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Industry Insights |

As reported by Supermarket News, Mariano’s, a Chicago-based supermarket chain, is currently facing multiple lawsuits for their alleged violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. Also known as BIPA, the law, among other provisions, explicitly prohibits any private entity to collect biometric data without the owner’s permission. It also mandates the private entity to protect biometric data within reasonable care. Former employees of the supermarket chain claim that their employer violated the BIPA when they were required, without obtaining prior written permission, to record their attendance with their fingerprint on a biometric time clock. The plaintiffs also claim that the employer never provided a written document that outlined the specific purpose of data collection, how it will be stored, and how it will be destroyed. Damages could reach up to 10 million USD or 12.5 million AUD. The Burden for Biometric Time Clock Users Biometric time clocks are favoured by a lot of businesses for its accuracy. However, unlike company IDs, people can’t request for a replacement fingerprint (or a new iris) if the biometric data fall into the wrong hands. That’s why it wasn’t a surprise that the state of Illinois passed a law that strictly restricts its use. This can prove to be more burdensome than beneficial to any business owner who is using biometric time clocks in their business. Time Clock Software: Accuracy Without the Hassle Tanda’s time clock software accurately tracks employee time and attendance without the need for biometric data. The application takes a photo* of employees as they clock in and out and stores it with their digital timesheets. At any time, managers and business owners can review it to verify their attendance. And all employee information is encrypted and stored securely in data centres with best-in-class security protocols. Biometric time clocks can potentially give your business more problems than benefits in the long run. Switching to a time clock software such as Tanda gives you the accuracy you need for time attendance, plus other features, with zero stress.

