Australian Businesses failing to fully embrace flexible and mobile working practices

While the economic advantages of having flexible work options are widely recognised, new research has found that 85% of companies do not have an organisation-wide work from home policy, reports HC Online. 

84% of companies either never let employees work from home at all or do so only on an individual basis (67%)

The research study by recruiters Robert Half found that despite the obvious benefits of work-from-home initiatives, such as boosting staff morale and productivity, as well as reducing employee turnover, the majority of Australian companies are still not embracing a remote workforce.

The main roadblocks citied were trust, security of information and access to technology. 

Key statistics from the report included: 
• 85% of HR directors* agreed that non-financial benefits, including flexible time, have a positive impact on staff retention 
• 83% of HR leaders said that they find it more challenging to manage remote workers compared to workers on site and only 58% said that remote working policies were in place • One in three (30%) of HR decision-makers said they are actively planning to implement a flexible work scheme to improve staff engagement in the next twelve months 
• 84% of companies either never let employees work from home at all, or do so only on an individual basis (67%) 

Andrew Morris, director of Robert Half acknowledges that, companies are right to have a certain healthy paranoia about remote working, but that paranoia is best addressed through good technology and tight internal policies. 

“Flexible time and remote work can be powerful motivators and may result in significant morale, retention and productivity improvements. But a flexible work policy needs careful implementation and close supervision to be effective,” he added. 

Writing for the Huffington Post, Claire Morley-Jones, managing director at HR180 ltd, advises that helping employees achieve a good work life balance is a sensible workforce management strategy, bringing benefits for both businesses and staff. 

She added, offering flexible working opportunities is an essential part of creating a good work life balance and helps staff fit work around their personal commitments, such as looking after their children. 

"Flexible working should be a culture and something that is available to all, whether they want to use it to undertake further study, pursue a hobby or spend time with their families at sports days etc." 

Investing in staff scheduling and mobile workforce management software can make it easier for firms to implement flexible working practices, allowing them to keep track of employees' working hours whether they are in the office or working remotely. 

For more information on mobile workforce management technologies visit Mitrefinch online 

*201 HR directors across a broad range of industries in Australia were surveyed 

Source: HC Online

More than half of employers to change working practices during the Olympics

Allowing staff to work remotely can provide a host of benefits for organisations. It means that employees who are unable to get into the office can still work, but from home. In addition, staff can do their jobs on the move, if they need to attend meetings or travel to client sites.

By introducing working from home, and other flexi-time initatives, companies can also boost staff morale, as staff who are allowed to work flexibly are often better motivated and more loyal to their employers.

Of course for many companies in London there will be major advantages this summer when the Olympic Games begin, as workers will be able to avoid the expected public transport disruption and work more efficiently from their own homes.

The British Government has in fact urged companies to encourage and support flexible and remote working practices during the 2012 Games, while Transport for London has also launched a campaign to get more commuters working from home to ease pressure on the Tube, train and bus networks.

According to a new report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), more than half of employers surveyed are making changes to their working practices during the Olympics to enable staff to work more flexibly or enable them to watch key events at work. 

But London Mayor Boris Johnson takes another view. He has argued that home working could become a "skiver's paradise" for many in the capital who he claims will use the Olympics as an excuse to do as little as possible.

"Some people will see the Games as an opportunity to work from home, in inverted commas," he stated. "We all know that is basically sitting wondering whether to go down to the fridge to hack off that bit of cheese before checking your emails again. I don't want to see too many of us doing that."

His comments have been criticised by diversity campaign group Opportunity Now, which described them as "disappointing and damaging" and said it is frustrating that Mr Johnson has not chosen to support the many employers who plan to trial home working this summer.

Speaking to HR Magazine, spokesperson Rachael Saunders said: "Instead of wasting time battling through the tourist crowds, it is far better to be more productive at home - for employers and employees alike.

"Employers in London should continue with their agile and working from home plans during the Olympics and use this as an opportunity to prove outdated viewpoints like this wrong."

Of course while many employees will work to their full potential at home, it can be difficult to monitor what workers are doing when they are not in the office, which is why timeand attendance software and mobile clocking systems can be an effective tool.

Technology innovations facilitating flexible working practices

New technology and communication devices are making flexible and mobile working practices more and more commonplace. 

According to a recent study by Siemens Enterprise Communications, 85 per cent of communication devices used for team collaboration, including smart phones, laptops and mobile phones, are located outside the company headquarters. 

Siemens believe that this trend could result in the 'anywhere employee' - who can use modern technology to work from multiple locations - replacing the traditional office-based worker. 

