Tanda Blog: Industry Insights

Bryn Tardent-Powell

29 September 2020    |   

Following the continued slew of high profile underpayment cases and sweeping changes to industrial relations laws, including the criminalisation of ‘wage theft’ in Victoria and Queensland, it’s clear that underpayments are a widespread problem amongst Australian businesses.  With so many high profile organisations being caught off guard, many industry leaders are left wondering how they can protect their own organisations from underpayments.  What’s causing underpayment Issues to rise to the surface? Wage miscalculations have always been an issue, with the Australian Payroll Association finding 33% of businesses admit to making on every single pay run.  However, over the last two to three years, and especially in the last 12 months, Australia has seen a large escalation in the amount of media coverage into underpayment scandals. This creates a snowball effect whereby increased media coverage prompts regulators such as the Fair Work Commission to increase enforcement. Increased public scrutiny also prompts state and federal governments to spotlight the issue and take action in the form of changes to industrial relations law, such as the criminalisation of wage theft. How do you detect an underpayment in the workplace? How to check for underpayments manually  Traditionally, employers would be required to manually calculate a paycheque using fair work’s comprehensive award rules, inclusive of all entitlements and allowances an employee would incur. They would then extrapolate this across a year and make a comparison with their salary or enterprise agreement.  This process is not just time-consuming but prone to human error due to the growing complexity of rules found in modern awards as well as ambiguity found in the interpretation of those rules.   How to check for underpayments automatically Tanda is proud to announce the beta of our latest compliance tool Wage Compare. This tool leverages the power of our existing award engine, allowing employers to directly compare the salary or enterprise agreement of an employee against the award and all its rules.  Within Tanda, simply set up an employee with both an award classification and an annual salary. Timesheets are then run through Tanda’s market-leading payroll calculator to determine how much the employee would have been paid under the award vs their agreement.  Employers can then run a report on staff to identify which employees are being paid safely on or above the award, and which employees are potentially being underpaid on their agreements.  The Wage Compare Beta is now Live in Tanda, To put our award engine to the test sign up for a free trial of the system. 

Bryn Tardent-Powell

31 August 2020    |   

With new jail sentences in Victoria and changes to Modern Awards rushed through, COVID-19 is set to shake up industrial relations and employment laws. Despite industrial relations being federalised over 10 years ago, Victoria has legislated their own jail penalties for business owners and directors. Individuals who are convicted under the new Victorian Wage Theft Act 2020, which criminalises underpayments, face a maximum of 10 years imprisonment the federal government has also indicated intentions to criminalise wage theft. This move parallels some of the most rapid industrial relations reforms in Australia’s history seeing changes to Awards rushed in a matter of days. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has vowed to overhaul Australia’s Industrial Relations system at a federal level, in a move to prioritise getting Australian’s back to work. The COVID-19 pandemic has already left permanent marks on Australia’s employment laws, proving significant changes to modern awards can be rushed. Not only has the cost of non-compliance increased, but the ever-shifting goalposts for employers have created a higher level of uncertainty in the rules. Case Study The Fair Work Ombudsman v Priority Matters Pty Ltd & Anor case decided that Directors who displayed wilful blindness were found to be personally liable for unpaid wages. This landmark court decision sets a new precedent for further fines to be handed down against directors of non-compliant operators. The Victorian Parliament passed the Wage Theft Act 2020, which criminalises underpayments with a maximum of 10 years imprisonment.2 With Victoria making the first step, it is expected that other states will follow suit as these types of larger reforms often make their way across the country through harmonisation. State-based labour-hire legislation is a suitable example where legislation written by the State Government in Queensland was adopted in a similar form by the Victorian and South Australian governments shortly after. Federally, the Attorney-General Christian Porter has indicated the federal government will be taking a strong stance on wage theft as well. What’s next? With the entitlements of modern awards becoming increasingly complex and goal posts shifting at an unprecedented rate, many Australian businesses have found themselves unable to keep up.  Pay calculators and award compliance software have become the new industry standard.  Within Tanda, our award engine automatically adds compliant pay rates to your rosters and timesheets, including base rates, overtime, allowances, and higher duties. All managed awards, including the hospitality award, have built-in base rates that sync with payroll and update when Fair Work mandates change. This means that award rates are updated in accordance with all future Fair Work changes and birthdate rollovers for employees, keeping businesses compliant without constantly monitoring Fair Work’s site for updates to complex rule sets. To put our award engine to the test sign up for a free trial of the system. 

