Agent ELF – Page 13 – Time and Attendance

Ten of the Most Surreal Excuses People Actually Gave for Being Late for Work

Most people have been late for work at some point in their lives, and research proves that many workers admit to regularly clocking in way later than they should. But why? Well, the common reasons employees give are the usual stuff you’d expect: heavy traffic, adverse weather conditions and broken alarm clocks. But what about the more unusual excuses? We’ve scoured the internet to find some of the truly wild, weird and wonderful reasons workers really gave for arriving to the office late. Of course, we’re not recommending that you actually use them, but hopefully they’ll amuse you…

1. “I had to untangle some squirrels”

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Reddit user mard86 wrote:

“My co-worker sent an email saying he would be late because he was trying to untie a squirrel tail knot. I asked for a picture, and he delivered.”

Here’s the original email:

“I was pressed into squirrel rescue this morning on my way out. 5 young squirrels got tangled in Christmas lights in my neighbor’s yard. We got the lights off, but now their tails are one big knot, so I have to bring them into a rescue place to untie them, as I am unequipped to untie squirrel tail knots. I should be in this afternoon.”

If you couldn’t make it up, chances are it’s true.

2. “I was getting new emojis.”

“I was getting new emojis.”
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In autumn 2015, thousands of workers the world over were late for work because they’d updated their phone. Apple helpfully offered iPhone users the chance to update iOS whle they slept. A convenient offer, apart from the fact that the update erased their alarm, meaning that many overslept. Several took to social media to express their fury at being late, but some were still pleased that the whole thing had given them a set of shiny new emojis. Priorities.

3. “I had to wait for a sloth to cross the road.”

“I had to wait for a sloth to cross the road.”
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We’re all used to seeing animals across the road – how many times have you seen a daring cat dart from one side to the other? In Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica earlier this year, commuters found themselves stuck when an adventurous (and adorable) sloth decided to cross a busy main road. The sloth is the slowest mammal on Earth, which meant tailbacks quickly built-up. Eventually, a helpful member of the public grabbed the sloth and took it to the other side of the road, but plenty of people had already been delayed.

4. “I was playing Pokemon Go.”

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In summer 2016, the world was gripped by a compelling craze: Pokemon Go. So much so, some people found catching the pocket monsters more important than getting to work on time. Turns out that for many, the morning commute was packed with Pokestops that were just too tempting to pass by. The Pokemon Go craze has died down a little now, as all crazes do, but it surely won’t be the last augmented reality game to get players so hooked they clock in late.

5. “I was having sex.”

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We’re not sure every manager would be as sympathetic as this Reddit user’s was…

6. “A cat hijacked my car.”

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Intagram user Misssohmasteelcat was made late for work by a cheeky feline who wouldn’t budge from her dashboard. She wrote:

“I don’t know this guy, but he made me late for work by refusing to get out of my car. He likes to nap in my car and make my seats all very furry and ginger. He is so adorable.”

7. “My llama gave birth.”

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On questions website Quora, someone asked users the craziest reasons they’d heard colleagues give for being late to work. One user responded to say that a high-powered manager at his former firm called in to say she was going to be late because her llama had just had a baby. According to him, ‘the llama excuse’ became the default reason for people avoiding workplace social arrangements.

8. “I dreamt I was already at work.”

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Not one but two of the respondents to the Quora question said that they or a colleague had been late for work because they had overslept and dreamt that they were already in the office. Dreams can take us to some pretty strange places, but work? For many that would be more like a nightmare.

9. “I had to go skiing.”

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Each year, website CareerBuilder.com compiles a list of the most outlandish excuses for being late that bosses have heard in the previous 12 months. This one, from their most recent survey, really takes the biscuit:

“There was fresh powder on the hill. I had to go skiing.”

10. “I was putting a raincoat on my cement duck.”

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In 2012, someone told CareerBuilder that their employee claimed to be late because they were putting a raincoat on the cement duck in their garden. Rain was due later that day, apparently, so presumably the worker was worried the statue would get wet. Hadn’t they ever heard the phrase “nice weather for ducks?” Also, if you really must put a raincoat on your fake duck, how long does it actually take to do?