The communications company says that in the past, staff would have had difficulty managing different platforms - such as email, mobile, landline and social media - outside of the office, whereas modern flexible and collaborative tools now mean this can be done seamlessly and irrespective of location. 

The increasing adoption of cloud computing is also helping organisations to enable remote working, said the study – with 40 per cent of the businesses surveyed intending to deploy some form of cloud computing in the next year.

"The rise of the anywhere employee has meant the end of the office worker," said Rob Keenan, head of UK portfolio management, deployment readiness management at Siemens Enterprise Communications. 

"Business tools, such as unified communications, are reshaping the way organisations collaborate and are helping deliver on the previously-too-difficult promise of enhanced communication. More than ever, work isn't where you go, it's what you do." 

Providing employees with the means to work flexibly can prove a useful absence management tool for employers, allowing staff to work from home or elsewhere should they be unable to make it into the office. 

A web-based time and attendance system would also provide employers with the capability to effectively manage and track their mobile workforce, regardless of their location.

With a web-based time and attendance system, staff can remotely clock in and out of tasks, appointments and projects via desktop PCs, laptops, notebooks and the latest communications devices and smart phones. They can also view their holiday entitlements, apply for leave, and request updates to their personal records without having to converse with HR staff. 

A web-based time and attendance system also facilitates real-time project tracking, providing accurate analysis of employee activity anytime, anywhere – increasing efficiency and ensuring that labour-related costs are genuine. 

For more information on how a web-based time and attendance system could help you embrace mobile/remote working contact Mitrefinch today on 1300 884 831 (+61 2 8762 7888) or visit www.mitrefinch.com.au

Aussie Workers are being forced to work extra hours without compensation, how could a Time and Attendance System help you avoid a potential lawsuit?

A backlog of projects to get through, and pushed to deliver them within the required timeframes?

If this sounds like your workplace, it may come as little surprise that many Australian employees are being forced to work extra hours without being compensated, as revealed by a new ACTU survey. 

The poll of 42,000 employees, believed to be one of the largest ever conducted with Australian workers, has found that many are under increasing pressure at work.

ACTU President Ged Kearney told ABC Radio, "We have in fact what we call a productivity squeeze which means businesses are achieving productivity (gains) through a great deal of pressure on workers,"

And what's more worrying is that there is a large amount of unpaid work being done - "We are being told by our members that they are working harder than ever, longer than ever and not getting paid for that extra work," she said.

HRMorning.com in their recent “Unauthorized OT: One big pitfall for supervisors” article, also found that many supervisors are cutting corners to avoid racking up an expensive overtime bill, by either not properly recording employees’ over time hours or simply not paying employees for the extra work.

But if one of those employees decides to notify Fair Work Australia, it’s going to end up costing a lot more than a little overtime pay, as a number of companies have discovered of late (See our previous Blog Post).

Kearney added that, a large number of respondents, particularly those in casual or part time positions, feel obligated to put in the extra hours for fear of not getting shifts or additional work when they may need it.

"This survey shows that workers are working harder than ever and that in some ways they're getting exploited even though the legislation is there to protect them."

So what can you do to avoid costly workplace lawsuits?

Labour and Employment Law Expert, Bill Pokorny from the Wage & Hour Insights Blog (which is a  great read BTW) advises supervisors to:

• Ensure employees are compensated for all hours worked 
• Set realistic expectations i.e. they can’t pressure employees to “just get it done” by working off the clock 
• Verify employees’ time records regularly to make sure workers are properly reporting their time – as even where employees don’t keep accurate time records, companies could still be on the hook for unpaid OT, if a supervisor knew about it.

Could an automated Time and Attendance system help? 

An automated Time and Attendance system would provide a complete, up to the minute record of all employee time and attendance data, giving an accurate insight into how long employees are spending at the office, or on specific jobs and projects. 

For salaried staff, this would allow you to ensure they are compensated for extra hours worked outside of their normal working day (may be in the form of Time Off in Lieu etc..). 

By analysing overtime data and work records, you may also find that it could be more cost effective to bring in additional resources or contractor staff in times of high demand as opposed to paying high overtime rates.

In addition, with mobile and web-based Time and Attendance applications, you could introduce flexi-work arrangements and work from home initiatives, which enable employees to record their start and finish times, as well as allocate time to specific jobs/projects - regardless of their location. 

Continue to our website to find out more information about Time and Attendance systems as well as other workforce management alternatives that may help you address overtime issues within your organisation.