Bryn Tardent-Powell

16 July 2020    |   

This guide explains how to lodge a tax declaration form, to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) online without having to print, type, or scan a thing.  Firstly we describe the traditional method using the ATO business portal. Then, a new, faster, and easier method using ATO compliant digital onboarding software.    Option 1 – The traditional method of lodging a tax declaration form via the ATO Business Portal An option to lodge the tax file number (TFN) Declaration form online via the ATO business portal has existed for some time.  While many employers still distribute paper forms to new employees, the ATO will now accept a digitally signed form which is a welcome advancement. You can find the Tax file number declaration form supplied by the Australian Taxation Office here. From there, simply complete the form either digitally or by printing onto A4 paper and filling it out by hand. This method of lodging through the ATO business portal still has major limitations not yet addressed by the tax office: ❌There are no digital “checks” available to reduce errors in the ATO digital form. ❌Paper forms are prone to manual entry errors. ❌Duplication of work is required to enter this data again into accounting or payroll software. ❌The ATO form is more complex than other methods available. To lodge directly through the ATO website you will need to have an ATO business portal account. Copies of the process and the digital version of the TFN Declaration form are located here.   Option 2 – The more efficient method using the ATO-compliant Tanda Onboarding tool This faster option to lodge a tax declaration form forms uses Tanda’s software which meets ATO compliance requirements and lodges forms directly.  Not only is this option faster, but it solves the major limitations of the traditional TFN Declaration form. The form is compliant with ATO ‘SBR’ requirements, meaning Tanda collects all the required information but using an easier format. The benefits of using Tanda Onboarding include: ✔️Inbuilt logic to pick up incorrect TFN numbers, and assist to catch common mistakes before they happen. ✔️The fastest method available by eliminating the need to double enter form responses. ✔️Automatically create the employee in MYOB or Xero Payroll systems to eliminate errors and save time. ✔️Tanda Onboarding is the simplest method available to collect the required information.    How it works: Send a link to Tanda Onboarding directly to the employee by email or text message  Instantly collect the receipt of the tax declaration form on completion by the employee Allow you to lodge the tax declaration form directly to the ATO with no data entry required Send the employee automatically to MYOB or Xero    Automate more than just the tax declaration form Tanda Onboarding also partners with accounting systems MYOB & Xero to provide automatic transfer of the details filled out in Tanda Onboarding to your new employee in your payroll file. Tanda Onboarding will still work and lodge the TFN Declaration with all other systems. This means you can not only collect all the required payroll documentation but also automatically create the new employee in MYOB or Xero with no manual entry required. Looking to get started with Tanda Onboarding? Sign up for a free Tanda trial account, and follow the guide to experience all the platform has to offer.

