Payroll – Time and Attendance

Minimum wage rises: will agency labour protect your margins—or move the cost elsewhere?

The Budget’s minimum wage announcement gives lower-paid workers a welcome increase in their hourly earnings. For employers in manufacturing, food production, warehousing, logistics and construction, it also raises a difficult question: how much more labour cost can the business absorb?

From April 2027, the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over will rise from £12.71 to £13.21 an hour. The minimum rate for 18–20-year-olds will increase to £11.27, while the under-18 and apprentice rates will become £8.31. These are increases of 3.9%, announced on 28 October 2026.[1]

For businesses with hundreds of employees close to the statutory minimum, a 50p increase quickly becomes a six-figure commitment.

Some employers may respond by restricting recruitment, reducing overtime, reorganising shifts or considering a smaller permanent workforce supported by agency labour. That is a potential commercial response, rather than evidence that a widespread migration to agency staffing is already happening.

Whatever staffing model employers choose, they need to understand the cost of every hour—and what that hour delivers.

Rising wage costs make visibility across permanent and agency labour increasingly valuable.

What does another 50p an hour really cost?

Take a business employing 200 people aged 21 or over, each paid for 40 hours a week over 52 weeks at the National Living Wage.

The increase in basic wages alone is:

200 employees × 40 hours × 52 weeks × £0.50 = £208,000 a year.

That calculation includes paid annual leave within the 52 paid weeks. It does not assume employees work all 52 weeks.

Basic wages are only part of the cost. Employer National Insurance and workplace pension contributions can increase alongside earnings.

The following illustration holds 2026/27 employer NI and pension assumptions constant to isolate the wage increase. It uses standard employer NI of 15% above £5,000 and a minimum employer pension contribution of 3% on qualifying earnings above £6,240.[2][3] It is a planning model, not a confirmed 2027/28 payroll forecast.

Annual cost per employee	At £12.71/hour	At £13.21/hour	Increase
Basic wages: 2,080 paid hours	£26,436.80	£27,476.80	£1,040.00
Employer National Insurance	£3,215.52	£3,371.52	£156.00
Employer pension contribution	£605.90	£637.10	£31.20
Modelled annual employment cost	£30,258.22	£31,485.42	£1,227.20
Equivalent cost for 200 employees	£6,051,644.80	£6,297,084.80	£245,440.00

Totals use unrounded calculations. Assumes enrolled pension members, standard NI treatment and no employer NI relief. Figures precede any Employment Allowance and exclude overtime premiums, recruitment, training, absence cover, benefits, equipment and levy costs where applicable. Actual payroll calculations depend on pay periods and individual circumstances.

The pressure can extend beyond employees on the minimum wage. Employers may also face demands to preserve pay differences for experienced operators, supervisors and skilled staff. That potential knock-on effect is separate from the statutory increase.

The hourly wage is not the cost of an available working hour

Most workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks’ paid annual leave, equivalent to 28 days for someone working five days a week.[4]

In the example above, 40 hours over the remaining 46.4 weeks gives 1,856 hours available before sickness, training or other non-production time.

Dividing the modelled annual cost of £31,485.42 by those hours produces approximately £16.96 per available hour.

Holiday pay has already been included in annual wages; it must not be added again. The calculation simply spreads the employment cost across fewer available hours.

This distinction matters when comparing direct employment with an agency’s hourly charge. Comparing £13.21 in direct wages with an agency invoice rate does not give a like-for-like picture.

Will employers turn to agency labour?

Agency staffing can help employers match labour to demand, cover absence and handle seasonal peaks without committing to the same permanent headcount throughout the year.

For lower-paid workers, however, fewer permanent vacancies or less predictable assignments could offset some of the benefit of a higher hourly wage. That is a risk employers should consider, not an inevitable consequence of the Budget.

Nor does moving work to an agency remove the underlying employment costs. Agency workers remain entitled to the minimum wage. After the qualifying 12 weeks in the same role, equal-treatment rights cover basic working and employment conditions, including pay and annual leave. Changing agencies does not automatically restart that qualifying period.[5]

Agency charge rates must fund the applicable employment costs and the supplier’s margin. The potential saving is often in buying fewer hours during quieter periods—not necessarily paying less for each hour supplied.

Reducing permanent headcount also brings recruitment, retention, workforce relations and potential redundancy costs into the decision.

The question for management is therefore:

What combination of permanent and agency labour delivers the required output at the best total cost?

Ceequel brings the mixed workforce into one operational picture

A smaller payroll does not necessarily mean a smaller labour bill.

If agency expenditure sits in purchase invoices while permanent employee costs sit in payroll, management can lose sight of the combined cost of running a shift, completing a job or delivering a contract.

Ceequel’s Time & Attendance and Operational Intelligence capabilities connect workforce attendance with labour costing and operational activity. With the appropriate modules and configuration, direct employees and agency workers can be assessed within a consistent reporting structure.

The connection runs from the person who attended, through the applicable rules and rates, to the work and cost centre receiving the labour.

1. Establish who attended and which hours are payable

Agency timesheets should be supported by dependable attendance evidence.