Illinois Supermarket Chain Sued for using Biometric Data for Time Clocks

20 February 2019

Employee Scheduling |

Even with the advent of online shopping, brick-and-mortar stores still line the streets of many American cities. These stores command a powerful share of the market. An estimated 15% of Americans are employed in these retail establishments, supporting millions of families across the country. Retail workers typically work unstable schedules to match labor to incoming traffic, increasing profitability in the process. However, irregular or overlapping schedules can cause a considerable amount of stress for managers and employees alike. The Fair Workweek Initiative has been on this side of the issue for years now, which is why their main advocacy is to give workers control of their schedules in their respective jobs, giving employers and their families alike the opportunity for a healthy work-life balance. Needless to say, for managers, keeping track of multiple employees or stores can result in errors. This includes badly made schedules and late notifications. Unfilled shifts are more likely in this scenario. For employees, not having a schedule ahead of time can cause lower job satisfaction and greater instances of work-family conflict. Both scenarios can lower profits and put thousands of livelihoods in jeopardy in the long run. In large part, some local governments and states in the US now implement predictive scheduling laws. This is also known as ‘fair scheduling’. What is predictive scheduling? Predictive scheduling laws require advanced notice when posting a schedule. This ranges from 48 hours to two weeks, depending on state law. They also restrict or ban employers from scheduling on-call shifts and adding pay incentives for these shifts. As of 2018, four cities and one state have enacted these laws. They are: San Francisco, New York, Seattle, and Emeryville, and the State of Oregon. Fair Workweek began its influence in the cities of San Francisco and Santa Clara County, CA. In 2014, people working hourly jobs in these cities have been given the basic standards for work-hours policy, i.e. Predictive Schedules, Opportunity to Work, Healthy Schedules, and Flexibility. Some business giants have also started taking initiative. Last November, Walmart announced predictive scheduling for all US stores. The bottom line for all of them is to make schedules both more predictable and flexible for everyone. Predictive scheduling across US cities City of San Francisco The first city to have a predictive work scheduling law, San Francisco’s ordinance covers retail stores, fast food franchises, and restaurant chains that have at least 40 establishments worldwide. Any contractors who provide janitorial or security services to these businesses are also covered by this law. It requires employers to do the following: Give new employees a document with a “good faith estimate” of their minimum number of scheduled shifts per month; Provide the days and hours of those shifts, including on-call shifts; Provide staff schedules (2 weeks in advance, including on-call shifts; and Give “Predictability Pay” of: One (1) hour at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 7 days but more than 24 hours after the advance notice Two (2) hours at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 24 hours before the scheduled shift, for shifts less than 4 hours long Four (4) hours at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 24 hours before the scheduled shift, for shifts over 4 hours long New York City New York City has different predictive work scheduling laws for retail businesses and fast food establishments which came into effect on 29 November 2017. Retail businesses that sell consumer goods and hire at least 20 employees are covered by the law and are required to: Provide employees with a written work schedule at least 72 hours before the first shift; Pay a penalty of $300 per employee if they fail to do so; Eliminate all on-call shifts, and pay a penalty of $500 per employee if they fail to do so; Permit employees to trade shifts, which is beneficial for employers and employees alike; and Make all changes 72 hours before it is scheduled to start. Retail businesses are prohibited from canceling a shift 72 hours before it is scheduled to start. The predictive scheduling law also covers fast food businesses that have at least 30 establishments nationally. Employers are required to: Give staff their schedules 14 days (two weeks) in advance; and Ensure there is a minimum of 11 hours between each shift, to avoid “clopening” or consecutive closing and opening shifts. City of Emeryville For the City of Emeryville, retail and fast food employers should conduct regular calculations to determine whether or not they are covered by the Fair Workweek regulations. Retail firms with 56 or more employees globally, and fast food firms with 56 or more employees globally and 20 or more employees in Emeryville are required to: Give new employees a document with a “good faith estimate” of their minimum number of scheduled shifts per month and the days and hours of those shifts, including on-call shifts; Provide staff schedules 2 weeks in advance, whether through a public post at the workplace or electronic methods; Give “Predictability Pay” of: One (1) hour at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 14 days but more than 24 hours after the advance notice Four (4) hours at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 24 hours before the shift starts; Allow the employee to decline work hours if it starts less than 11 hours after end of previous day’s shift. City of Seattle In Seattle, covered by the predictive work scheduling law are retail and foodservice establishments that have at least 500 employees worldwide, and full-service restaurants that have at least 500 employees and 40 locations worldwide. They are required to: Provide staff schedules 2 weeks in advance, including on-call shifts Give an extra hour’s worth of pay at their regular hourly rate if: Extra hours were added to the schedule The start and end times were changed with no loss of hours Give one-half of the employee’s scheduled rate of pay per hour for any scheduled hours the employee does not work if their: Employer subtracted hours from an employee’s schedule Start and end times are changed resulting in loss of hours Shift was canceled Scheduled on-call shift is one they don’t need to report for Predictive scheduling in the State of Oregon In July 2018, the State or Oregon became the first to implement statewide predictive scheduling laws, which requires retail, food service, and hospitality industry employers with at least 500 employees worldwide to: Give new employees a document with a “good faith estimate” of their minimum number of scheduled shifts per month;he days and hours of those shifts; Provide staff schedules 7 days in advance from 1 July 2018; Provide staff schedules 14 days in advance from 1 July 2020; Give 1 hour of pay at the regular hourly rate if their: Employer adds more than 30 minutes of work to their shift Start and end times were changed with no loss of hours Employer schedules an additional work shift or an on-call shift Give one-half times the employee’s scheduled rate of pay per hour for any scheduled hours the employee does not work if their: Shift was canceled Shift was shortened or their scheduled hours were reduced Oregon employers have the option to invite staff to a “voluntary standby list” who can work extra hours, but the additional compensations don’t apply to them. Make Predictive Scheduling hassle-free With these key changes in scheduling employees in the retail and fast food industries, other employers can only expect that similar laws will be implemented in other cities and states. Employers need to be prepared to manage schedules efficiently to not incur any penalties and increase overall productivity. While predictive scheduling sounds like a lot of work, it doesn’t have to be. Workforce success platforms that specialize in creating schedules and communicating them to employees are already readily available in the United States. One such platform is Tanda, with a Scheduling Software that eliminates manual scheduling work. With Tanda, employers can build schedules to match customer demand, see staff availability in real-time, save templates, and set targets and cost schedules to make sure the schedule is never over budget. Laws will soon require schedules to be provided one or two weeks in advance. Conveniently, custom schedule templates can be saved and applied in seconds. Thus, compliance is a given every time. Informing employees of their shift is also a breeze. They can receive published schedules instantly through Tanda’s Scheduling App, or even via SMS and email. Tanda also has a Cognitive Scheduling feature which takes schedule management to the next level with smart algorithms and proprietary logic to weigh employment types, pay rates, age, skill level of staff, and much more to generate the best schedule that maximizes all resources. Employers can run multiple scenario testing against qualified data inputs to suggest an optimal output. This, and multiple other features, ensure a hassle-free schedule that fits all staffing requirements. They can even be sent to employees at the touch of a button. Technology is the future of workforce management, and Tanda is built to get you there.

Building a Solid Shift: Predictive Scheduling Laws across the US

15 January 2019

Feature Updates Product Updates |

Introducing the Tanda Mobile App!