Tasmin Trezise

15 July 2020    |   

Most people never have to worry about the payroll compliance process required to get someone paid. It’s not a hugely riveting subject; staff go to work, they work, they get paid. However, as Fair Work’s list of big names failing to pay minimum entitlements continues to grow, we’re often left wondering why it is so hard to pay employees correctly.  What most don’t realise is that behind every pay run is a series of legal interpretations with varying degrees of complexity and ambiguity. Australia is routinely identified as one of the most complex countries to run payroll in, with workforce administration, payroll compliance requirements, and regulations identified as the major complicating factors. With each new wage rate transgression, I’m reminded of an old industry saying, “a good payroll officer is somebody nobody knows.” An understanding that attention is only paid to your payroll when there are errors, under-payments, or the pay is late. Far from magic, the time and expertise required to calculate pay could convince any seasoned mathematician to hang up their wand. In total, Australia has 122 Modern Awards with the average Award having between 180-200 individual rules. These rules specify pay rates for overtime hours during the week and weekend, overtime for RDO, public holidays, late-night shifts and employee classification, just to name a few. With so many complex rules, it’s easy to see why some of the best and most experienced in the business have found themselves out of the good graces of the Fair Work Commission.  It’s become increasingly clear over the last 12 months that meeting Fair Work’s requirements is becoming less and less feasible for your average Australian. If big business, backed by payroll teams with decades of experience can be caught out, what chance does your average Australian small business stand? For the past seven years, Tanda has made it their business to know the intricacies of payroll, building software that automates the increasingly complex entitlements put in place by the Fair Work Commission. Our award engine reduces the administrative burden of paying your staff correctly by managing the various rates and entitlements for you. Being smarter and more innovative is the only way to control labour spend in the productive, high-wage workplaces of the future. It’s time to use wage compliance management as a competitive edge. To put our award engine to the test sign up for a free trial of the system. 

Andrew Stirling

28 May 2020    |   

The Federal Court decided, for the second time in two years, that an employee of Workpac was entitled to paid leave even though Workpac had classified the employee as a casual. The case doesn’t mean that all casual employees are automatically entitled to the same leave benefits as permanent employees. However, you do need to understand the decision to avoid the same traps as Workpac. What does the Fair Work Act say? Under the Fair Work Act, casual employees aren’t entitled to some benefits of permanent full-time or part-time employment (e.g. annual leave, sick leave, carer’s leave). The problem is that the Act doesn’t define when someone will be a casual employee. In the recent Workpac decision, the Federal Court had to interpret what the Act means by the term “casual employee”. Hasn’t the Fair Work Commission decided this already? Under virtually all modern awards, and many enterprise agreements, a casual employee is anyone “engaged and paid as such,” or some similar phrase. This expression has resulted in many employers reasonably thinking that an employee is a casual, and so not entitled to paid leave, if they are paid a casual loading and clearly engaged as a casual worker. However, the Federal Court had already decided in an earlier case involving Workpac that an employee was not a casual employee under the Act just because they are a casual employee under a modern award or enterprise agreement. When is someone a casual employee under the Act then? This is still pretty murky, just like the distinction between independent contractors and employees.  The Federal Court set out a list of imprecise factors that they use to help guide their decision. The closest a judge came to a definition of casual employee under the Act is “an employee who has no firm advance commitment from her or his employer to continuing and indefinite work according to an agreed pattern of work”. In the Workpac case, the employee was not a casual employee under the Act because: his contracts said he was a casual employee, but also guaranteed (for both his and Workpac’s benefit) that he would turn up to work 38 hours per week. The description of his employment as “casual” in the contract was overtaken by other clauses that pointed to him being a permanent employee; and practically speaking, he had a regular roster pattern in the mining industry that was set well in advance. What should I be looking for? Casual employment usually has most or all of the following characteristics: no employer promise (e.g. in the employment contract) to engage and pay the employee; likewise, no employee promise to perform work if that is offered by the employer; engagements of the casual employee that are irregular, unpredictable, uncertain, discontinuous and intermittent; employment “by the hour” (e.g. paid an hourly rate, with the employment terminable on an hour’s notice). Employers use Tanda to help identify these key considerations. Its compliance features confirm how far in advance each shift was rostered, how consistent an employee’s earnings have been, and how regular their working patterns are. Get started with a free 14-day trial account.

