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/

Increased Fatigue and Health Risks associated with Shift Work

Working irregular hours could increase the risk of developing significant health problems such as heart disease or a stroke, new research suggests. 

Publishing their work in the British Medical Journal, a team of researchers from Canada and Norway analysed data from a number of previous studies involving shift workers. 

They calculated incidences of coronary events, heart attacks and strokes across more than two million employees, and found that these events were more common in shift workers than any other group.

In total, there were 17,359 coronary events of some kind, including cardiac arrests, 6,598 heart attacks and 1,854 strokes caused by lack of blood to the brain. 

The researchers calculated that shift work is linked to a 23 per cent increase in the risk of having a heart attack, a 24 per cent rise in the risk of a coronary event and a five per cent greater chance of suffering a stroke. 

Dan Hackam, associate professor at Western University, London, Ontario in Canada and leader of the study said shift workers were more prone to sleeping and eating badly, the BBC reports. 

Shift work patterns and extended working hours can also impact on fatigue, increasing the potential for workplace Health and Safety issues. 

Ensuring that workers are given adequate time to rest between shifts, is key to managing fatigue successfully. Employers may find that carefully planned Rosters and Work Schedules can help minimise the disruption to employees' body clocks caused by working outside normal waking hours and mitigate some of the health risks associated with shift work. 

Jane White, research and information services manager at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, told BBC News: "Avoiding permanent night shifts, limiting shifts to a maximum of 12 hours and ensuring workers have a minimum of two full nights' sleep between day and night shifts are simple, practical solutions that can help people to cope with shift work." 

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland advises organisations to consider the following factors when reviewing Roster design: 

• Length of shifts - depends on physical and mental load of the work 
• Distribution of leisure time - allow for adequate rest and recovery 
• Regularity of shift system - allows workers to prepare for work 
• Length of shifts worked - this can contribute to fatigue 
• Previous hours and days worked - the effects of fatigue are cumulative, workers may have sleep debt due to the length of previous shifts 
• Type of work being performed - pay particular attention to the level of physical and/or mental effort required 
• Time of the day when the work is being performed - remember that disrupting the body's circadian rhythms can cause fatigue and affect performance 

An automated time management system can also assist organisations in implementing an effective Fatigue Management plan. 

By tracking and monitoring employee time and attendance data, a time management system allows you to analyse the amount of time your staff are spending at work, overtime hours, and associated productivity levels. 

Alerts can be set to notify Supervisors or HR when a particular employee is approaching their work hour limit, enabling them to adjust rosters and shifts accordingly. 

A time management system also automates compliance with current workplace legislation and modern awards, as well as any organisation-specific work rules, and can easily accommodate any new changes. 

This ensures that employees 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, a time management system ensures you have all the required information to hand in the unfortunate event of an accident and subsequent legal action. 

For more information on how an automated time management system can assist with effective fatigue management contact Mitrefinch today on 1300 884 831 (+61 2 8672 7888 outside Australia), email sales@mitrefinch.com.au or visit us online.

One in five Aussies work at least 50 hours a week - is your Organisation tracking Unpaid Overtime?

One in five Australian employees are working at least 50 hours per week according to the International Labour Organisation. While figures released by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in the UK, show unpaid overtime worked last year equated to 1,968 million hours, with 5.3 million workers putting in an average of 7.2 additional hours per week.  

Now that's a lot of hours worth of work going unpaid!

Commenting on the findings, Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, said that this data sheds light on the "valuable but too often unrewarded" extra hours that workers put in.

"But while many of the extra unpaid hours worked could easily be reduced by changing work practices...a small number of employers are exploiting staff by regularly forcing them to do excessive amounts of extra work for no extra pay”.

"This attitude is not only bad for workers' health, it's bad for the economy too as it reduces productivity and holds back job creation."

What's more, if employees are having to frequently work excessive hours, workplace health and safety standards may slip, increasing the organisations exposure to workers' compensation or other claims due to fatigue or stress related injuries.

Employers should be doing more to recognise the unpaid overtime put in by their staff – but first they need to have a system in place to effectively measure and report on overtime.

As a provider of Time Management Systems, we are often asked about the value of having an automated Time and Attendance System when an organisation only employs salaried staff. 