Alternatively feel free to call us on 1300 884 831 (Australia) or 09 363 9557 (NZ) 

Use of Project Contractors Skyrockets – How are you keeping track of your Contractor Staff?

In what might be a sign of the current economic climate, HC Online reports that many companies are now opting to keep a limited team of full time-permanent staff, and bring skilled contractors on board for special projects as they are required. 

An annual survey by Resources Global Professionals canvassed the opinions of Australian senior consultants who work on a project basis across a range of sectors. While the results revealed that senior project workers are increasingly in demand, 75% of senior project consultants admitted that they needed to be flexible with their pay rates for the period ending July 2011. 

62% of project consultants also indicated their services had been more demand than in the previous year. The financial services and resources sectors continue to offer the most project work, and despite the apparent decline of the Australian manufacturing sector, 28% of those surveyed predicted there would be project opportunities for them within this sector. 

The top three reasons given for businesses engaging contracted project professionals over the past 12 months were: 

1. Staff shortages causing inability to execute projects; 

2. Large scale projects requiring additional people; and 

3. Lack of in-house expertise 

Are you having trouble keeping track of your contractor staff? 

Struggling to keep track of paper timesheets and work records? A web-based time and attendance management system could be the answer to your problems.

A web-based time and attendance management system can easily track your contractor or consulting professional’s time. Workers simply log in and out electronically or via a smart mobile device, and assign their time to specific projects or tasks - providing management with valuable insight into a contractor’s daily activities as well as completed work, pending work, and the amount of time spent on certain projects. 

Sound like the system you’ve been searching for?  

Contact Mitrefinch today for more information on web-based time and attendance and other innovative employee management solutions

Mitrefinch Web-based Time and Attendance System - Online Timesheets

 

Is your organisation taking advantage of flexible working arrangements?

The team at Mitrefinch were interested to discover that over one million Queensland employees have engaged in some form of flexible working arrangements as part of their main job, and it begged us to ask the question - is your organisation engaging in Flexi Working?

As reported in HC Online, the figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), found that Government sector employees reportedly make greater use of flexible working arrangements than their colleagues in the private sector, with 67% of government staff using some form of flexible working arrangement in the last year. However the private sector aren’t far behind, with 56% of employees advising that they are able to take advantage of similar flexible work arrangements.

Those working in the government sector enjoy the additional freedom of being able to choose their start and finish times as well as when to take annual leave.

It’s not a big surprise that financial reasons were the driving force behind Queenslanders wanting to work more hours. While, lifestyle was the main reason given for those wanting to work less hours.

The benefits of flexible workplace arrangements have been well documented and the Australian Government Job Access factsheet provides employers with a multitude of reasons why organisations should look to offer flexible work options to employees, such as:

• improving the ability of employers to attract skilled and motivated employees
• creating greater staff loyalty and higher return on training investment
• increased trust and respect
• reduced stress levels and improved morale and commitment
• reduced absenteeism and staff turnover
• improved productivity
• potential for improved occupational health and safety records
• assisting compliance with anti-discrimination and workplace relations laws.

For further information you can read the full article on HC Online here.

Want to introduce flexible working arrangements but not sure how?

Web-based time and attendance software is an effective, yet affordable, means of managing an organisation's entire workforce, allowing management to take full advantage of today’s flexible working practices such as mobile working and flexi-time, keeping costs low and increasing employee productivity.

A web-based time and attendance system allows employees to manage their own time and attendance information in a controlled, accessible and efficient way - regardless of their location.

Staff can remotely clock in and out of tasks, appointments and projects via desktop PCs, laptops, iPads/notebooks and the latest communications devices and smart phones. They can also view their holiday entitlements, apply for leave, and request updates to their personal records without constantly interfering with the valuable time of HR staff.

A web-based time and attendance system also facilitates real-time project tracking, providing accurate analysis of employee activity anytime, anywhere – this greatly increases efficiency and ensures that labour-related costs are genuine.

Meanwhile, powerful reporting functionality enables managers and supervisors to identify the commercial impact of staffing decisions.

Ready to take the next step?

For more information on how a web-based time and attendance system could help you embrace mobile workforce management and flexible working arrangements contact Mitrefinch today on 1300 884 831 (Aus) or 09 363 9557 (NZ).

Alternatively feel free to chat with us online at http://www.mitrefinch.com.au

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.

'Smart' technology set to mobilise the workplace

New research has found that employees will enjoy a more mobile work environment within three to five years as "smart" technology becomes commonplace at work.

The Optus study of 320 medium to large organisations found an increasing demand from workers to use personal smart phones, tablets and mobile applications at work.

