand to demonstrate how their mitrefinch employee management solutions have enabled some of Australia’s leading organisations to reduce payroll costs and associated administration, improve payroll accuracy, and achieve superior planning and control of employee schedules and jobs.

The Mitrefinch team now look forward to featuring at the TAPS Melbourne Workplace Review which will take place at Hilton on the Park on October 27-28th. To register for the event contact TAPS on 1300 711 240 or visit www.workplacereview.com.au

Alternatively the Payroll Expo is free to attend on the Thursday afternoon, so feel free to drop by and visit us at Stand 8 (we'll have some more of the popular Mitrefinch Jelly Beans to give away!).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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