22 February 2018

Industry Insights |

As reported by Supermarket News, Mariano’s, a Chicago-based supermarket chain, is currently facing multiple lawsuits for their alleged violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. Also known as BIPA, the law, among other provisions, explicitly prohibits any private entity to collect biometric data without the owner’s permission. It also mandates the private entity to protect biometric data within reasonable care. Former employees of the supermarket chain claim that their employer violated the BIPA when they were required, without obtaining prior written permission, to record their attendance with their fingerprint on a biometric time clock. The plaintiffs also claim that the employer never provided a written document that outlined the specific purpose of data collection, how it will be stored, and how it will be destroyed. Damages could reach up to 10 million USD or 12.5 million AUD. The Burden for Biometric Time Clock Users Biometric time clocks are favoured by a lot of businesses for its accuracy. However, unlike company IDs, people can’t request for a replacement fingerprint (or a new iris) if the biometric data fall into the wrong hands. That’s why it wasn’t a surprise that the state of Illinois passed a law that strictly restricts its use. This can prove to be more burdensome than beneficial to any business owner who is using biometric time clocks in their business. Time Clock Software: Accuracy Without the Hassle Tanda’s time clock software accurately tracks employee time and attendance without the need for biometric data. The application takes a photo* of employees as they clock in and out and stores it with their digital timesheets. At any time, managers and business owners can review it to verify their attendance. And all employee information is encrypted and stored securely in data centres with best-in-class security protocols. Biometric time clocks can potentially give your business more problems than benefits in the long run. Switching to a time clock software such as Tanda gives you the accuracy you need for time attendance, plus other features, with zero stress.