Ceequel records clockings through the appropriate workplace or mobile clocking arrangement. Configured rules can then distinguish recorded presence from payable time, accounting for breaks, shift arrangements, overtime and authorised adjustments.

This distinction is essential. Arriving early does not automatically create authorised overtime; equally, a missing clocking needs investigation rather than an assumption that no work took place.

Ceequel Hub provides managers with browser access to the relevant attendance administration, helping bring operational review closer to the people responsible for the workforce.

Clocking at client sites without joining the client’s network

Capture attendance without joining the client’s network, with on-premise or hosted Ceequel deployment.

Agency workforces often operate at premises whose IT infrastructure is controlled by the end client. Recording attendance should not depend on placing a clocking terminal on that client’s network.

Ceequel has clocking terminals available that can operate without joining the client’s network and communicate with the Ceequel server, whether it is installed on-premise at the agency’s or employer’s offices or provided through a hosted deployment.

This gives agencies and employers another practical way to capture attendance at client locations, subject to the appropriate connectivity and server-access arrangements. The same attendance information can then support the configured agency, hours and labour-cost reporting processes.

2. Preserve agency and rate history when workers move

A worker may remain on the same site while moving from one agency to another. Rates may also change between pay periods.

Ceequel’s pay-rate history function supports employees moving between agencies. When payroll is run with an agency filter, it identifies employees who belonged to that agency during the selected pay period.

That historical relationship matters. Using today’s agency allocation to analyse last month’s hours can attribute labour to the wrong supplier. Applying a current rate retrospectively can distort previous costs.

For invoice checking, worker pay rates and agency charge rates must also remain distinct: the amount paid to a worker is not necessarily the amount invoiced to the customer. The reporting design should use the appropriate agreed costing basis.

3. Give finance evidence to check agency invoices

Attendance and configured payable-hours reports can provide an evidence base for reconciling agency invoices.

Finance can compare the supplier’s claim against the relevant worker, dates, hours and agreed rate schedule, with managers resolving exceptions.

Consider an illustration involving 100 agency workers, an assumed £18 hourly charge, and a hypothetical 10-minute daily overstatement over 230 working days:

100 × 10 ÷ 60 × £18 × 230 = £69,000 a year.

This is an example of exposure, not an industry leakage estimate or a promised saving. It shows why small differences deserve attention when multiplied across a large workforce.

Ceequel supplies the underlying attendance and costing evidence; automated invoice matching depends on the agreed integration and configuration.

4. Attribute labour to the job, site and activity consuming it

Knowing an agency’s total weekly invoice does not explain which contracts are profitable.

Ceequel Operational Intelligence connects workforce time with jobs, operations and cost centres. Configured reporting can identify time and labour cost by site, contract and employee type—for example, groundworkers, bricklayers, electricians and plumbers.

For mobile teams, iClock geofencing can associate clocking locations with a contract name or number, supporting reports on who attended each site, how long they were there and the associated labour cost.

This allows management to investigate whether an overspend came from additional hours, a different labour mix, higher rates or a particular activity.

5. Compare budget with actual expenditure

Connect workforce hours with the jobs, sites and activities consuming the cost.

Labour information becomes more useful when it reaches the systems used to manage commercial performance.

Ceequel can be configured to generate financial journal reports and export labour-cost information to project or finance systems, subject to the receiving system and agreed interface.

A contract budget can then be compared with actual labour expenditure, rather than relying on a delayed invoice total or a broad estimate.

For manufacturing, Operational Intelligence extends the analysis into job costing, labour recovery, downtime, scrap, rework and operational efficiency. Attendance establishes the hours supplied; operational data helps explain the output achieved.

6. Include agency workers in the wider site picture

Temporary workers also need to be considered in access permissions and emergency arrangements.

Where Ceequel Access Control and Fire Register are deployed and configured for those workers, their presence can form part of the wider site-management picture.

The data needed to cost a shift should connect sensibly with the information needed to manage the people attending it.

Measure the workforce before changing its shape

The minimum wage increase creates a clear planning challenge. In our 200-person example, the annual rise reaches £245,440 once modelled employer NI and pension contributions are included.

But permanent headcount alone is an incomplete measure of labour cost. Reducing it while increasing agency spend can move expenditure between accounts without improving margins.

Employers need to see the combined picture: direct and agency hours, historical supplier allocations, applicable rates, approved payable time, job costs and output.

Ceequel gives businesses the information to make those decisions with greater confidence—and to keep control as their workforce changes.

Speak to ELF Productivity about using Ceequel Time & Attendance and Operational Intelligence to manage direct and agency labour across your sites, shifts and contracts.

Workforce management trends for 2027: from recording hours to protecting margin

Connecting people, working time and operational performance.

A business can have an accurate payroll and still have an incomplete understanding of its labour costs.

It may know how many hours it paid for last week, yet struggle to explain why one job exceeded its budget, why overtime keeps returning in the same department, or whether a shortage of trained staff is restricting output.

As UK employers plan for 2027, that gap de

serves attention. Research published during 2026 highlights pressure on employment costs, growing investment in existing employees and the practical difficulties of adopti

ng AI.

Our view is that these trends strengthen the case for connected workforce management: bringing together employee information, working time and operational activity so managers can act on a clearer picture of the business.