However, it also revealed that IT and HR departments are not working together to make the transition possible.

The research indicated there was a disconnect between the policies being developed by HR departments and those being implemented by IT around personal mobile devices.

"If HR and IT departments don't collaborate better, the move to more flexible working environments could be hampered and impact Australian business growth," advised Optus Business Managing Director Rob Parcell.

"IT departments need to educate their organisations on the tools available to support flexible working, while HR departments need to consult their IT teams on tools to support flexible working."

IT survey respondents expect the number of employees working from different remote locations to increase from 27 per cent to 42 per cent, while 84 per cent of employees would be issued with tablets over the next three to five years.

Read the full new article from The Age here

Is your organisation ready to take advantage of mobile working?

Web-based time and attendance software is an increasingly-used and affordable method of workforce management, allowing organisations to take full advantage of today’s flexible working practices such as teleworking and flexi-time, keeping costs low and increasing employee productivity.

A web-based time and attendance system allows your employees manage their own time and attendance in a controlled, accessible and efficient way regardless of their location. Staff can remotely clock in and out of tasks, appointments and projects via desktop PCs, laptops, notebooks and the latest communications devices and smart phones. They can also view their holiday entitlements, apply for leave, and request updates to their personal records without constantly interfering with the valuable time of HR staff.

A web-based time and attendance system also facilitates real-time project tracking, providing accurate analysis of employee activity anytime, anywhere – this greatly increases efficiency and ensures that labour-related costs are genuine. While, powerful reporting functionality enables managers and supervisors to identify the commercial impact of staffing decisions and unplanned absence.

For more information on how a web-based time and attendance system could help you embrace mobile/remote working contact Mitrefinch today on 1300 884 831 or feel free to chat with us online www.mitrefinch.com.au

Are your Admin staff stretched and overworked?

Well, apparently they aren’t the only ones, with new research revealing that three quarters of office and administrative staff in Australia are forced to work outside regular office hours.

And believe it or not, they aren’t just doing it to impress you or senior management. Being “over-stretched” and having too much work to do were cited as the main reasons for staying late in the office.

The study compiled by recruitment firm, OfficeTeam, examined the working habits of 540 administrative professionals across the country. They found that while 76 per cent of recipients admitted to voluntarily working outside their contracted hours, more than half of those questioned said that they felt pressured by their employer to put in extra graft to help keep on top of their workload.

Stephen Langhammer, Associate Director of OfficeTeam explained that, “It is the responsibility of employers to manage their staff’s hours and ensure that they are not burning out at work.” “Managers need to heed the warning signs and look at ways they can alleviate the pressure if their administrative staff are regularly working overtime,” he said.

Interestingly, the survey also revealed that 84 per cent of those questioned said that they sometimes went to work when feeling ill, while one in four were not satisfied with their current remuneration package. Langhammer advises employers who can’t afford to renumerate staff for the extra hours that they are putting in, to instead look at compensating them in other ways, and aim to offer a better work/life balance.

“Whilst alternative work arrangements have obvious health and well-being benefits for employees, there is also a strong business case for equipping staff to work flexibly, as it can boost efficiency and, in turn, reduce the pressure to work overtime and to come into the office when sick,” he added.

Source:http://www.humanresourcesmagazine.com.au/articles/A1/0C06FEA1.asp

How might an automated Time and Attendance System help?

A first step might be to monitor the hours your admin staff are actually putting in at work. An automated Time and Attendance System will allow you to track when staff are working longer hours and if there is a particular pattern i.e. at month or quarter end, every fortnight etc...perhaps you need to hire extra manpower during these busier periods to help elevate the workload inflicted on your admin staff.

If you want to introduce flexible working practices, an automated Time and Attendance System can be customised to match your specific working patterns and legislation, supporting flexi-time and shift work across multiple sites and pay centres, while seamlessly integrating with you other business, HR and Payroll systems.

Web-based and Mobile Time and Attendance applications 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, working from home or out on the road.

In addition, by eliminating the manual calculation of working hours, an effective Time and Attendance System will eradicate the mountain of administrative work involved with payroll processing, and thus saving the Payroll Department from unnecessary stress and hardship as the generate the pay run.

While an Employee Self Service module, would allow your staff to manage their own attendance information in a controlled, accessible and efficient way. Employees could simply access the system online to view their accrued leave, entitlements, and request updates to their personal records without having to bother the HR department.

Want to find out more?

Don’t stress! Simply download our Free Guide on “How to Choose an Effective Time and Attendance System” or call us on 1300 884 831 for more information.