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Mitchy
19-06-2012, 12:27 PM
Hi all,

I know this subject comes up every so often, but I haven't found an answer which is directly suitable to our situation.

We are a private school which operates from pre-school child care right through to year 12. As such, we have different areas of learning spread across the property, and not all have the same start and finish times. All staff, except for those who are only called in to replace staff away on leave, are paid either as full time, or permanent part time - so there are set, normal hours per pay cycle.

There is at least one teacher aide per classroom and we employ around 40 staff. My problem, as Bursar, is knowing who has been away during the pay cycle - especially sick leave. We do not currently require time sheets to be handed in, although we do have a sign-in book where staff are meant to fill out when they arrive and leave the premises - but not all fill this in, either.

Most staff are to start work at the same time, and we are meant to begin the day with a very short staff meeting, which is included in their paid hours. Many of them don't turn up to that meeting and as most of them go straight to their classrooms, we don't know who has turned up at what time. Also, all but around four or five staff finish work early, some up to 45 minutes early.

Now, I understand many teachers spend many hours of their personal time away from school planning lessons and updating their knowledge, etc.; however, they do have nearly 12 weeks of the year when they are not required to be at work.

Is there an effective way to require them to sign in/out without waving a big stick?

One thought I had was as follows: Review the sign in./out book prior to running payroll, contacting all staff who have not signed in and out, asking them for hours worked on each day, etc. Where gaps exist after this exercise, then hours unaccounted for are applied against personal days (all staff are employed under one of two Modern Awards for Non-Government Schools). Staff are given time between that pay cycle and the next to inform me of any discrepancies. Once all personal days have been exhausted, then the hours unaccounted for are to be docked from their pay. (It is my opinion that annual leave cannot be used because such leave is to be taken at a time mutually agreeable between the employee and employer, and it is our contention that such gaps in hours worked are not agreeable to the employer).

Is this process ok, or fraught with problems? Is there a better method or process?

The horse has bolted for this contract period, but another thought was to add conditions to contracts with a view to making time sheets mandatory. Are there any other ideas of what can be added to contracts to give some teeth to having mandatory time sheets? (or for rewarding compliant behaviour?)


Thank you,

Mitch

Qld IR Consultant
19-06-2012, 01:25 PM
Well Mitch the horse has bolted (as you put it) this time round, but I certainly do advise that something concrete needs to be put in place now, and openly communicated to the staff the consequences of non-compliance.

Docking pay is always dangerous, but you have the option to do so. My advice would be to keep it as a last resort and make sure once again you have communicated well. I can't see anything too wrong with the process you described, it just takes time and manpower to manage it.

Without actually seeing the contracts I could say that you can put pretty much anything in a contract, as long as its legal, and the only hurdle it getting its acceptance from the staff. Its obvious staff know the system and have openly abused it, but in order to rectify it you need to either take baby steps, or cut it off straight away.

Mitchy
19-06-2012, 01:41 PM
Thank you very much for your reply.

We're looking at taking baby steps for the remainder of the year. Thankfully the contracts will be renewed at the end of this year so we have an opportunity to put the horse back into the stalls!

Regards,

Neil

Tiger
19-06-2012, 03:31 PM
From your background info, I would suggest you are badly in need of a system which ensures that people work the hours they are supposed to work, are where they are supposed to be, when and finally so that your payroll can pay them correctly.

As it appears to be a bit all over the place, installing discipline and the new way of going forward will need planning and communication so that all working for you understand fully the implications. So you need to lead in with general communication of what you will be doing and when it will be come effective. Provide advance notice and allow for comment - are there real and valid reasons why someone isn't able to sign in?? Whilst comment is good, be clear it won't change the outcome, maybe just how you go about it.

The obvious solution is a system which you may need for remote access??. Another possibility is the bundy clock system - old I know but it still works. What is critical here and should be in your communication is that 'no bundy on' means no pay! That will ensure your staff use it.

Frankly, there are few organizations today where there is not some kind of timesheet requirement. Even, as a senior manager, I have had to complete a timesheet in recent years. Yes it was a pain but not to do it would have meant I didn't get paid.

A first step could be that you talk to Kronos - they are up there for systems capturing time, even where employees may be working at client sites and not physically at their recognized place of work. Talk to them about what might be available, get some references (that is, organizations who've used their systems) and phone those contacts with your own questions. You can also google timesheet systems and get other ideas/companies who provide that solution.

As a Bursar surely you belong to some kind of networking group - why not ask other schools what they do. Even if not in a network, I'd not be backward about phoning my opposite number anyhow and ask - it might be there is something available relevant to your own environment. Sharing this kind of information is what makes the world of networking such a great thing - there will be times when you can help someone else.