For Ceequel®, this connection runs through Time and Attendance, HR Pro and Operational Intelligence.

1. Labour costs need to become visible at job and activity level

In Make UK and PwC’s Executive Survey 2026, 86% of manufacturers expected employment costs to increase over the following 12 months. makeuk.org

For a finance director, knowing the

total wage bill is only part of the answer. The more useful questions concern where that spending went and whether it matched the plan.

Which operations needed more labour than expected? Where did premium-rate hours accumulate? Did a profitable-looking contract consume more time than the estimate allowed?

A weekly total can conceal these differences. Two departments may record similar hours while producing ver

y different results.

Ceequel Time and Attendance provides the foundation through configurable shifts, overtime rules, premiums, absence records and payroll-ready information. Connecting those hours with operational activity brings the commercial picture into sharper focus. Employee Clocking & Compliance

The management opportunity is straightforward: investigate labour variance while there is still time to influence the outcome.

2. Attendance and productivity need to be understood together

Being present and completing a job are different measures. Both matter.

Consider an illustrative manufacturing job budgeted for 100 labour hours. If it takes 118 hours, the additional 18 hours identify a variance. They do not explain its cause.

The useful investigation starts with what happened during those hours: waiting for materials, machine stoppages, repeated set-ups, rework or an unrealistic standard.

Treating every variance as an employee-performance issue risks missing the process problem.

Ceequel Operational Intelligence connects workforce and activity data with information from systems such as ERP and MRP. It can capture job time, output, downtime, scrap, rework and work in progress, then apply configured calculations to examine costs and performance. timeandattendance.co.uk

This extends Shop Floor Data Collection beyond recording transactions. It helps managers compare actual activity with the plan and understand the financial effect.

For manufacturers, that can suppor

t investigation of labour recovery, machine utilisation, Overall Equipment Effectiveness and margin variance. timeandattendance.co.uk The same management principle applies to project and site-based businesses: labour spending becomes more useful when it can be attributed to the work that incurred it.

The value lies in explaining the variance early enough to do something about it.

Connect recorded activity with the reasons behind cost and performance variance.

3. Skills and absence belong in the same operational conversation

The CIPD’s Resourcing and talent planning report 2026 found that 48% of employers had increased their efforts to develop talent internally during the previous year. CIPD

That creates a practical challenge. Investing in training is valuable, but managers also need to understand where those skills sit across the workforce.

Who has the required qualification? When does it expire? Which teams depend on one experienced person? Where would training create more flexibility?

Availability matters too. The CIPD’s separate Health and wellbeing at work 2025 report recorded average sickness absence of 9.4 days per employee, compared with 7.8 days in its 2023 survey. These are survey benchmarks, rather than a prediction for any individual employer. CIPD

Together, these findings underline the importance of understanding both capability and availability.

Ceequel HR Pro brings employee records, training, qualifications and competencies together. Skills matrices, expiry reminders and skills-gap reporting help managers identify development needs. When connected with Time and Attendance, HR information can be considered alongside attendance and absence patterns. Ceequel HR Pro

That visibility can support better preparation for shortages and more informed conversations with employees. Effective absence management also needs supportive policies and human judgement; a score or dashboard cannot explain someone’s circumstances.

The business question becomes more useful: do we have the available skills to deliver the work ahead?

Bring skills, employee information and availability into the same conversation.

4. AI ambition increases the importance of reliable operational data

AI is attracting considerable attention, but adoption is uneven.

Make UK’s June 2026 report on AI and manufacturing found that only 2% of manufacturers said AI was widely embedded across their operations. More than half cited skills shortages as a barrier to adoption. Make UK

Our assessment is that this makes the underlying information environment especially important.

A business exploring AI-assisted analysis needs to know what its data actually represents. Does “productive time” have the same definition across sites? Are downtime reasons recorded consistently? Can reported output be linked to the correct job and period?

Inconsistent inputs make both conventional reporting and advanced analysis harder to trust.

Ceequel’s configurable capture methods, business rules, calculations and reporting help organisations establish a more structured operational record. timeandattendance.co.uk

That has an immediate purpose: clearer management information today. It also gives a business a stronger basis for evaluating future analytical tools against real operational needs.

A sensible starting point is a specific question, such as why a recurring operation exceeds its labour standard. Define the information required, capture it consistently and assess whether the resulting insight changes a decision.

5. Connected workflows can remove the gaps between departments

The previous trends share a common dependency: information needs to move between people and systems.

A change in an employee’s role can affect HR records, working patterns, training requirements and access permissions. A holiday approval affects team availability. A production delay affects labour allocation and job cost.

When each department maintains its own version, reconciling the differences becomes another job.

Ceequel’s connected suite allows employee information to be shared across modules, with access controlled for authorised users. Ceequel Hub and Employee Self-Service also give managers and employees practical ways to handle relevant information and requests. Ceequel HR Pro

This gives organisations a way to reduce repeated administration while retaining control over who can see and change information.

Configuration matters here. Different sites, employee groups and operations can require different rules. Useful workforce software must accommodate that complexity while keeping the resulting information consistent enough to manage.