By having all staff clock in and out of work, managers and supervisors can easily identify just how much unpaid overtime employees are putting in and if there is a particular pattern forming - e.g. are staff required to work longer hours around the end of the month or busy trading periods. 

Armed with this information you may be able to justify hiring additional staff or bringing in contract labour during periods of increased activity, or at the very least acknowledge the efforts of your team - perhaps introducing a Time in Lieu scheme or incentives for those that put in the hard yards? In the long run, this ultimately benefits you as a motivated and happy workforce generally means increased productivity!

Flexible or remote working policies could also help. By working from home, employees can cut out their daily commute, giving them more time in the day to work and allowing them to clock off on time. Employee Self Service tools would allow staff working remotely to log their work hours or allocate their time to specific jobs/projects via Online Timesheets or PC based clocking tools.

Fatigue amounts to billions in lost productivity for Aussie Businesses

Yawning while reading this? Need to reach for the coffee for an extra boost? 

If you are, it seems you aren’t alone, as Australia’s largest-ever sleep census, conducted by bed manufacturer Sealy and CQUniversity, reveals some alarming data on the economic impact of sleepless nights. 

38 per cent of Aussies admit to falling asleep at work or in meetings

The Sealy Sleep Census polled over 13,000 respondents from across Australia and found that 96 per cent are waking up tired each morning, with only four per cent saying they feel refreshed. 

The survey concluded that this is having a serious impact on the nation’s businesses, with sick days, lost man hours, and reduced productivity, all contributing to a combined loss of millions of dollars in lost productivity every year. Not forgetting the increased potential for workplace injuries and safety concerns. 

According to the poll: 

• A third of Australians have called in sick to work due to lack of sleep; 
• 70 per cent of Aussies admit their professional productivity is negatively impacted from feeling tired; and 
• At least 167,000,000 man hours are lost every year as a result, equating to almost $5 billion in lost productivity. 

“The study gives us valuable insight not only into the sleeping habits of Australians but how sleep issues can impact directly on Australian commerce, with some alarming findings,” Sealy’s spokesperson Ross Gage says. 

Perhaps the most shocking result from the Sealy Sleep Census is that 38 per cent of respondents said they have fallen asleep at work or during a work meeting. 

If you are experiencing excessive tiredness at work it is important to identify the factors that are contributing to the fatigue (e.g. workload, roster, personal circumstances), discuss these issues with your employer, make changes as required, and seek professional help if necessary. 

An automated time management system can also assist organisations in implementing an effective Fatigue Management plan. 

By tracking and monitoring employee time and attendance data, a time management system allows you to analyse the amount of time your staff are spending at work, overtime hours, and associated productivity levels. Alerts can be set to notify Supervisors or HR when a particular employee is approaching their work hour limit, enabling them to adjust rosters and shifts accordingly. 

A time management system also automates compliance with current workplace legislation and modern awards, as well as any organisation-specific work rules, and can easily accommodate any new changes. This ensures that employees 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, a time management system ensures you have all the required information to hand in the unfortunate event of an accident and subsequent legal action. 

For more information on how an automated time management system can assist with effective fatigue management contact Mitrefinch today on 1300 884 831 (+61 2 8672 7888 outside Australia), email sales@mitrefinch.com.au or visit us online. 

Source: My Business: "Lack of sleep costing business millions in lost productivity"

Click here for more information on the Sealy Sleep Census

Failure to comply with Fatigue Management laws costs Perth Truck company - how are you managing Fatigue?

Industry Search reports that a West Australian truck company has been fined $20,000 for failing to comply with fatigue management laws for its drivers.

Holm, trading as Cockburn Transport, employs drivers to transport freight across Australia on journeys that can take more than two weeks.

In July and August 2008, WorkSafe inspectors investigated the company's fatigue management practices and found it had failed to keep records of work time, breaks from driving or non-work time for trips undertaken by two drivers, and did not ensure that drivers observed fatigue management regulations on three occasions.

Interestingly, the company had been convicted of two similar charges and fined $10,000 in June 2007.

Acting WorkSafe WA commissioner Lex McCulloch said it was "disappointing" that some companies are still failing to comply with laws that have been in place since 1998.

Workplace fatigue is not isolated to the transport and logistics industry. Regardless of 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.