Roderick Schneider

17 April 2020    |   

Since the JobKeeper legislation came into effect last week we’ve had an influx of inquiries of how to use Tanda to make JobKeeper payments. We’ve found the easiest way to manage this for most clients is using an allowance.  Businesses are able to add an allowance to staff timesheets on an ad hoc basis as required to ensure that they are being paid enough for the business to be able to claim the allowance.  This marries nicely with what payroll systems like MYOB and Xero are doing. You are able to link the Job Keeper top up to the pay item or pay category and have it feed through directly.  For larger businesses we have the ability to automate these top up amounts through Webhooks. This takes a little bit longer to set up, but for clients who are still processing hundreds of timesheets they are finding it is saving them time and is worth the extra effort. To view the Help Guide on Setting up the JobKeeper allowance click here.  If you manage a large payroll and would like information on automating this allowance on staff that are still working, you can get more information here or by emailing support@tanda.co  For more information on the JobKeeper payment you can visit the government website for information on eligible employers, employees and the payment process. We encourage you to get professional advice from our wonderful Tanda Partners who specialise in Advisory, Bookkeeping and Accounting services.

Jessica Genio-Ignacio

19 February 2020    |   

Australia has one of the most complex labour regulations in the world. Of all its industries, the hospitality sector consistently receives the highest Fair Work Ombudsman disputes annually. In the 2018-2019 financial year, 36% of all anonymous reports were made in the industry. Data reflects trouble as well. The fast food, restaurants, and cafes are leading the way in noncompliance rates. One surprise audit in 2018 netted $471,904 unpaid wages from businesses in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Compliance issues harm business. There’s the issue of litigation, as well as the direct blows to brand value. For the workforce, it’s disheartening to learn you may have been ill-compensated for your hours. One survey by hospitality job platform Barcats found of participating hospitality professionals, 40% suspected pay shortages in packets, with 33% of that number discovering suspicions were true.  How non-compliance harms business In our study conducted in partnership with Workforce, we found two of the most prominent concerns organisations have about compliance is damage to employee morale (mentioned by 58.1% of respondents) and damage to brand equity (44.2%).  Morale is key to engagement. According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace study, engaged employees consistently produce better business outcomes: 10% higher customer ratings, 20% higher sales, and 21% higher profitability. Research also says that highly engaged business units reported a 24% lower turnover in high-turnover organisations. And the hospitality industry has a problem with turnover. High competition, low barriers to entry, and casual employment are major contributing factors.  Hiring replacements is expensive. In one case study on four and five-star hotels, researchers from Griffith University found that the average replacement cost was $9,591 per employee. That figure rises to $109,909 per annum per employee for executive, managerial and supervisory staff.  It doesn’t stop at that. The Fair Work Ombudsman imposes a strict set of penalties on those who fail to adhere to workplace laws, each misstep potentially costing businesses millions of dollars if they aren’t careful. Sanctions include: On-the-spot fines  Court appearances Money paid per infringement, amounts varying by severity Paying back employee entitlements plus interest Mandatory training and audits Compensation payments Some cases can go back decades. One such high-profile case is that of George Calombaris’ (of MasterChef Australia fame) MAdE Establishment group. In 2017, the group backpaid $2.6 million to 162 affected workers from three Melbourne restaurants. Two years later, that figure grew to $7.8 million and more than 500 employees. They attributed the errors to lapses in annualised salary arrangements, resulting in mistakes in overtime and penalty rates.  Watch ASBFEO Ombudsman Kate Carnell on Governance and Compliance There’s even talk of the government drafting laws to criminalise intentional wage theft. Groups believe such rulings merits greater consequences, but it remains to be seen whether harsher penalties make it into law. Why non-compliance happens With these risks, why do most businesses only learn of errors through employee complaints? The same thing that prevents hospitality businesses from correcting compliance inaccuracies immediately, and the first sentence of our article. Australia has one of the most complex labour regulations in the world. Fair Work also makes periodic amendments to industry award rules, which results in the need for detailed reviews lest an employer be liable for violations.  A payroll officer needs to take all that into account for calculations. That requires accurate timesheet and attendance records and onboarding documents, including employee information such as birthdays and qualifications. Human resource professionals have their hands full with running the daily operations, but also recruitment and processes to reduce turnover.  Less breathing room means payroll officers may not catch errors on time. According to our Workforce Management Trends study, 46.1% of HR professionals say manual errors are a challenge they regularly face with time and attendance.  How successful businesses navigate complex regulatory changes Technology helps. Hundreds of workforce software solutions exist in the market aiming to reduce this complexity. Effective solutions consider compliance as central to their system. Such systems should have an award interpretation engine that: Automatically updates base rates according to age and Fair Work standards Applies prepared allowances directly into staff wage calculations Calculates higher duty rates Provides detailed timesheet breakdowns that summarise all applicable modifiers to an employee’s wage for easy double-checking  Investing in automated solutions cuts downtime, and provides accurate employee clock-ins. That simplifies the double-checking process and can export directly to payroll as well. That puts the future of your workforce firmly in your control: as technology develops, so can the scale of your operations. Employers use Tanda to help navigate Australia’s complex system. Its powerful award interpreter, automatically-updating award templates, and other compliance features make it faster to stay compliant. Get started with a free 14-day trial account.