Illinois Supermarket Chain Sued for using Biometric Data for Time Clocks

20 February 2019

Employee Scheduling |

Even with the advent of online shopping, brick-and-mortar stores still line the streets of many American cities. These stores command a powerful share of the market. An estimated 15% of Americans are employed in these retail establishments, supporting millions of families across the country. Retail workers typically work unstable schedules to match labor to incoming traffic, increasing profitability in the process. However, irregular or overlapping schedules can cause a considerable amount of stress for managers and employees alike. The Fair Workweek Initiative has been on this side of the issue for years now, which is why their main advocacy is to give workers control of their schedules in their respective jobs, giving employers and their families alike the opportunity for a healthy work-life balance. Needless to say, for managers, keeping track of multiple employees or stores can result in errors. This includes badly made schedules and late notifications. Unfilled shifts are more likely in this scenario. For employees, not having a schedule ahead of time can cause lower job satisfaction and greater instances of work-family conflict. Both scenarios can lower profits and put thousands of livelihoods in jeopardy in the long run. In large part, some local governments and states in the US now implement predictive scheduling laws. This is also known as ‘fair scheduling’. What is predictive scheduling? Predictive scheduling laws require advanced notice when posting a schedule. This ranges from 48 hours to two weeks, depending on state law. They also restrict or ban employers from scheduling on-call shifts and adding pay incentives for these shifts. As of 2018, four cities and one state have enacted these laws. They are: San Francisco, New York, Seattle, and Emeryville, and the State of Oregon. Fair Workweek began its influence in the cities of San Francisco and Santa Clara County, CA. In 2014, people working hourly jobs in these cities have been given the basic standards for work-hours policy, i.e. Predictive Schedules, Opportunity to Work, Healthy Schedules, and Flexibility. Some business giants have also started taking initiative. Last November, Walmart announced predictive scheduling for all US stores. The bottom line for all of them is to make schedules both more predictable and flexible for everyone. Predictive scheduling across US cities City of San Francisco The first city to have a predictive work scheduling law, San Francisco’s ordinance covers retail stores, fast food franchises, and restaurant chains that have at least 40 establishments worldwide. Any contractors who provide janitorial or security services to these businesses are also covered by this law. It requires employers to do the following: Give new employees a document with a “good faith estimate” of their minimum number of scheduled shifts per month; Provide the days and hours of those shifts, including on-call shifts; Provide staff schedules (2 weeks in advance, including on-call shifts; and Give “Predictability Pay” of: One (1) hour at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 7 days but more than 24 hours after the advance notice Two (2) hours at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 24 hours before the scheduled shift, for shifts less than 4 hours long Four (4) hours at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 24 hours before the scheduled shift, for shifts over 4 hours long New York City New York City has different predictive work scheduling laws for retail businesses and fast food establishments which came into effect on 29 November 2017. Retail businesses that sell consumer goods and hire at least 20 employees are covered by the law and are required to: Provide employees with a written work schedule at least 72 hours before the first shift; Pay a penalty of $300 per employee if they fail to do so; Eliminate all on-call shifts, and pay a penalty of $500 per employee if they fail to do so; Permit employees to trade shifts, which is beneficial for employers and employees alike; and Make all changes 72 hours before it is scheduled to start. Retail businesses are prohibited from canceling a shift 72 hours before it is scheduled to start. The predictive scheduling law also covers fast food businesses that have at least 30 establishments nationally. Employers are required to: Give staff their schedules 14 days (two weeks) in advance; and Ensure there is a minimum of 11 hours between each shift, to avoid “clopening” or consecutive closing and opening shifts. City of Emeryville For the City of Emeryville, retail and fast food employers should conduct regular calculations to determine whether or not they are covered by the Fair Workweek regulations. Retail firms with 56 or more employees globally, and fast food firms with 56 or more employees globally and 20 or more employees in Emeryville are required to: Give new employees a document with a “good faith estimate” of their minimum number of scheduled shifts per month and the days and hours of those shifts, including on-call shifts; Provide staff schedules 2 weeks in advance, whether through a public post at the workplace or electronic methods; Give “Predictability Pay” of: One (1) hour at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 14 days but more than 24 hours after the advance notice Four (4) hours at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 24 hours before the shift starts; Allow the employee to decline work hours if it starts less than 11 hours after end of previous day’s shift. City of Seattle In Seattle, covered by the predictive work scheduling law are retail and foodservice establishments that have at least 500 employees worldwide, and full-service restaurants that have at least 500 employees and 40 locations worldwide. They are required to: Provide staff schedules 2 weeks in advance, including on-call shifts Give an extra hour’s worth of pay at their regular hourly rate if: Extra hours were added to the schedule The start and end times were changed with no loss of hours Give one-half of the employee’s scheduled rate of pay per hour for any scheduled hours the employee does not work if their: Employer subtracted hours from an employee’s schedule Start and end times are changed resulting in loss of hours Shift was canceled Scheduled on-call shift is one they don’t need to report for Predictive scheduling in the State of Oregon In July 2018, the State or Oregon became the first to implement statewide predictive scheduling laws, which requires retail, food service, and hospitality industry employers with at least 500 employees worldwide to: Give new employees a document with a “good faith estimate” of their minimum number of scheduled shifts per month;he days and hours of those shifts; Provide staff schedules 7 days in advance from 1 July 2018; Provide staff schedules 14 days in advance from 1 July 2020; Give 1 hour of pay at the regular hourly rate if their: Employer adds more than 30 minutes of work to their shift Start and end times were changed with no loss of hours Employer schedules an additional work shift or an on-call shift Give one-half times the employee’s scheduled rate of pay per hour for any scheduled hours the employee does not work if their: Shift was canceled Shift was shortened or their scheduled hours were reduced Oregon employers have the option to invite staff to a “voluntary standby list” who can work extra hours, but the additional compensations don’t apply to them. Make Predictive Scheduling hassle-free With these key changes in scheduling employees in the retail and fast food industries, other employers can only expect that similar laws will be implemented in other cities and states. Employers need to be prepared to manage schedules efficiently to not incur any penalties and increase overall productivity. While predictive scheduling sounds like a lot of work, it doesn’t have to be. Workforce success platforms that specialize in creating schedules and communicating them to employees are already readily available in the United States. One such platform is Tanda, with a Scheduling Software that eliminates manual scheduling work. With Tanda, employers can build schedules to match customer demand, see staff availability in real-time, save templates, and set targets and cost schedules to make sure the schedule is never over budget. Laws will soon require schedules to be provided one or two weeks in advance. Conveniently, custom schedule templates can be saved and applied in seconds. Thus, compliance is a given every time. Informing employees of their shift is also a breeze. They can receive published schedules instantly through Tanda’s Scheduling App, or even via SMS and email. Tanda also has a Cognitive Scheduling feature which takes schedule management to the next level with smart algorithms and proprietary logic to weigh employment types, pay rates, age, skill level of staff, and much more to generate the best schedule that maximizes all resources. Employers can run multiple scenario testing against qualified data inputs to suggest an optimal output. This, and multiple other features, ensure a hassle-free schedule that fits all staffing requirements. They can even be sent to employees at the touch of a button. Technology is the future of workforce management, and Tanda is built to get you there.

Building a Solid Shift: Predictive Scheduling Laws across the US

15 January 2019

Feature Updates Product Updates |

Introducing the Tanda Mobile App!