What should businesses ask of their workforce software?

As you review your priorities for 2027, consider whether your current systems can answer five questions:

Where are paid hours being spent, and how do they compare with the plan?
Can managers investigate the reasons behind labour and production variance?
Can HR identify skills gaps and expiring qualifications alongside workforce availability?
Do employees, managers, payroll and operations work from consistent information?
Can the software reflect your actual working rules and operational calculations?

These questions connect workforce management with the decisions that affect service, delivery and profitability.

Ceequel brings together the depth of configurable Time and Attendance, the employee and skills information within HR Pro, and the activity and cost analysis of Operational Intelligence. Organisations can address their immediate requirements while building a more connected view of their workforce and operations.

Your workforce data should help you understand what happened, what it cost and where to act next.

Arrange a Ceequel demonstration to explore how your employee information, working time and operational performance could work together.

Defensibility starts with the records you create every day

When a question arises about working hours, pay, absence or timekeeping, an organisation needs more than a confident recollection. It needs a clear record of what happened, how a decision was reached and whether the same approach was applied consistently.

That is the practical value of defensibility. It is the ability to explain and support a decision using reliable information and a fair process.

Workforce records are created for practical reasons: to calculate pay, manage shifts, approve overtime and understand absence. But they can also become relevant when an employee raises a concern, a manager investigates an incident or the business needs to review how a policy was applied.

ACAS guidance says workplace investigations should be fair and objective, gather information from both sides and avoid starting from the assumption that someone is at fault. It also identifies attendance records and computer records as possible evidence in an investigation.

That makes the quality of routine records important. If information is scattered across paper timesheets, spreadsheets, emails and separate systems, it can take time to build an accurate picture. Gaps and inconsistencies can make it harder to explain what happened.

Everyday records can become important evidence

Accurate time data supports better conversations

A clocking record on its own may not tell the whole story. Managers may also need to understand the shift that was scheduled, any authorised changes, approved overtime, an absence or a correction made to a record.

Bringing this information together helps managers ask better questions and respond to issues promptly. It can also help identify patterns in lateness or absence, while giving managers a clearer basis for a supportive conversation. ACAS recommends recording unauthorised absence and lateness, while also reminding employers to consider confidentiality, data protection and discrimination.

The aim is not to turn every minor discrepancy into a formal issue. It is to give managers dependable information so they can understand the circumstances and respond appropriately.

Records matter when pay is questioned

Working time records can also help explain how pay has been calculated. Government guidance on National Minimum Wage record keeping says employers need sufficient records to demonstrate that workers have been paid correctly. It recommends clear, consistent records that show working time and associated pay rates, and explains that the required detail can vary by worker and situation.

For organisations managing different shifts, overtime rates, allowances or working arrangements, it is useful to be able to see how recorded time connects to the rules used to calculate pay. That visibility can support internal checks and help the business respond to a query with relevant information to hand.

Consistency is part of a fair process

Good records are only one part of defensibility. Policies need to be clear, managers need to apply them consistently, and employees need an opportunity to explain their circumstances. Where a concern is investigated, relevant evidence should be reviewed fairly and kept confidential.

A system can help make information easier to find and apply. It cannot make a decision fair on its own. The process still depends on people using the information thoughtfully and following the organisation’s procedures.

Building a clearer workforce record

Ceequel Time & Attendance brings together clockings, shift information, absence and overtime within a configurable workforce system. Managers can review exceptions and approvals through Ceequel Hub, helping them see relevant information in one place and deal with issues in a more timely way.

For organisations, that can mean less time piecing together records and more confidence in the information behind workforce decisions.

Defensibility is not created when a problem appears. It is built through accurate records, clear policies and consistent decisions made every day.

Could You Prove What Happened Six Months Ago?

If an employee queried their hours, overtime or a change to their shift pattern, how quickly could you establish what actually happened?

From 1 October 2026, the time limit for bringing most Employment Tribunal claims will increase from three months to six months. That does not create a new requirement to keep every workforce record for six months. It does, however, make an important question more pressing: can an organisation reconstruct a decision months after it was made?

A current rota only tells part of the story. An employer may also need to establish what was originally scheduled, when it changed, who authorised the change, what hours were worked and how the employee was paid. If those details are spread across spreadsheets, messages, paper forms and payroll adjustments, finding a reliable answer can take time.

That is what defensibility means in workforce management. It is the ability to explain a decision with records that are clear, consistent and available when needed. Good records also help resolve everyday queries before they become disputes.

For organisations with complex shifts, overtime, absence and pay rules, the practical starting point is to review the trail behind each decision:

Can you compare scheduled, contracted and actual hours?
Can you see who approved overtime or amended a record, and when?
Can you retrieve the information after the payroll period has closed?

Ceequel brings time and attendance together with the wider workforce information managers use to make these decisions. It helps teams manage exceptions and approvals while keeping a clearer account of hours worked and the actions taken.

The question for employers is simple: if someone asked you to explain a workforce decision from six months ago, could you show your working?

The Fair Work Agency: Why Accurate Working-Time Records Matter More Than Ever

The way employment rights are enforced in the UK is changing.