J. Barbor, Guest Writer

27 August 2019    |   

Technology as a business necessity In 2017, nearly half of all Australian innovation-active businesses spent on new equipment or technology, making tech the most common innovation expenditure — and rightly so. Technology has become a necessity for businesses everywhere, and the most competitive companies are always looking to upgrade theirs to improve productivity. However, it’s important to keep in mind that investing in innovative technology means more than just purchasing it. Often, the most crucial steps to maximise its benefits are what comes afterwards, when it is integrated into everyday business operations. Businesses must consider how new technologies will affect their employees, and although it might sound obvious, it’s a little more complicated than simply deploying them. Indeed, there are a lot of factors to think about, particularly with regard to how the technology will affect your frontline employees. They play a huge role in customer satisfaction, and the alienation or intimidation they may feel towards new tools will most likely affect their interactions with clients. Rosie Ramirez wrote that the smallest interactions with frontline employees can shape people’s opinions of your brand, meaning that even the small instances of bad customer service can make or break your company in the long run. That’s why getting frontline workers to engage with and accept new technology is essential in keeping them and your customers happy. That said, we’ve listed down some tips to make this adoption of new tech possible with your invaluable frontline workers. Choose user-friendly tech Frontline employees already face a lot of pressure at work — customer service workers know this more than most, and understand how stressful it can be to handle customers well. Adding new and complicated-looking technology can be frustrating (and terrifying) to those who already have a lot on their plate. Remember that there is a myriad of options for functional and user-friendly tech these days, so simply lining them up to compare your options will make a world of difference for your busy frontline workers. Think about day-to-day operations Considering how new technology will affect day-to-day operations is not a one-man job, and at this stage, it’s important to actually talk to your frontline employees who are likely affected by any changes made in the back office. For instance, if you change tracking systems for stock that will benefit your operations managers, how would this affect sales teams on the ground who rely on this information on a daily basis? Don’t assume that you know how everything works, and ask different departments how new tools might change operations from the ground up. That way, you and your workers know exactly what to expect and how to prepare for it. Be transparent about new tools Change can be intimidating, especially when employees don’t know exactly what is changing. It’s important to spell it out for frontline employees who are most likely going to be affected by the new tech. Verizon Connect’s guide on how to get employees to use new technology points out that it’s crucial to constantly repeat the benefits of new tools to employees until they’re integrated into the existing company culture. Resistance can be expected at first, but by being transparent about the new technology, you’re making frontline workers feel confident and included in the change. Guarantee effective training When you invest in new technology, it’s best to invest in effective trainers as well. This can make the adoption of new tools easier for both you and your workers. Staff won’t have to juggle trying to learn the new tech on their own while meeting with clients, since you will give them the one- or two-day training they need to understand it. Of course, follow-ups are key to knowing if additional training is necessary for certain employees, particularly the less tech-savvy ones. Data from the Australian Institute of Family Studies confirms that older generations are less likely to interact with new technology and often require extra training courses to improve basic skills for online activities. Listening to what individual workers need will help everyone gain the skills needed to operate new technology. It goes without saying that more changes should be expected in an increasingly digital world, and it’s critical to think about the individuals working on the frontlines when implementing these changes, given that they are the faces that drive brands forward. After all, what use is shiny new machinery to improve operations if your staff don’t know what to make of them? Ready to adopt a frontline-friendly technology platform? See how Tanda can make rostering and payroll more efficient when you start your free trial today.