22 February 2018

Most Popular

Tanda

Why Fingerprint Scanners don’t work for Time & Attendance

The ability to quickly identify and verify individuals has been a crucial skill in human society, since the start of civilisation. Where previously face-to-face recognition would have sufficed in tribes and small villages, thanks to today’s rapidly growing global population we require more tools to quickly identify who someone is. In the workplace the need to identify individuals is particularly important, as it’s often tied to staff attendance, payroll, and workplace security. Throughout the years various solutions have been used to verify staff attendance from paper timesheets, to the Bundy Clock, to fingerprint and biometric scanners. Despite the best efforts of some die-hard fans, the fingerprint scanner has reached its limit, being surpassed by the electronic time clock. With so many other solutions available at our fingertips, why are some people so desperately clinging to their fingerprint scanner? Surely we’ve all seen enough spy movies to know fingerprint scanners aren’t foolproof, let alone feasible in today’s day and age where most of the fun comes from trying to fool the system. And yet, it’s something that we still occasionally hear, “why don’t you have fingerprint scanners?” So to put the debate to rest once and for all, here are three reasons why fingerprint scanners don’t work. And before you start saying, ‘but what about this…” here are three great reasons why the electronic time clock has surpassed the fingerprint scanner. 3 Reasons why fingerprint scanners don’t work to track staff attendance 1. They’re Expensive No matter which way you look at it, fingerprint scanners are expensive equipment. Despite the fact that the technology has been around for years, the cost of the device still remains relatively high, potentially setting you back a few thousand dollars. In addition to the device, the cost of the integration between the scanner and corresponding system can be expensive to build. The scanners are delicate, and aren’t always built to handle the hundreds of fingerprints pressed onto them throughout their lifetime. Which brings me to my next point... 2. They’re Unreliable Unlike your favourite FBI crime-show encryption-grade biometric scanners, workplace fingerprint scanners are notoriously unreliable. In order to correctly identify and record an individual, fingerprint scanners require a clear image or impression of your fingerprint. Fingers that are dirty, greasy, cold or wet for example, often don’t register on the scanner, making it hard to both clock out, and verify the individual. Employers who prefer to use fingerprint scanners, do so because they think it’s easier than remembering a passcode. However should the fingerprint scanner fail to register the scan, some systems will request a passcode. Not only is this an additional hassle to staff who are trying simply to clock in or out, but it also opens the window to time theft through buddy clocking. 3. Maintenance is a pain As previously mentioned, fingerprint scanners are not cheap. They’re a costly purchase, and are even more expensive to repair or replace when they wear out. Repairing a broken scanner requires a specialised technician, and often costly parts. On the occasion that it is easier to replace than repair, users often run into more problems as they are not readily available at your local JB Hi-Fi or electronics outlet. On top of this, users often experience issues around the device’s durability, which lead to additional maintenance costs and ultimately a new device down the track. Introducing the 21st Century solution Electronic time clocks are the most robust, user-friendly, and affordable solution to record staff attendance. According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), 11.2 million Australians owned a tablet device in 2015. It’s therefore no surprise that table based time clocks like Tanda are taking off in popularity amongst Australia’s workforce, thanks to their ease of use, and reliability. By utilising a tablet device, they provide an effective and consistent solution to time theft as well as streamlining your entire payroll process. 3 Reasons why electronic time clocks are the market leading solution: 1. Affordability Tablets in their various forms have started to become more commonplace in businesses of all sizes. This is thanks to more core business functions such as POS, inventory, and payment processing, becoming available on tablet devices. This technology is providing business owners with greater mobility to engage with customers, as well as streamlining core business activities in one device. Time Clock tablets are easily accessible, affordable and present a number of additional benefits to a business looking to improve their customer offering. 2. Robust and reliable. Thanks to the prevalence of tablet usage, most people are familiar with how to use a tablet and how they should be treated. Tablets are touch-screen based and as such built to handle lots of little fingers pushing and tapping the screen. Tanda’s Time Clock verifies staff attendance through photos and PIN code verification. Which means that unlike a fingerprint scanner, it doesn’t matter if staff have dirty or wet fingers, they’ll still be able to clock out the first time around. The timestamp and photo verification also make it quick and easy for managers and business owners to quickly check that the right person has clocked in and out for the correct shift. 3. Cloud-based for more options Using a cloud-based Time Clock solution like Tanda provides users with more options, which enable rather than restrict the user. Software maintenance and upgrades are not required, as they’re done automatically in the system. Devices are easy to replace and interchangeable, and should the system connection be disrupted, all clock in data is stored locally and uploaded to the cloud later. In addition to this, as a backup, users can access the Time Clock app through a browser on a desktop. Using a cloud solution to track staff attendance provides unparalleled opportunities to streamline additional business administration tasks, as well as providing greater insight into labour costs, staff punctuality and staff engagement. Workplaces are busy places, and managers have much better things to spend their time on than trying to get the fingerprint scanner to work. Using electronic Time Clocks to track employee attendance allows staff to clock in quickly and efficiently, so that they can get out of the backroom and working in your business. Because at the end of the day, you need a system that is affordable, reliable, and accessible, so that you can get on with paying staff and focusing on your business.