Established in April 2026, the Fair Work Agency brings several previously separate enforcement functions into one organisation. Its responsibilities include National Minimum Wage enforcement, tackling labour exploitation and recovering unpaid wages, with its remit expected to expand progressively into areas covered by the Working Time Regulations.

For employers, this increases the importance of having accurate, accessible and consistent workforce records.

Could you prove the hours your employees worked?

When questions arise over pay, overtime, holiday entitlement or working hours, relying on spreadsheets, paper timesheets or managers’ recollections can leave a business exposed.

A modern time and attendance system creates a reliable record of:

When employees started and finished work
Breaks taken during the working day
Overtime and shift premiums
Holiday and absence
Working Time compliance
Authorised changes and manager approvals

Good records do more than support compliance. They also reduce payroll errors, prevent disputes and give managers a clearer understanding of staffing costs and working patterns.

Compliance should be built into everyday processes

The strongest compliance systems are not additional administrative exercises. They form part of the organisation’s normal operation.

Ceequel® Time and Attendance automatically applies each organisation’s working rules to the hours recorded by employees. It can manage complex shifts, overtime, premiums, annualised hours, flexitime, TOIL and absences, while creating a clear audit trail for managers, HR and payroll.

As employment enforcement becomes increasingly coordinated and evidence-led, the ability to retrieve dependable workforce information quickly could become just as important as having the correct policies in place.

The question for employers is therefore no longer simply, “Are we paying people correctly?” It is also, “Can we demonstrate it?”

Discover how Ceequel® Time and Attendance can help your organisation manage working hours, pay rules and workforce compliance.

Responsible Workforce Technology: Better Information Without Losing Employee Trust

Workforce technology gives organisations unprecedented visibility over working time, attendance, access, absence and operational performance. Used correctly, it can improve payroll accuracy, reduce administration, control labour costs and help protect employees. Used without clear safeguards, however, the same technology can create legitimate concerns about privacy, fairness and excessive monitoring.

Responsible workforce technology is not about collecting as much employee information as possible. It is about using the right information, for a clearly defined business purpose, with appropriate security, transparency and human oversight.

This distinction is becoming increasingly important. The UK Government is currently considering how workplace-monitoring technologies should be managed, with a particular focus on clarity, transparency, employee voice and responsible implementation. This is a consultation rather than final legislation, but it gives employers a clear indication of the direction in which expectations are moving. Read the Government’s workplace-monitoring consultation.

Workforce technology should have a clear purpose

Every workforce system should begin with a legitimate operational requirement.

An employer may need to record attendance so employees are paid accurately, manage access to restricted areas, confirm who is present during an emergency, monitor working-time compliance or understand the labour used on a particular job or production process.

These are valid business purposes. Problems arise when information collected for one reason is subsequently used for an unrelated purpose without proper consideration, communication or justification.

Before introducing any workforce technology, an organisation should therefore be able to explain:

What information will be collected.
Why that information is required.
How it will be used.
Who will be able to access it.
How long it will be retained.
Whether it will contribute to any automated decisions.
What choices or alternatives are available to employees.

Transparency creates confidence

Employees should not have to guess how workplace technology affects them.

Clear communication helps employees understand that a time-and-attendance system is there to create accurate records, that access control protects people and premises, or that operational data is being used to improve production rather than simply scrutinise individuals.

Where appropriate, employers should consult employees and their representatives before new technology is introduced. This provides an opportunity to explain the business requirement, answer questions and identify legitimate concerns before implementation.

Transparency is particularly important where technology involves location data, biometrics or detailed operational information.

Biometric technology requires additional care

Facial recognition can provide fast, contact-free and highly accurate employee identification. It can reduce forgotten credentials, discourage “buddy clocking” and support secure access control.

However, biometric information used to identify a person is special-category personal data. The Information Commissioner’s Office states that organisations must complete a Data Protection Impact Assessment before processing biometric data to identify workers.

Employers must also establish an appropriate lawful basis, demonstrate that the proposed use is necessary and proportionate, and consider whether a less intrusive alternative could achieve the same objective.

Where consent is being relied upon, employees must have a genuine choice. The ICO gives the example of providing a swipe-card alternative without disadvantaging employees who do not wish to use biometrics. Read the ICO’s guidance on biometric time and access control.

This does not mean that facial recognition cannot be used responsibly. It means that the organisation introducing it must make a considered and properly documented decision.

Collect only what is needed

A responsible system should allow organisations to configure technology around their actual requirements rather than forcing them to collect unnecessary information.

For example, a mobile employee may need to confirm that they have arrived at an authorised work location. That does not automatically mean their movements need to be continuously tracked throughout the working day.

Similarly, operational technology may need to record which employee completed a job or production operation, but this should not become unrestricted personal surveillance.

The principle is straightforward: collect the information needed to achieve the defined purpose—and no more.

Important decisions should remain subject to human oversight

Workforce systems can identify exceptions, highlight patterns and provide managers with better information. They should not remove appropriate management judgement.

An attendance pattern may require investigation, but the system will not necessarily understand the personal or operational circumstances behind it. A productivity variance may identify a problem, but it may have been caused by machine downtime, material shortages, training requirements or an unrealistic production target.