UK Business Population Increases – Could Technology Hold The Key?

A record number of UK private sector businesses were in operation at the start of 2016. Industry experts believe that companies are becoming more efficient through investments in technology. Here are a few examples outlining the benefits of employee management software.

Employee Management Software

Following the publication of the Business Population Estimates, the British Chamber of Commerce believe that now is the time for business owners to invest, recruit and grow.

According to figures released by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, a record 5.5 million UK private sector businesses were in operation at the start of 2016, with 99.9% falling into the Small to Medium Sized Enterprise (SME) category. Since 2010 the UK business population has grown by 23% with approximately one third of all UK businesses based in either London or the South East. The number of employing businesses also increased for the third successive year with an overall total of 1.3 million.

Despite the uncertainties of the current economic climate, there is a sizable influx of new businesses and an increasing number of start-up companies growing into larger organisations. Many industry experts believe that the key to this trend is improved efficiency through investment in technology.

All organisations experience pitfalls at some stage, whether they are a start-up, SME or large manufacturing company; here are a few examples outlining the advantages of investing in top quality employee management software…

Access Control

It was recently reported that approximately one in five people in the UK are affected by crime in the workplace with the majority of cases described as internal incidents. Access control software enables organisations to ensure that their site is secured. Access to particular areas can be restricted to specific personnel or at certain times of the day, week, month or year. Access control software can also be used to monitor which employees enter designated locations and how long they spend there. Proximity cards and biometric fingerprint or facial recognition are some of the access control solutions available to organisations.

Time and Attendance with HR

It’s no secret that payroll and other Human Resource Management administrative tasks can be overly complex and time consuming thus having a detrimental effect on employee productivity. For this reason, human resource management software modules such as Time and Attendance are becoming a real necessity. Time and Attendance software offers features such as: calculation of normal and overtime hours worked by employees, shift rostering, recording of holidays, absence management and payroll reporting. Additional Human Resource Management software modules can also be used to facilitate activities such as new employee induction.

Shop Floor Data Capture

In the manufacturing sector, efficiency, capacity utilisation and economies of scale are of paramount importance. Shop floor data capture software can be utilised to monitor the progress of employees from one activity to another. Depending on the capabilities of the software, job and machine costing features could also prove invaluable.

Developed by ELF Productivity Limited, Ceequel® Employee Management Software provides a reliable, comprehensive and cost effective solution to our customers’ Time and Attendance, Access Control, Human Resource Management and Shop Floor Data Capture requirements. For more information, contact us today.

Time and Attendance Specialists ELF Productivity Limited Receive “Top 50 in Technology” Award

ELF Productivity Limited, software authors of the outstanding Ceequel Employee Management Software receive Acquisition International Magazine’s prestigious Top 50 in Technology award. Read our blog for more information.

Here at ELF Productivity, we are delighted to be included in Acquisition International Magazine’s prestigious “Top 50 in Technology”. The monthly publication which has amassed in excess of 100,000 subscribers in over 170 countries, recognises the game-changing attributes of Ceequel® Employee Management Software which has enabled ELF to become one of the fastest growing companies in the UK Time and Attendance industry sector.

Designed, authored and supported in-house by ELF, Ceequel® incorporates an extensive array of software modules capable of providing a true holistic solution to a company’s Time and Attendance, Access Control, Human Resource Management and Shop Floor Data Capture requirements. Furthermore, Ceequel® Employee Management Software has been developed to satisfy the needs of virtually any organisation, regardless of company size or industry sector. Our clients include: manufacturers, public sector organisations, SME’s and large blue chip companies, further reinforcing the considerable versatility of our service offering.

For more information about Ceequel® and the positive impact our software can have on your organisation’s productivity and profitability contact us today. To view the Acquisition International article on ELF Productivity please click here.