Rosie Ramirez

10 June 2019    |   

Superannuation underpayment is a significant problem in Australia. An estimated 2.85 million Australians are being short-changed. On average, they have 50% less in their super balances than those who are being paid correctly. Further, analysis of ATO data has shown that the average underpayment is $2,070 — that’s $80 per fortnightly pay. Young, blue-collar workers are especially vulnerable to underpayment. So how do you make sure that superannuation contributions are accurate for your employees? Trade in your pen and paper for a super calculator Superannuation is important because it applies to almost every type of worker in Australia. Thus, employers must pay super for any work casual, part-time, and full-time temporary resident employee who falls under the following: Employees over 18 years of age, who earn $450 or more every month (before taxes); and Employees under 18 years of age, who earn $450 or more every month (before taxes), and work at least 30 hours a week. Employers must pay a minimum of 9.5% of the employee’s ordinary time earnings into super. But this is set to gradually rise over the coming years. However, you won’t need to worry about any of this when you use our free superannuation calculator. See correct superannuation contributions for multiple employees Figuring out the correct superannuation for your employees is effortless with our free super calculator. This free super calculator shows you the correct contributions for multiple employees at once. Follow the steps below to see the correct superannuation contributions. Don’t forget to check all the data before June 30! Step 1: Input. Input the first employee’s details in each field using our switch system. Step 2: Add. Click the “add employee button” to input another set of details. Repeat as necessary. Step 3: Calculate. Click the “calculate” button to see results. Avoid being charged fees and interest for unpaid superannuation contributions Employers who do not pay the correct superannuation may face fines, penalties, or charges. Additionally, you may lose your tax deduction for super contributions. If you are a small business that pays employees in cash, you may be more vulnerable to making mistakes in filing superannuation contributions. Don’t take the risk. Use a superannuation calculator that eliminates human error from your administrative work. Switch to complete workforce management system effortlessly Calculating correct super contributions is just one small part of our full range of services. Upgrade your free superannuation calculator to our full range of services and you will also be able to: Search and consolidate all employees’ superannuation contributions Accurately track time and attendance Manage leaves, shifts, and unavailability See real-time staff count and wage spending Connect to your existing payroll system Produce reports for strategic planning Ready to take advantage of technology to make sure your superannuation contributions are spot on?  Start your free trial now and get one step closer to workforce success! Disclaimers: You should only use the results generated from this website as a guide. They may not be completely accurate for your business. If you have other eligibility criteria not covered by this calculator, please refer to the ATO’s superannuation guarantee eligibility decision tool.