Automated Time and Attendance systems can assist organisations with effective fatigue management, enabling them to proactively monitor staff work and break hours.

Employees have the ability 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, and enforce minimum break times.

In addition, and automated Time and Attendance system can accommodate 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.

By automating annual reporting and maintaining a complete audit trail, an effective Time and Attendance system will also arm 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 employees and your business. 

To find out more about how an automated Time and Attendance system could help you apply Fatigue Management procedures within your organisation check us out online, email sales@mitrefinch.com.au or call us on +61 2 8762 7888

One in 3 workers chuck sickies - how are you monitoring Absenteeism?

Have you ever “chucked a sickie”, taken a “doona day” or invented an elaborate excuse to take a day off?

If so, you’re not the only one, with new research revealing that one in three British workers have lied to their boss in order to take time off.

As reported by Human Capital, the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) study found that the majority of respondents (61%) said they did so because they felt unmotivated and tired with their job.

The research also revealed that 15% of those who took a day off work felt they’d been working hard and deserved it, whereas 21% "pulled sickies" to deal with "family responsibilities".

Interestingly, hangovers, good weather (you can’t blame the British for wanting to make the most of the sunshine when they get it!) and romance were also named as motivating factors behind calling in sick.

On a more serious note, absenteeism costs UK businesses up to 32 billion pounds ($48.5b) a year and can be crippling for many small companies. However, Neil Roden, HR consulting partner at PwC, believes that a large percentage of absenteeism could actually be prevented.

"Our findings suggest a large chunk of this loss is preventable. If people are bored and depressed with their jobs, employers need to think creatively how they can get people back in gear", he said.

SO WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?

According to Human Capital, the NSW government have published a number of strategies that HR professionals and small businesses can adopt to help reduce absenteeism on their industrial relations website. These include:

• Promote a high performance work culture and emphasise the importance of the employee fitting into this culture
• Provide flexible work practices which meet the needs of your business and your employees
• Promote the use of carer's or domestic leave
• Widen job responsibilities
• Increase promotional opportunities
• Recognise and reward your employees' contribution
• Provide training and development
• Establish an effective means of monitoring annual leave and long service leave data to ensure your employees are taking adequate recreational breaks.

IF YOU CAN’T MEASURE IT YOU CAN’T MANAGE IT!

By effectively measuring absence and sickness in the workplace, supervisors and managers can easily identify:

• how often a worker is absent
• how much working time has been lost
• if there is any particular pattern forming (i.e. a particular worker regularly calls in sick on a Monday morning)
• and where absenteeism occurs the most (i.e. within a particular department, team)

Armed with this valuable information, management can then assess the extent of their absenteeism issues and decide on the best means of tackling the problem.

For example, if absence is high among a specific team or department there may be an issue with the supervisor/manager, or employees may be subjected to workplace bullying.

HOW CAN A TIME AND ATTENDANCE SYSTEM HELP?

An Employee Time and Attendance system is a powerful tool for analysing and managing employee time and associated costs.

By recording unplanned absences, holidays and other leave (compassionate, parental etc...), a Time and Attendance system builds a complete Employee Absence Profile which can be viewed on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis. While a Group Absence Profile allows you to analyse absence for a specific team, department or site.

By measuring the work absences of individual employees a Time and Attendance system can identify how these absences impact the organisation’s overall productivity, while real-time colour-coded reporting allows supervisors and managers to quickly identify potential problem areas and plan work schedules according to available resources, skills sets etc…

A web based Time and Attendance solution can also facilitate flexi-work patterns and working from home initiatives, enabling employees to record their start and finish times, as well as allocate time to specific jobs/projects regardless of their location.

Employee Self Service functionality also provides staff with the opportunity to check their own Annual Leave balances and request time off (subject to approval) without having to speak directly to their manager or HR department - if they have accumulated enough leave they may be encouraged to book some time off as opposed to “Chucking a Sickie”!

If you’d like to find out more about how an automated Time and Attendance system can reduce your company’s absence rates and boost productivity contact Mitrefinch Employee Management today on 1300 884 831 (Australia) or 09 363 9557 (NZ).

Our Free Guide to Choosing a Time and Attendance system is also available for download online.

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.