One important factor is leave approvals. If someone wants to take annual leave or is sick, you need a leave form if you don't have an electronic system (employee self service systems are all the norm these days, gone are the paper forms). These leave forms must be approved by the individual's Manager/Head of Dept (whatever title you use) - someone who works with the individual on a daily basis so knows about absences. You need a deadline for leave applications which relates to the Payroll person's deadline for pay information.

All employers are now required (employment law) to include leave balances on Pay Advice Slips. That means you must know if and when people take any type of leave. The employee has the right to know what their balance is so that if they exceed their leave balance they lose pay (if that is your policy - I think granting leave in advance can be risky unless you've got a payback clause in your employment contracts) - normal for organizations to only pay sick leave that is accrued, annual leave also. Your Payroll people also must know what hours etc are worked because there is the third leave type - Long Service Leave. To know when this has accrued and can be taken, you must know when people are working - in particulat part time workers.

It is normal for employment contracts to be explicit about what hours and on what days part timers work - payroll needs this - to pay correctly - there are public holidays to be considered.

So whether you have a modern system or a book at some central location where people physically sign in with date and time (in and out) backed up by a mandatory leave (even if paper) form, the message you are conveying is everyone, no exceptions, must follow the new guidelines - if a name hasn't signed in then you can logically assume the individual wasn't there that day and either get docked a day's pay or the day it put to leave if you don't feel like docking them. But as long as your rules are clear to everyone - I recommend a Policy which is explicit which all staff must read and sign which you retain as proof they know the rules - you might get some initial 'noise' but they will adjust with time. If policy is new then roll it out with multiple sessions for current employees to ensure all hear the presentation then include the information relating to pay, timesheets, leave forms etc in all future employment contracts for new people.

Honestly I feel sorry for your payroll people having to work in the current environemnt - guess work! - and from a financial point of view, you could well be wasting money - not efficient. But you need to keep in mind your school must be accountable to ensure people are paid correctly so to do this, you need a system - this then is how you sell it to your staff.

Good luck

;)

Mitchy
19-06-2012, 03:43 PM
Thank you, Tiger, for your reply.

I am a member of a body to whom I can ask specific questions; however, my first concern was, I guess, more about the legality of how to go about requiring time sheets and docking pay for hours not verified (after adequate steps had been taken to obtain said info). I added the other info because too many times, forum questions are too vague for members to adequately advise.

I like your points and will move towards implementing what I can. Our school is only small, so I process the payroll, BAS, creditors, debtors, receipting, banking, etc, ad nauseum. Because my position is a one-man-band, so to speak, procedures haven't been all that well documented or monitored. We have a leave system in place, and that was put in place and refined after I started.

Thanks again,

Neil

Cottoneyes
19-06-2012, 03:50 PM
If you're only trying to gather the leave being taken, instead of concentrating on the hours clocked in or out, change tact to capture the leave better.

This is not a problem only for your school, I am yet to see any business that does it 100% perfect. I'm guessing each department has a head that could record on a weekly basis any leave being taken that you can then cross check back to any leave forms or however leave applications are submitted back to you. With the support of the head of the school this could work, without their buy in or a good relationship with the department heads though you are going to still be pushing the proverbial uphill to get cooperation. All you need is a simple spreadsheet for each department, with the employee names down the side that the department head records any absences next to for that week, then forwards onto you.

I've had some success in the past by demonstrating to each department head the cost to their budget if each person got away with one annual leave day unrecorded. I'm guessing that most schools have budget restrictions so you could try to sell the idea this way.

Mitchy
20-06-2012, 08:53 AM
Thanks, Cottoneyes,

Again, some valuable points which I can take on board. There are dynamics at play which have been built up over the years, so that always makes some issues more difficult to deal with.

Regards,

Mitch

Qld IR Consultant
20-06-2012, 11:28 AM
Another point to remember mitchy is when you go to change things make sure you don't let them use the old "but we've been doing it this way for years" act....Just because you've been doing it for years doesn't mean you were doing it right :) Good luck!!!!

Mitchy
20-06-2012, 01:14 PM
Thanks again for your input, I appreciate it very much.

I was an Audit Manager for Chartered Accountants for over ten years and have also worked as Deputy (and Acting) CEO for a Local Government Authority, so I'm certainly prepared and experienced enough to deal with such "reasoning". In the latter position I felt personally at risk on occasions for introducing and monitoring compliance to stamp out pilfering. I end up building strong, cohesive teams because of the methods employed and also once the benefits become apparent. Gaining people's respect is the key. If staff know they are valued and listened to, if they know they are respected, a lot can be accomplished without the use of a big stick approach.

Regards,

Neil