Technology should support fair, consistent and informed decisions. Managers should remain able to review the underlying information, correct errors and consider the wider context before action is taken.

Security must be designed into the solution

Workforce information must be protected throughout its lifecycle.

This includes appropriate access controls, encryption, secure communications, clearly defined administrative permissions, retention policies, audit trails and reliable deletion processes. Remote access should also be controlled, authorised and restricted to the systems and time periods genuinely required.

The organisation using the system remains the data controller and is responsible for determining why and how employee information is processed. The technology provider should support that responsibility through secure design, clear documentation and configurable controls.

The Ceequel® approach

Ceequel® brings together Time & Attendance, HR, Employee Self Service, Access Control, Visitor Management, mobile clocking and Operational Intelligence within one configurable software suite.

This allows organisations to establish consistent controls across workforce processes while maintaining clear distinctions between different types of information and their intended purposes.

Depending on the organisation’s requirements, Ceequel can support:

Facial recognition or non-biometric proximity credentials.
Defined user roles and administrative permissions.
Accurate time, attendance, absence and working-hours records.
GPS and geofenced mobile clocking for authorised locations.
Controlled access to buildings and restricted areas.
Interactive fire and evacuation information.
Job, operation, output, downtime and labour-cost analysis.
Audit trails supporting management and compliance requirements.
Integration with payroll, HR and wider business systems.

The communications software used within Ceequel clocking devices is designed and coded by ELF Productivity Ltd, providing secure, encrypted communication between hardware and the Ceequel software environment.

Crucially, Ceequel provides information to authorised managers; it does not replace their responsibility to make fair, proportionate and properly informed decisions.

Better control and responsible use belong together

Organisations do not have to choose between operational visibility and employee trust.

A well-designed workforce-management system can help employers control labour costs, improve payroll accuracy, manage compliance and make better decisions while still respecting privacy, proportionality and individual rights.

The strongest workforce technology is not simply the technology that collects the most information. It is the technology that gives an organisation the information it genuinely needs, protects that information properly and enables it to be used openly, fairly and responsibly.

To discuss how Ceequel® can support responsible workforce management across your organisation, contact ELF Productivity Ltd or request a demonstration.

Replacing Mitrefinch TMS: A Practical Guide for UK Employers

As workforce management requirements continue to evolve, many organisations are reviewing whether their existing Time & Attendance solution remains aligned with their operational, payroll, compliance, and workforce management objectives.

If your organisation currently uses Mitrefinch TMS and is considering its future options, this guide provides a practical framework for assessing whether your current solution continues to meet your needs and, if not, what should be considered when evaluating alternative platforms.

This article is intended as an impartial guide to help employers make informed decisions based on their own business requirements.

Why Organisations Review Their Time & Attendance System

Time & Attendance systems are a critical component of workforce management. As organisations grow, diversify, or modernise their operations, requirements often change.

Common reasons for reviewing an existing solution include:

Increasing payroll administration and manual intervention.
Expansion across multiple sites or locations.
Greater use of remote, mobile, or field-based employees.
A requirement to integrate Time & Attendance with HR, Payroll, ERP, Access Control, or Visitor Management systems.
The need for improved management visibility and reporting.
Changes in working practices, legislation, or compliance requirements.
Hardware refresh programmes or software renewal cycles.
Business acquisitions, mergers, or organisational restructuring.

A system review does not necessarily mean a replacement is required. However, it provides an opportunity to assess whether the current solution continues to deliver the functionality, efficiency, and return on investment expected by the business.

What a Modern Workforce Management Solution Should Deliver

A Time & Attendance solution should do more than simply record employee attendance. It should provide accurate workforce data that supports operational decision-making, payroll accuracy, compliance, and employee engagement.

When evaluating any solution, organisations should expect:

Accurate Workforce Data

Real-time attendance monitoring.
Automated calculation of working hours.
Accurate overtime and absence management.
Reduction in manual payroll adjustments.

Improved Management Visibility

Real-time workforce dashboards.
Exception reporting.
Attendance trend analysis.
Labour cost visibility.

Streamlined Payroll Processing

Automated payroll preparation.
Clear audit trails.
Reduced payroll queries.
Reliable integration with payroll systems.

Workforce Compliance

Working Time Regulations monitoring.
Absence tracking.
Audit and reporting capabilities.
Accurate records for compliance purposes.

Enhanced Employee and Manager Self-Service

Electronic holiday requests.
Manager approvals.
Employee access to attendance records.
Mobile workforce capabilities where required.

Key Questions to Ask During a System Review

Whether reviewing your current supplier or considering alternative providers, consistency is essential. Every supplier should be evaluated against the same criteria.

Payroll Management

How are exceptions and anomalies identified and managed?
How are audit trails maintained?
How does the system reduce payroll administration?

Business Rules

Can the solution accommodate existing working rules and agreements?
How flexible is the configuration?
Can future changes be implemented without development work?

Hardware and Data Collection

What clocking methods are available?
Can existing hardware be retained?
What options exist for mobile or remote workers?

Integration

What integrations are available with Payroll, HR, ERP, Access Control, and Visitor Management systems?
Are integrations proven and supported?

