Show your Payroll People some Love this Week

Many of us don't give payroll a second thought - that is until something goes wrong somewhere and we get paid incorrectly, but for the large part all we are concerned with - is how we are going to spend it come pay day!

Regardless of company size or industry, payroll professionals are tasked with managing one of the largest costs a business has, ensuring all legislative requirements are being met and keeping up with the changes, developing processes to ensure we are paid on time and correctly, as well as providing a wealth of employee information for the business to use in effectively managing its employees.

This week, it's National Payroll Week (NPW) in NZ, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of the payroll function within a business and how those professionals in the Pay Office manage to get our wages processed on time, every pay run.

As part of the week’s festivities, the New Zealand Payroll Practitioners’ Association (NZPPA) in conjunction with HAYS, are hosting a number of free* breakfast briefing sessions throughout the week in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Each session will have three speakers and morning tea available while giving attendees the opportunity to network with industry peers. 

In addition, NZPPA are distributing posters and postcards which promote the payroll profession to organizations all over New Zealand, they are also running a “Best Payroll Team” photo competition with $500 in prize money on offer. 

Organisations are encouraged to get involved in NPW by hosting their own morning tea or lunch with the payroll team, or simply just take the time this week to drop by your Pay Office and thank your payroll person for a job well done!

For more information on National Payroll Week please visit the NZPPA website: www.nzppa.co.nz

Here at Mitrefinch we are proud sponsors of NPW. Our Time and Attendance System (Mitrefinch TMS) aims to make life in the pay office a little less stressful come pay day by  automating the transfer of hours and rates to their payroll system, ensuring compliance with entitlements, and improving overall productivity and efficiency.

*Free for NZPPA members, for non-members a $12 fee will be payable.

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.

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”

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.