Feature Updates

New Tanda Time Clock

Today we\'re excited to announce the upcoming release of a newly redesigned Tanda Employee Time Clock. Addressing the problem of recording accurate employee Time and Attendance is core to ensuring we service you, our customers. This is why, on the 29th of January 2019, an update to both iOS and Android will be released on the respective app stores. Any update from the app stores from the 29th of January onwards will download this new Time Clock. The new Time Clock features a bunch of improvements that are expanded upon below: A new redesign Clock breaks with break buttons Portrait & Landscape Orientation Smart shift status Facial detection Easier device reporting To get this new Time Clock now - download the Beta on both Android and iOS. Redesign New colours, new design and some obvious layout changes have been perfected and refined for this new Time Clock. A zappy keypad now sits on a deep navy background that ripples blue waves to the rounded edge of each button. Successful entry opens a vibrant and compact user interface that pops with judicious colours. A thin-blue timer encapsulates the \'close\' button and indicates when the Time Clock screen times out - gleefully sliding all contents away. Employee\'s information is smartly displayed within the shift card and clocked times are swiftly populated upon each action. This is the Time Clock of the future. Get Beta versions now. Clock Breaks with Break Buttons The Time Clock will automatically show/hide break buttons based on the Settings enabled in your My Tanda account. If your My Tanda account doesn\'t allow staff to clock breaks - your Time Clock will display just \'Clock in\' and \'Clock out\' buttons automatically. Read more on Displaying Break Buttons or our blog post on the release of multi-breaks. See it in action below: Portrait & Landscape Orientation Dock your tablet in whatever orientation suits. The new Time Clock will dock and send photos in portrait, landscape and even upside-down (charging ports are sometimes in funky spots). All features will work as expected. Smart Shift Status Knowing what stage of a shift you\'re in helps Timesheet reporting and accuracy. That\'s why we\'ve made the Time Clock smarter in detecting a shift status (whether it\'s started, on a break, near completion) to automatically render the correct button action. This will go a long way in answering common questions staff have: what button should I press? was I on a break or already clocked in? how long was the break I just took? and providing instant clarity during a shift. Facial Detection Making sure the correct staff are at work at the correct time is important for your business. Equally important is making sure the correct staff are clocking in. As an introduction for much cooler things to come, both iOS and Android support facial detection on the Time Clock. Device Reporting We want our customers to successfully manage their business, not their Tanda accounts. That\'s why we\'ve made reporting device information about your Time Clock as simple and as fast as possible to Tanda Support and technical staff to help us assist you debug any issues. Read more about how to Send Device Info to Tanda. The Wrap This new Time Clock will provide quicker clarity to employees throughout their shift and help support the entire shift cycle. Users on Android 5.0+ and iOS Devices 9.0+ can download the Beta version right now and get clocking in. The Time Clock will be released in full for everyone on January 29th 2019 - to prepare for this release. Ensure you have: Your 8 digit setup code or login details prepared All pending clock ins sent prior to updating Read the FAQ If you have any questions, please contact support@tanda.co.

Feature Updates

Introducing the Tanda Mobile App!

Events & Media Industry Insights

Domino’s and Tanda: Building the Workforces of the Future

Brisbane-based company Tanda has today announced a business partnership with Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Limited (Domino’s), to automate and optimise the company’s payroll process. The partnership will assist Domino’s in empowering its franchisees with the right technology and tools to efficiently manage rostering and payroll as a competitive edge. Tanda Director Tasmin Trezise said he is excited about the partnership. “Tanda is proud to be working collaboratively with Domino’s to build the future of workforce management, and this represents an exciting step towards using technology to shape enterprise workplaces,” said Mr Trezise. “Domino’s is an agile and forward-thinking company who are leading the way in terms of innovation, whether this is through their drone delivery services or re-imagining their labour supply chain management.” The partnership between Tanda and Domino’s will see a roll out of the software to over 700 Domino’s stores across Australia and New Zealand. Domino’s Australia and New Zealand CEO Nick Knight said the Company was looking forward to making franchisee’s lives easier with the efficient time and attendance program. “We are always looking to use the latest innovative technology in everything that we do as a Company – this from delivery to customers and for systems and processes with franchisees,” said Mr Knight. “Rolling out Tanda in stores across Australia and New Zealand will allow our franchisees to efficiently roster and record team member’s attendance so we look forward to reaping the benefits of the innovative program.” Trezise explained that Domino’s franchisees would soon see incredible benefits after the working relationship with Tanda begins. “This partnership will empower Domino’s franchisees with a greater understanding and insight into their labour costs so they are able to make smarter and more informed business decisions whilst having comfort that their payroll complies with current awards and enterprise agreements. “The fact that Domino’s and other Australian businesses are using new technology like Tanda is a testament to Australia’s growing success as an innovative nation.” Domino’s partnership with Tanda began in the Company’s dedicated innovation space, the DLAB, which was designed to encourage out of the box thinking. From local corner cafes to global workforces, Tanda is revolutionising the world of rostering and payroll one shift at a time. About Tanda Tanda is a scalable workforce management SaaS, that is helping businesses to unlock efficiency and productivity gains through more effective labour force management. For more information, visit www.tanda.co About Domino’s Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Limited is the master franchisor for the Domino’s brand in Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Japan and Germany. Across these seven markets, DPE and its franchisees operate over 2,000 stores. For more information on Domino’s, please visit www.dominos.com.au For further information, media enquiries or images contact: Bridget Mahon Marketing Communications Officer Email: bridget@tanda.co