Reasons Why Superheroes Take A Day Off

Here we have a fun infographic that we designed providing information about why some of our favourite superheroes may need to take a day off from saving the World. Check out cool illustrations of Batman, Batwoman, Iron Man, Superman and Spiderman on their days off.

We hope that you enjoy this superhero day off infographic and please share with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ etc.

Even Superman can have an off day!

Even superheros have off days but with a time and attendance system not only can superman’s absence be tracked but a replacement with the correct skills can be easily found to take his place whilst he recovers. Implementing a time and attendance system into your organisation would work in the exact same way.

The top 3 benefits of having a computerised T&A system

Keeping track of employees time and attendance information has always been considered a key aspect of any organisations processes. Making sure the information collected is accurate is paramount to the successful running of any businesses payroll process. With this in mind over time the systems available to businesses have dramatically advanced.

Recording and tracking employee t&a data is not a new concept for many organisations. However over time the systems available to businesses have changed drastically. For many years organisations used paper based cards – as a means to monitor employee time and attendance. The most common problem companies found with a paper based system was that many employees forgot to fill in their time card and the data recorded was often inaccurate. As technology advanced so did the number of companies opting for electronic punch card systems. These types of systems provided more accurate records but were also slow. Human resource departments were also still required to manually record all employee clock-in data in to a database which costs companies a significant amount of time and money.

Computerised time and attendance systems drastically revolutionise the way in with organisations store and record time and attendance data. Below are the top 3 ways in which they do this.

Accurate Payroll Data

Old fashioned t&a systems such as paper based cards and punch card systems rely on the manual imputing of all data. The problem with this is that nobody’s perfect and even the most accurate typists sometimes make mistakes. The data recorded by these types of systems is also in most cases inaccurate. Asking an employee to record the correct time they clocked in and out as well as the amount of time taken for breaks or lunch is rarely accurately documented. Many employees often forgot to fill in their time cards meaning times documented were rough estimates. Employees who were entitled to overtime were also known to extend time by awarding themselves extra minutes at the start and end of the day. Legacy Systems were also prime targets for ‘buddy clocking’ as no formal identification was required when clocking in/out.

When companies process payroll, information provided needs to be accurate if employees are to be paid correctly. And one of the biggest reasons employees leave companies is wages being paid incorrectly. Computerised time and attendance systems record accurate employee clocking data in real time. Information recorded is immediately accessible by your payroll department eradicating lengthy processes and the need for manual imputing.

Central database

Collating employee time and attendance data from multiple office locations can be a challenge. Chasing paperwork, manually verifying the content, manipulating the content and uploading it in to spreadsheets or other systems comes with a hefty workload. Companies with a centralised payroll department require clean data at set points of the week or month. Even if one locations data is late or incomplete, it could impact on the whole company’s payroll run. Any delay in pay and the impact on moral, productivity and more importantly trust by employees – could be seriously damaged.

A dynamic and computerised t&a system will provide a centralised solution with full access from every location, whether it be over LAN, WAN, MPLS or GSM network. Employee clock-in data is recorded real-time and stored from all sites into one core database. Having instant access to the information needed to complete your company’s payroll without the need for any manual imputing of data significantly simplifies your processes.

Expand with your organisation

As your organisation expands, so usually does the number of employees. Increasing headcount can add pressure on to a human resource department and existing systems/processes. Increased pressure often means stressed and over worked colleagues – significantly increasing the possibility of workplace errors.

Computerised time and attendance systems grow with your organisation. The enrolment of new staff is both quick and easy – either centrally or at a divisional level. All employee time and attendance data is recorded automatically enabling your human resource department to complete more strategic tasks.

For more information on how a computerised time and attendance system can benefit your organisation contact us today!

Absence Management – “Anyone know where Bob is?”

Knowing exactly how many absences and holiday days each of your employees have had is key to the successful running of your organisation. Not knowing which of your staff is in the office at any one time could have substantial problems for your organisation especially if it leads to departments being under staffed.

Keeping track of your employees absences – whether it be holidays, medical reason or sick days can be a difficult task for any organisation, especially if there are no set processes in place to do so. Not knowing who’s in at any one time can cause major disruptions to departments or even productivity. Employees who have a busy workload themselves are sometimes asked to take on even more work to assist with that of an absent employee.