Rosie Ramirez

16 May 2019    |   

Managers juggle different roles throughout the day. They set goals, coach employees, monitor performance, and control budgets and expenses. When they don’t do it effectively, employees become frustrated and can’t perform their best. In fact, a worldwide survey revealed that 40% of employees are dissatisfied at work due to a lack of help and support from their boss. Uncertainty about the workplace’s vision or strategy and heavy workload also factor into employee dissatisfaction. You can bet that this is because of an ineffective manager who doesn’t spend time on the frontline with employees. There are a couple of reasons why this is bad for any business. When managers aren’t on the frontline as often as they should be, they’re left guessing about day-to-day operations. They miss out on observing team dynamics and employee satisfaction. Engaging customers or responding to complaints about products and services is harder. And they become increasingly out of touch with both their team and customers. As a consequence, they don’t see why costs blow up and can’t figure out how to increase sales. The bottom line is that managers need to spend a significant amount of time on the ground. Few problems in service-based industries can be solved from behind a computer. So how can you keep your managers on the frontline? 1. Keep your managers mobile Don’t let your managers get stuck behind a desk. Keep admin tasks short by bringing it right to their smartphones. Tanda’s employee scheduling app gives managers the information they need to run a shift through their mobile device. It features automatic notifications and tools to respond to changes throughout the day. Managers can see who’s coming in for the day and when they start work. They can edit shifts without needing to sit down at a computer. They can even notify staff when new schedules are published, or when there are vacant shifts to fill. It doesn’t matter how many teams and venues a manager is handling because they can all be accessed from a mobile phone. They will be able to adjust rosters based on the flow of customers and other observations on the ground. Read more: Peak Season Rostering: How to use data to meet demand and raise profit 2. Keep an eye on staffing in real time Monitoring late staff and breaks, substituting unavailable staff, and calling in extra help are all part of running a shift. That’s where Key Alerts comes in. Key Alerts helps you make sure that staff stick to their rostered hours. It lets you know who clocks-in or out late, doesn’t take breaks, or takes breaks too long. Key Alerts, which comes for free with Tanda’s mobile scheduling app, also flags managers if staff are approaching overtime. Managers don’t have to sit at their desktop or constantly check their app to see who’s not in. The alerts come automatically every time. All bases are always covered with Key Alerts so managers can focus on helping employees identify ways to improve the business. 3. Lessen paperwork with Time Clock Questions Are employees clocking in too early without informing their supervisor? Are they consistently staying back into overtime without a known reason?  Instead of manually contacting staff about this and clarifying why, Time Clock Questions does this automatically. The feature asks staff relevant questions about their shift when they clock-in and -out of their rostered hours. You can customise questions and answer options to facilitate the process. Now there’s no need to call up staff manually to verify their reasons. The faster managers can complete timesheets or timecards, the faster they can get back to the frontline. Free download: Overcoming Employee Challenges in Shift Work Industries 4. Stay ahead with Shift Replacements Absences are inevitable, and good managers know that every unfilled shift adds burden to other team members and compromises overall performance. With Shift Replacements, managers can see which employees have indicated they won’t be able to work a shift. Once a replacement has been requested by an employee, the manager can go into Shift Replacements on their app. The number of replacements that need action is shown as a red bubble. Managers can offer these shifts to all available people on that team or just to specific people. Overtime, hours, and other information is shown to managers so that they don’t get any nasty surprises in payroll. With calling for replacements out of the way, managers can devote time and effort to other more important tasks. Keep your managers on the frontline Managers need reliable data to get their work done. Looking at the numbers after a day’s work is good. But looking at what’s behind the numbers is better. Ideally, managers should be able to address issues in real time rather than at the end of the day. Rosters, sales, demand, and staff engagement all affect how well the team does. But many managers are swamped with paperwork. They’re spending more time in the back office than on the frontline with their staff. Managers who are unable to spend time training employees and engaging clients will not be able to have a clear idea of how to improve the business. Indeed, time spent in your office as a frontline manager is wasted time. Tanda helps keep managers in the frontline with several features made with shift work in mind. Gone are the days when managers are burdened with hours and hours in the back office. And the less time you spend on paperwork, the more time you have to pay attention to things that really matter. Managing staff, engaging customers, and growing the business are easier with the right technology. No matter how competitive the business landscape is, managers on the frontline will make a difference. Investing in workforce management technology to empower your managers gets you closer to cementing your place in your industry. Want to eliminate tedious tasks and keep your managers on the frontline? Start your free 14-day trial with Tanda today! No credit card required.