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.

New report reveals work is the primary cause of stress

Work is the biggest cause of stress in the UK, a study commissioned by mental health organisation Mind has revealed. 

The research showed that 34 per cent of those surveyed felt their job was either "very" or "quite" stressful and this was a bigger concern than financial or and health worries. 

One in five of the 2,000 people who took part in the survey said they had taken a day off sick because they could not cope with the pressure of going into work. However, 90 per cent made up a different excuse for their absence. 

Most cite excessive workload and/or long hours as the most significant causes of stress in the workplace. While the emergence of new mobile technology and the "alway-on" employee, as well as a lack of work-life balance are also common contributing factors. 

Employers can use the data collected by their workforce time management system to effectively monitor their employee’s time and attendance – analysing unpaid overtime, those who work from home, as well as absence statistics. 

Armed with this information they may be able to justify hiring additional manpower or bringing in contractors at times of increased activity, or at the very least acknowledge the effort being put in by their team - perhaps introducing some incentive or a Time in Lieu scheme for salaried staff who work overtime.

In the long run, this ultimately benefits the entire organisation as a motivated and happy workforce will lead to increased productivity, as well as reduced absence and staff turnover.

Chief executive of Mind Paul Farmer agrees, "Improving mental wellbeing in the workplace doesn't have to cost a lot. Our research shows that people whose organisations offered flexible working hours and generous annual leave said such measures supported their mental wellbeing."
 

Effective Easter Holiday Planning with an automated Workforce Management System

Each year, the Easter holiday period raises a number of different workforce and payroll issues for organisations, representing a demanding time for HR and Payroll professionals across the country. 

Happy Easter from the team at Mitrefinch!

Common issues range from an increase in levels of absenteeism, a rise in the number of annual leave applications, and questions regarding the day or days that have been declared a public holiday by the respective state or territory government. 

As an employee or employer, you need to know your entitlements and obligations for public holidays during the Easter holidays. 

This year the following days are public holidays under the National Employment Standards: 

Friday 29 March 2013 (Good Friday) and Monday 1 April 2013 (Easter Monday) 
*Note: Saturday 30 March and Sunday 31 March are also public holidays in some states and territories in Australia. 

In relation to pay rates, casual employees aren’t entitled to be paid for a day off for a public holiday. Part-time and full-time employees who get the public holiday off are generally entitled to be paid their base rate of pay for the hours they would have ordinarily worked. 

Some employees are entitled to be paid a higher rate (penalty rates) when they work on a public holiday. Whether or not an employee is entitled to penalty rates depends on a number of things, including the industry and the job. 

Visit Fair Work Australia online for more detailed information. 

For Mitrefinch Time and Attendance System users we help reduce the extra pressure normally suffered by HR and Payroll professionals around the Easter holiday period with the following functionality: 

Award Interpretation: Automate all your payroll calculations, manage different pay and penalty rates associated with the holiday period, and import this information direct to payroll – reducing data entry, saving you time and reducing the potential for payroll error. 

Self Service Tools: Employees can check their Annual Leave Balances and Request Annual Leave, while Supervisors can check off anomalies and approve/reject Leave Requests via the web or a web-enabled mobile device. 

Leave Slots: Supervisors can limit the number of employees that can be off on a given day; employees cannot request Annual Leave once the limit has been reached. This feature is particularly useful in times of high demand for holidays like Easter or in the run up to and during the Christmas Break, as well as times of heightened production/activity. 

Group Absentee Profile: Allows employees to view Leave Slots and whether the allocated limit has already been reached, preventing them from generating requests for leave. Managers can also enforce minimum notice periods for absence, and set minimum or maximum length for leave. 

With all your workforce management needs automatically taken care of, all you need to do is sit back, relax and enjoy all those Hot Cross Buns and chocolate treats!

Up to 173,000 Aussies planning a sick day today - things may be a little quiet around your workplace!

Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi!

With Australia Day falling on Saturday this year, Monday is regarded as a public holiday. And as a result the NSW Business Chamber, warns that this Friday (today!) employers will encounter some additional 173,000 sick days, at a cost of $36 million, as many employees plan on enjoying  an unofficial extra long weekend.

As reported on HC Online, the peak business body advises employers to take a tough stance on the act of “chucking a sickie”, and communicate that such unplanned absence can have a detrimental effect on productivity. 

“It's amazing how many people get 'sick' the day before a long weekend, but it's an obvious stunt that only serves to damage personal reputations and morale in the workplace," CEO Stephen Cartwright said.

Employers are encouraged to communicate a willingness to approve leave requests either side of the long weekend where possible, he said, as this can greatly reduce ‘sickies’ taken. 

Generally when employees are aware of their annual leave entitlement and if they have a substantial number of days stockpiled, they will be more likely to use this rather than feeling like they need to use a sick day instead.

An automated time and attendance management system, with EmployeeSelf Service (ESS) functionality empowers your staff to check their own leave records and entitlements, and request/book leave online without having to converse with their supervisor or HR.

In addition, by maintaining a central repository of all employee leave records, a time and attendance management system monitors and record patterns of absenteeism, sick leave, and productivity, enabling you to identify any particular patterns or sudden unexplained changes.

A time and attendance solution can also help you to effectively manage your organisation’s leave and holiday planning processes by:

• Calculating leave eligibility based on an employee’s hours worked and hire date
• Generating real time absence management and vacation planning reports
• Creating work schedules that take in account employees on leave, thus ensuring you have sufficient cover to meet customer or project demands and deadlines

So if you want to enjoy your Australia Day festivities without having to worry about the effects of unplanned absence, contact Mitrefinch on 1300 884 831 or visit www.mitrefinch.com.au to find out more about effective Absence Management and Time and AttendanceTracking.