Absence Management Software

Introducing absence management software into your organisation can drastically help manage your entire workforce. Mangers can access individual employee data in real-time, at the touch of a button. Employee clock in data, absences and holiday information is all stored within the one easy to use system. Managers have full access to every employee’s holiday calendar allowing them to view who’s off on which shift at what time. This information allows them to monitor and identify when agency staff need to be called in to cover. This also provides managers the ability to ensure your facility is staffed adequately in order to avoid any disruptions or fall in production. All employee clock-in data is also stored within the system allowing managers to identify at the earliest opportunity when an employee is absent.

A number of customised reports can also configured to run automatically, within the absence management system. Employers can customise reports to flag up any employees with a significantly high absence rate or initiate triggers specific to your company KPI’s. Line managers are then able to monitor and interact with employees immediately. Absence reports can also be customised based on days, weeks or months. The system will even report on an employee who has called in sick and identify if a holiday request for that day was previously submitted and rejected.

Absence management however doesn’t have to just be something an employer does. By giving your employees access to their own data they can take control of their own clocking in and attendance records. CEEQUEL Employee self-service provides your employees with access to their own personal data. Employee can view their current and weekly time cards, view absences by day or week basis and update personal information such as next of kin and emergency contact. Employees are also able to view any planned of taken holidays and send out holiday request to be approved by their line manager. Employee self-service also lets employees who work shifts view their weekly working pattern. The system is username and password protected, and can be customised to only show the information you want the employee to see.

For more information on how an absence management system can help your organisation better manage your workforce contact us today!

Biometric Time and Attendance for your organisation

Biometrics systems were once considered only useful when it came to securing business locations. However over time more and more businesses have began using biometric capabilities as a means to track their employees time and attendance data. The use of a biometric systems drastically simplifies the way in which your employee clock-in data is recorded.

The use of biometric security technology within organisations has dramatically developed over the years with many businesses now using it to do more than just act as an access control system to secure personal information, intellectual property rights or access office buildings. Organisations are now using biometric technology as a means to accurately check and record employee time and attendance data.

Keeping track of how many hours each employee worked was once a complicated task. Mechanical time clocks were often unreliable and slow which often lead to long queues during shift changes or at the start and end of the day. Many employees would often forget to clock and due to the use of time sheets or proximity cards employers often became victim to ‘buddy clocking’. “Buddy clocking” is when employees clock for a friend who is either running late or in larger organisations one that may not even be present.

Inaccurate time and attendance data can add substantial cost onto your payroll processes. Not knowing the exact hours of your entire workforce often means some employees can be over or under payed. Under payed employees require the attention of human resources to manually correct any mistakes that have been made. This process is time consuming and costly for all organisations.

Biometric Time and Attendance

The use of biometric technology eradicates fraudulent clocking’s, costly time delays and the recording of inaccurate data. The most popular biometric systems companies use are fingerprint or facial recognition. Both systems capture data and then compare this to an individual’s unique algorithm template.

The CEEQUEL biometric time and attendance system is easy to use and records accurate employee clock in data that can then be accessed by authorised personnel in real-time. This information allows managers to identify, at the earliest opportunity, when members of staff are absent giving them time to organise any cover which may be required. Integrating the CEEQUEL HR module in to your time and attendance also allows your managers to track all employee absences. Employers can filter the data recorded using a number of different criteria’s allowing them to identify any employees with either a high or low absence rate, based upon KPI’s specific to your business. Information about each absence can be stored within the systems and fit notes attached where needed. This provides managers with the information to correctly manage absences.

For more information on how biometric time and attendance could work for your organisation contact us today!

Managed Employee Self Service

Employee self service systems were designed with one focus in mind to help free up time for a businesses human resource department by delegating tasks such as the updating of personal information back over to the employee. This means many people believe that the system therefore requires no management this however isn’t nessiceraly true.