Security and Hosting (for cloud based systems)

Where is data hosted?
What security standards are maintained?
What service levels and support arrangements are provided?

Implementation

What does the migration process involve?
How is data transferred and validated?
What support is available during and after implementation?

Commercial Considerations

What are the initial implementation costs?
What ongoing support and maintenance costs apply?
Are there any additional licensing or usage-based charges?

The Importance of a Structured Migration Process

For most organisations, the greatest risk during a replacement project is not the installation of new software. The primary challenge is ensuring that existing workforce rules, pay calculations, attendance policies, and operational processes are accurately replicated or improved.

A successful migration project should include:

Detailed Scope of Works.
Documentation of existing rules and processes.
Configuration review and approval.
Data migration planning – if available.
Payroll validation and parallel testing.
User and manager training.
Post-implementation support.

Organisations should seek clear documentation outlining how each stage of the migration will be managed.

Evaluating Long-Term Value

While software functionality remains important, organisations should also consider the broader value delivered by a workforce management solution.

Areas worth evaluating include:

Reduction in payroll administration.
Removal of manual calculations.
Improved labour cost control.
Enhanced workforce visibility.
Reduced manual processes.
Improved compliance reporting.
Increased management efficiency.
Scalability for future growth.

A workforce management platform should support operational objectives not only today, but also as the organisation evolves over the coming years.

Making an Informed Decision

Every organisation’s requirements are unique. The most effective procurement decisions are based on clearly documented business objectives, operational requirements, implementation considerations, support arrangements, and long-term value (ROI).

A structured review process allows organisations to assess whether their existing solution remains the best fit or whether alternative platforms may offer additional benefits more aligned with future business goals.

By taking a measured and evidence-based approach, organisations can ensure that any investment in workforce management technology delivers meaningful improvements in productivity, efficiency, accuracy, and visibility.

About Ceequel®

Ceequel® is a UK-developed workforce management platform designed to help organisations manage attendance, absence, labour costs, employee self-service, manager approvals, access control, visitor management, and workforce reporting through a single integrated solution.

Supporting organisations across manufacturing, logistics, food production, distribution, healthcare, engineering, and other sectors, Ceequel® provides flexible deployment options and configurable workforce management capabilities designed to meet the operational requirements of modern UK employers.

For organisations reviewing their current Time & Attendance solution, a structured demonstration and discovery process can help determine whether Ceequel® is aligned with their operational and workforce management objectives.

This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not make any representations regarding the performance, functionality, support, commercial arrangements, or future direction of any third-party software product or supplier. Organisations should undertake their own evaluation based on their individual business requirements and procurement processes.

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!

Time and attendance for business and the available access control solutions

Organisations have been using time and attendance systems as a means to track employee clocking data for over 20 years. Old card based systems were slow and unreliable and as technology advanced new cutting edge real time systems took there place. Employees are no longer limited to how they can clock as most systems now come with a range of different options. The introduction of biometric and proximity technology now means that clocking can be completed in a number of seconds.

Access Control

Time and attendance within a business is not a new concept. Organisations have been using paper cards as a means of clocking employee working hours since the 20^thcentury. The problem with using a paper card system is that it’s extremely unreliable. Paper is easily lost and even if the card remained safe there was never any way of knowing if the times written on the sheet were accurate. This caused major problems for companies when it came to payroll, meaning employees were often over or under paid. An employee who has been under paid is less likely to work to their full potential meaning productivity levels in the work place often drop. Low productivity levels and overpaid staff can lead to organisations losing out on thousands a year.

As times changed and technology advanced so did the type of systems organisations use to track their employees time and attendance data. Electronic automated clocking systems now record accurate employee data in real time. As data no longer needs to be manually imputed human resources departments are able to focus on more pressing tasks.

The benefits of having a fully functioning time and attendance system

The main benefit for a company which uses a time and attendance system is that the data being collected always remains accurate. As all employee clock-ins are collected through an electronic system, the chances of fraudulent clocking is significantly reduced. Employee time-thefts are also reduced as clockings can be completed via an IP based clock device, over a browser and even through a mobile device. This allows employees to clock from any location whilst on the go. Notifications can be set up within the system to alert managers when staff clock late or leave early. These alerts inform an employer of attendance issues at the earliest stage.

Companies who implemented punch card systems often became victims of ‘buddy clocking’. Employees would often clock in for their “colleagues” when they were perhaps running late or had opted to take a longer break than allowed. Almost all time and attendance systems available today, come with technology which can make it impossible for an employee to clock as anyone but themselves.

Human resource departments are at the forefront of any business. It manages all employee data and ensures that all information they have remains correct and up to date. The underlying issues surrounding this is that manually checking and manipulating data can be time consuming and extremely costly. Data collation and maintenance rapidly drains the resource available in most HR departments, meaning that information is often neglected or mislaid. Any dynamic software solution should combine both Time & Attendance and HR System within one scalable database.

One database means the eradication of double keying information as data entered is immediately filtered throughout the system.

Most now come equipped with employee self-service (ESS) capabilities which provides employees with an easy-to-use web based interface allowing them to update their own personal data, without needing to contact their HR department. Employees with access to ESS can also view information relating to their shift patterns, holidays – requested, planned or taken, together with full information on their weekly clockings and pay premiums.