Source: HC Online

Stress Down this Friday

During the course of our working week, most of us experience some degree of work-related stress - be it pulling together a report together for the CEO, responding to a large tender, dealing with an irrate client, or having to tolerate an intolerable colleague!

The effects of stress can not only lead to lost days, but also a less productive workforce, and poor decision-making, nevermind the negative effects on employee health and wellbeing.

Only this week, a Women's Health Study found that women under a lot of stress at work are almost 40% more likely to have a cardiovascular event – which is quite alarming!

While WorkCover’s 2011-2015 Occupational Disease and Wellbeing Strategy, also found that the number of claims for occupational diseases in NSW is increasing – with more than 17,000 claims for mental disorders such as work-related stress, anxiety and depression between 2007 and 2010. 

In a bid to encourage employees to reduce stress levels at work, this Friday (July 27) is Stress Down Day, an initiative that aims to raise awareness and funds for Lifeline.

Everyday, Lifeline receives 1,250 calls from Australians in need of support. Sadly up to 50 of these calls are from people at high risk of suicide.

As part of Stress Down Day, organisations are encouraged to let employees take time out from their busy day to have fun, stress less and feel better  -  be it by wearing Stress Down slippers all day, going to work in pyjamas, or organising a stress free morning tea.

Some organisations have gone a step further and encourage "wind-downing" for their staff every Friday. Take for example, Kellogg’s Australia, where employees enjoy a 4½ day week, and head home at 1pm every Friday. “They get home to their families and get their shopping done. It is part of our culture,” HR director Michelle Bakar said.

HC Online advise that Friday perks needn’t be a costly exercise. Here are some benefits and perks that cost very little but may work for you and your team:   

Casual dress
Inviting employees to dress casually on Fridays has two major benefits. Firstly, employees who are heading out socially after work appreciate the option to come to work dressed casually. Secondly, it doesn’t cost the employer a cent, and can be an easy way to drum up engagement.

Free lunch
Providing a wholesome, fresh lunch for all employees (such as fruit, yogurt, pasta, rice, vegetables etc) on Fridays, may be one way for teams to wind-down together and casually discuss how the week has been. 

Friday arvo drinks
Putting on drinks and snacks at your workplace is an easy week-to-week recognition strategy to bring teams together, and foster ties between colleagues who otherwise may not have the opportunity to chat and collaborate.

Get your organisation involved! See the Stress Down Day website for more details and resources on overcoming stress - http://www.stressdown.org.au/

Check out our other stess-related blog posts:

Excessive Overtime may be linked to Depression: 

http://mitrefinchaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/excessive-overtime-may-be-linked-to.html 

Preventable job stress costs economy $730 million annually: http://mitrefinchaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2010/10/preventable-job-stress-costs-economy.html

Preparing for an Olympic Rise in Absenteeism

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!

With the Olympics kicking off in just a few days time, HR professionals have been advised to prepare themselves for a potential increase in absenteeism. 

Think this sounds unlikely? Think again! As if absenteeism figures are anything similar to those recorded during the 2010 FIFA world cup in South Africa, organisations could see a 25% spike in unplanned absence. (Read: HC Online: “Wimbledon, Tour de France, Olympics equals spike in sickies”)

As such, planning ahead is advisable. NSW Business Chamber senior manager of public affairs Damian Kelly said managers could consider rostering staff differently in order to avoid an increase in absenteeism. “It may be the case that some employees may be able to work from home or alter their working hours.” (Read: More than half of employers to change working practices during the Olympics) 

Some businesses will also look to take advantage of the London Games by hosting team-building events and running down employee leave. 

According to Randstad, organisations may find it’s an ideal time to embrace the spirit of the sport, have fun and build employee morale through celebration and a culture of teamwork. 

“Get employees involved in a running or walking club, sweeps or provide TVs where they can have 15-minute breaks to watch highlights or replays,” suggests Paul Dundon, Managing Director of absentee management company Direct Health Solutions. 

Speaking to the Australian Financial Review, Australia Post, a sponsor of the Australian Olympic team, said it was sending some staff to London and providing TVs for other staff to watch some of the events. 

“If a major event is on, we will work with our staff to make appropriate arrangements so they can watch the event,” they said. 

Paul Nesbit from Macquarie University’s graduate school of management said managers should calculate how many staff were needed to maintain services. 

“Identify where people can take legitimate leave and encourage them to take it. Like at Christmas, some people are happy to work through and take time off during different periods,” Dr Nesbit said. 

How might an automated Time and Attendance System help?

A Time and Attendance system is a powerful Workforce Management tool for analysing employee attendance information and the associated costs.

By recording unplanned absences, holidays and paid parental leave, an automated Time and Attendance system provides you with a complete Absence Profile for an individual employee or group of employees for further analysis.

In addition, by measuring work absences an automated Time and Attendance system can identify how these absences impact the organisation's overall productivity, as well as highlighting possible trends (i.e.spike in unplanned absense levels the day after Australia Day or the UEFA Champions League Final ) – allowing you to plan ahead and be prepared next time around.

In-built employee scheduling and rostering capabilities also enable management to plan projected manpower and work schedules according to available resources, skills sets etc...

For more information please feel free to call 1300 884 831 (+61 2 8762 7888 outside Australia), email sales@mitrefinch.com.au or visit us online.

Read More: 

Australian Financial Review (AFR): “As flu hits and Games begin, get ready for more absentees” 

HC Online: “Wimbledon, Tour de France, Olympics equals spike in sickies”