Industry Insights

Illinois Supermarket Chain Sued for using Biometric Data for Time Clocks

As reported by Supermarket News, Mariano’s, a Chicago-based supermarket chain, is currently facing multiple lawsuits for their alleged violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. Also known as BIPA, the law, among other provisions, explicitly prohibits any private entity to collect biometric data without the owner’s permission. It also mandates the private entity to […]

Monic Del Rosario

20 February 2019 |

As reported by Supermarket News, Mariano’s, a Chicago-based supermarket chain, is currently facing multiple lawsuits for their alleged violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. Also known as BIPA, the law, among other provisions, explicitly prohibits any private entity to collect biometric data without the owner’s permission. It also mandates the private entity to protect biometric data within reasonable care. Former employees of the supermarket chain claim that their employer violated the BIPA when they were required, without obtaining prior written permission, to record their attendance with their fingerprint on a biometric time clock. The plaintiffs also claim that the employer never provided a written document that outlined the specific purpose of data collection, how it will be stored, and how it will be destroyed. Damages could reach up to 10 million USD or 12.5 million AUD. The Burden for Biometric Time Clock Users Biometric time clocks are favoured by a lot of businesses for its accuracy. However, unlike company IDs, people can’t request for a replacement fingerprint (or a new iris) if the biometric data fall into the wrong hands. That’s why it wasn’t a surprise that the state of Illinois passed a law that strictly restricts its use. This can prove to be more burdensome than beneficial to any business owner who is using biometric time clocks in their business. Time Clock Software: Accuracy Without the Hassle Tanda’s time clock software accurately tracks employee time and attendance without the need for biometric data. The application takes a photo* of employees as they clock in and out and stores it with their digital timesheets. At any time, managers and business owners can review it to verify their attendance. And all employee information is encrypted and stored securely in data centres with best-in-class security protocols. Biometric time clocks can potentially give your business more problems than benefits in the long run. Switching to a time clock software such as Tanda gives you the accuracy you need for time attendance, plus other features, with zero stress.

What You Need to Look for in Payroll Software

Payroll software takes away the hassle of manual calculation of each employee’s pay. It drastically cuts down processing time and errors, which means that your staff always get paid for the right amount at the right time. A quick Google search for “payroll software” shows that there are tons to choose from. But what exactly […]

Enrique Estagle

22 September 2017 |

Payroll software takes away the hassle of manual calculation of each employee’s pay. It drastically cuts down processing time and errors, which means that your staff always get paid for the right amount at the right time. A quick Google search for “payroll software” shows that there are tons to choose from. But what exactly should you look for when choosing a payroll system for your business? Here are some of the items you need to consider before buying: Easy to Use The reason why you’re buying payroll software is to make things easier for you. That’s why, first and foremost, it has to be easy to setup and use. It should have a convenient method of adding information to the software and it shouldn’t be confusing to use. For added convenience, consider purchasing cloud-based payroll solutions over traditional, desktop-based software. They allow you to access your account via the internet anytime, anywhere, on any device — including mobile. Some cloud-based payroll software also offers an employee portal, which lets your staff see how much they are earning, as well as other important info. Secure Payroll software handles a lot of sensitive information. Needless to say, it has to be secure. If considering a desktop-based solution, make sure that it encrypts the data inside the computer — although you might have to take additional steps to further secure the computer itself. Also, make sure that it has password protection and permission levels. While cloud-based payroll software takes away most of the stress of securing the data on your end, make sure to ask how they are properly safeguarding your data on their servers. Make sure that they connect to you on a secure layer (ex. the address starts with https instead of http.) In addition, find a cloud-based payroll software that uses a secure password and two-factor authentication. Scalable Every business wants to grow. And your payroll software has to be ready to handle a growing number of employees. It has to handle multiple sites at the same time, accounting for each site’s different requirements. Handles Taxes and Benefits Payroll isn’t just about calculating employees’ paychecks, it also handles their taxes and other benefits. Whatever payroll software you choose, it must be able to accurately calculate deductions for tax, social security, healthcare, and other benefits such as 401(k). In addition, it must be able to update itself whenever new rates are released. Reporting and Cost Tracking Whatever payroll software you select, make sure that it automatically generates reports for you. It should show you important information such as individual paycheck history, deposit detail, deduction history, and more. In addition, it should help you track overall costs to help you manage each cost center. Back Pay Support Calculating and settling former employees’ back pay is very tricky. Make sure that the payroll software you’re purchasing can handle back pay on your behalf, ensuring that it is settled quickly and accurately. Integration Being able to work seamlessly with other programs is a big plus for a payroll software. Check if it seamlessly integrates with your accounting software, your enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform, and other programs. This allows you to have a bigger picture insight on your business with data exchanged across these solutions. Tanda works well with the world’s leading payroll software, whether they are cloud-based or desktop-based. Its payroll integration feature it exports approved timesheets with gross wage calculation straight to your payroll software with one click. This means that it can further cut down your payroll processing time from hours down to minutes. Click here to find out which payroll software works with Tanda.