Employees are able to request holidays or absences using employee self-serve and any absence requests are forwarded to their line manager for approval. Once a request has been accepted it is automatically imputed into the employee’s calendar, removing any need for the employee to contact HR.

Implementing an automated time and attendance system can also help a business’s stay on the right side of any legislation. Manual systems make it difficult for companies to track things such as overtime and overall hours worked. Both have high legal requirements that if not obeyed can lead to an employee perusing corrective action via an employment tribunal.

The available Access control solutions

Over the years, the number of Time & Attendance systems available to businesses has significantly increased. Advancing technology is often utilised by the companies who manufacturing T&A systems creating a wider choice of cutting edge systems. Each system is designed with its own capabilities and can permit access to employees in a number of different ways.

Biometric systems

Biometric access control systems are becoming ever more popular. These technologies offer cutting edge opportunities – look impressive to visitors and because they rely on unique employee features time-theft is completely eradicated.

Fingerprint biometric Time & Attendance units are the most common systems implemented into companies as they now have a 99.9% accuracy rate. As Time & Attendance systems act as one big database, information collected on one terminal, is automatically passed through to all the other terminals within the business. This provides employees the ability to clock at any terminal within the building. Facial recognition software works in exactly the same way. Once enrolled, template information is distributed automatically throughout the company’s device estate.

Most Time & Attendance systems can be integrated with an access control unit. Businesses with an integrated access control and Time & Attendance system, are able to restrict access on a door-by-door basis, making sure that only authorised employees gain access to sensitive areas. Access can also be restricted by date and time allowing companies to lock down their business premises over festive periods, during bank holidays and after working hours.

Proximity technology

Proximity access control systems have always required an employee to swipe their access card in order to clock. The processes of swiping a card however can be time consuming. Employees in a busy environment often swipe their cards too quickly for a system to recognise who they are, forcing them to slow down and problems begin as ques start to form into the building especially at busy periods of the day.

As Proximity technology advanced – so did the systems and options available. The invention of contactless technology now means that access control cards and fobs are designed to permit access without the need to swipe. An employee simply needs to hold their card up to the device in order to gain access or register a clocking.

Intercom and integration with VOIP

Intercom systems have been the chosen solution for granting visitor access into buildings for a number of years. More often than not, they come with audio capabilities but as costs decrease, more are being installed with both audio and video capabilities.

As companies move towards a combined VIOP infrastructure, external intercom can now be fully integrated with your VIOP telephone system, providing full control of your external access points to any extension on your telephone system.

Barrier automation and turnstiles

Automated barriers or turnstiles now provide control to companies of who has access to your perimeter, company carpark, warehouses or any other company land.

Securing the first point of access to your organisation adds an extra level of security when protecting your business. Both barriers and turnstiles can be configured to only allow access to registered employees within your company’s Time & Attendance database. Access can be granted using biometric or proximity technology and time profiles can be set up in order to stop people from accessing the premises outside of working hours or on certain days.

There are a number of different types of barriers available including sliding gates, ground mounted bollards and rising arm barriers. Turnstiles are also available for both internal and external applications and are usually configured with anti-pass-back technology.

For more information on what a time and attendance system is, the benefits it could have on your business and the available access control systems, contact us today!

Automation of manual time sheet processing with Time and Attendance

Manual time and attendance processes can be costly to an organisation they are also difficult to handle. Many employees are unreliable with the data they submit which can in turn lead to problems with payroll leaving organisations at risk of paying their employees wrong. Implementing the Ceequel time and attendance system easily records accurate data on how many hours each member of your workforce has completed.

Timesheet

Managing employee time and attendance data is a difficult task for many businesses especially if the process is still manual. Employees often fall behind in the completion of their time sheets and most can never remember the exact time they started and finished work, meaning false data is often entered. This means many organisations risk under or over paying their staff and Issues involving payroll can often lead to a reduction in productivity levels.

An automated time and attendance system easily collects and tracks your employees clocking information. Data is collected and stored in real time allowing mangers to access employee time on the go. Employee absences and holidays can also easily be tracked making sure the appropriate amount of pay is given for each occasion.

Integrating your time and attendance system with payroll can significantly Increase the accuracy of your payroll processes.

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According to a survey carried out by the Aberdeen group organisations that had an integrated time and attendance system with payroll, benefited from a 30% lower rate of payroll processing errors. Theses organisation also saw a 32% lower error rate in the tracking of actual employee time worked, and also avoided the 6% year over year increase in manual workforce transactions experienced by organisations that didn’t have an integrated system in place.

Having an integrated payroll system can also save your company time as it eliminates time-consuming processes such as the manual calculating of time-sheets, meaning your human resource department are free to work on more strategic duties such as increasing workforce productivity.

Elf productivity’s Ceequel software suite acts as one fully integrated system allowing you to easily manage your time and attendance data as well as your payroll operations from one platform. Data is transferred between the two modules in real time meaning information is always kept up to date.

For more information on how you can integrate your payroll system with Ceequel time and attendance, contact us today!