Employee Self Service

Many businesses believe that an employee self-service system doesn’t require managing. In most cases this is true, as employees can be left to their own devices without assistance. However introducing new technologies or processes into any company requires some management even if it’s just down to effectively communicating its benefits to your employees or educating them on its use.

Ensuring you choose the right employee self-service system for your organisation is crucial. The software needs to be user friendly for every employee and accommodate all of your organisational needs. Launching a complicated system that’s hard to understand would significantly cost your business time and money as staff would require extensive training and support. Once you choose the right system for your organisation, employees should not just be expected to “get on with it”. Effective training should always be provided on the new system and companies investing in educating staff from the onset, find its adoption and effectiveness provides a quicker return on investment.

Once your employees have been educated, companies should continue to monitor the system in order to safeguard against its misuse. CEEQUEL tracks what information your employees are amending through the process of approvals. Managers can configure the system to notify them when employees change personal details, update next of kin and emergency contacts, provide bank details or request any form of absence. Managers are asked to sanitise and approve any changed prior to them being committed within the live system. CEEQUEL is designed to reduce the amount of manual processes employed, and by devolving the upkeep of information, reduces the negative workload many HR Teams have to endure.

For more information on how an employee self-service system can help your company adopt a hands off approaches contact us today!

Brexit Proof Your Manufacturing

It’s always been important for manufacturing organisations to be able to keep up with shift changes or market demands. After the recent brexit decision its now crucial that these organisations are able to fully accommodate all future changes by remaining flexible throughout every part of their manufacturing process.

With Brexit on its way, it is now more important than ever that manufacturing organisations remain flexible in order to keep up with potential shifts in market demands. What margins you’re making by product, what processes you employ, and the capabilities of your facilities and employees needs to be nimble – and lean. Most companies opt to implement a shop floor data capture system to manage the information surrounding their manufacturing processes. However, our experience shows that the majority of the data you get back from your shop floor – is at best a guess. ELF Productivity’s world leading shop floor data capture system takes the guess work out of your shop floor. It delivers accurate data and provides staggering, true, information at a granular level.

Time/Activity Tracking

Most manufacturing organisation struggle when it comes to knowing how much time is being spent on each task. With employees often switching between projects and tasks having an understanding of how long was spent completing one whole project is virtually impossible. CEEQUEL’s Shop Floor Data Capture accurately records how much time each employee spends on each given project. The system can also record how much time was spent on each individual job, activity and task – whether the employee was on productive or non-productive work. It will show you your WIP, any bottlenecks on your floor and even skills gaps of your employees. CEEQUEL can also compare how long each job has taken compared to your standard time database and if required, calculate any performance related pay (including efficiency modifications for scrappage and reworks) – then automatically pass these bonuses on to your payroll department.

Job Cost Tracking

Knowing exactly how much margin you’re making on each product is vital to any manufacturer. This however becomes even more stressful for manufacturing organisation with employees who are often switching between high and low value jobs. CEEQUEL SFDC accurately tracks how much time each employee is spending on each job, provides a true correlation between productive and non-productive hours and can calculate the true cost of that job. Don’t forget, as we know what time an employee clocks in/out, when their shift breaks are, if they’re late back from lunch, been on a training course, an internal meeting or even cleaning down – true times and costs really do mean true times and costs.

Machine monitoring

The Biggest headache for any manufacturing organisation is machine productivity. If you’ve invested hundreds of thousands of pounds in your technology, you need it to be as productive as possible. Broken or faulty machinery can cost manufacturing businesses thousands of pounds as they are unable to hit production targets. The CEEQUEL shop floor data capture system captures real time information from each of your manufacturing machines spotting issues at the earliest opportunity. The system also calculates and collects all machine cost per hour allowing you to make an informed decision on the replacement of any of your machinery. Most importantly it will highlight the efficiencies of man and machine. Have you got the right individuals working on your equipment?

Listed above are just a few of the problems CEEQUEL SFDC can help resolve. For more information about what our shop floor data capture system will do for your manufacturing organisation contact us today!