Employee Scheduling

Building a Solid Shift: Predictive Scheduling Laws across the US

Even with the advent of online shopping, brick-and-mortar stores still line the streets of many American cities. These stores command a powerful share of the market. An estimated 15% of Americans are employed in these retail establishments, supporting millions of families across the country. Retail workers typically work unstable schedules to match labor to incoming […]

Rosie Ramirez

15 January 2019 |

Even with the advent of online shopping, brick-and-mortar stores still line the streets of many American cities. These stores command a powerful share of the market. An estimated 15% of Americans are employed in these retail establishments, supporting millions of families across the country. Retail workers typically work unstable schedules to match labor to incoming traffic, increasing profitability in the process. However, irregular or overlapping schedules can cause a considerable amount of stress for managers and employees alike. The Fair Workweek Initiative has been on this side of the issue for years now, which is why their main advocacy is to give workers control of their schedules in their respective jobs, giving employers and their families alike the opportunity for a healthy work-life balance. Needless to say, for managers, keeping track of multiple employees or stores can result in errors. This includes badly made schedules and late notifications. Unfilled shifts are more likely in this scenario. For employees, not having a schedule ahead of time can cause lower job satisfaction and greater instances of work-family conflict. Both scenarios can lower profits and put thousands of livelihoods in jeopardy in the long run. In large part, some local governments and states in the US now implement predictive scheduling laws. This is also known as ‘fair scheduling’. What is predictive scheduling? Predictive scheduling laws require advanced notice when posting a schedule. This ranges from 48 hours to two weeks, depending on state law. They also restrict or ban employers from scheduling on-call shifts and adding pay incentives for these shifts. As of 2018, four cities and one state have enacted these laws. They are: San Francisco, New York, Seattle, and Emeryville, and the State of Oregon. Fair Workweek began its influence in the cities of San Francisco and Santa Clara County, CA. In 2014, people working hourly jobs in these cities have been given the basic standards for work-hours policy, i.e. Predictive Schedules, Opportunity to Work, Healthy Schedules, and Flexibility. Some business giants have also started taking initiative. Last November, Walmart announced predictive scheduling for all US stores. The bottom line for all of them is to make schedules both more predictable and flexible for everyone. Predictive scheduling across US cities City of San Francisco The first city to have a predictive work scheduling law, San Francisco’s ordinance covers retail stores, fast food franchises, and restaurant chains that have at least 40 establishments worldwide. Any contractors who provide janitorial or security services to these businesses are also covered by this law. It requires employers to do the following: Give new employees a document with a “good faith estimate” of their minimum number of scheduled shifts per month; Provide the days and hours of those shifts, including on-call shifts; Provide staff schedules (2 weeks in advance, including on-call shifts; and Give “Predictability Pay” of: One (1) hour at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 7 days but more than 24 hours after the advance notice Two (2) hours at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 24 hours before the scheduled shift, for shifts less than 4 hours long Four (4) hours at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 24 hours before the scheduled shift, for shifts over 4 hours long New York City New York City has different predictive work scheduling laws for retail businesses and fast food establishments which came into effect on 29 November 2017. Retail businesses that sell consumer goods and hire at least 20 employees are covered by the law and are required to: Provide employees with a written work schedule at least 72 hours before the first shift; Pay a penalty of $300 per employee if they fail to do so; Eliminate all on-call shifts, and pay a penalty of $500 per employee if they fail to do so; Permit employees to trade shifts, which is beneficial for employers and employees alike; and Make all changes 72 hours before it is scheduled to start. Retail businesses are prohibited from canceling a shift 72 hours before it is scheduled to start. The predictive scheduling law also covers fast food businesses that have at least 30 establishments nationally. Employers are required to: Give staff their schedules 14 days (two weeks) in advance; and Ensure there is a minimum of 11 hours between each shift, to avoid “clopening” or consecutive closing and opening shifts. City of Emeryville For the City of Emeryville, retail and fast food employers should conduct regular calculations to determine whether or not they are covered by the Fair Workweek regulations. Retail firms with 56 or more employees globally, and fast food firms with 56 or more employees globally and 20 or more employees in Emeryville are required to: Give new employees a document with a “good faith estimate” of their minimum number of scheduled shifts per month and the days and hours of those shifts, including on-call shifts; Provide staff schedules 2 weeks in advance, whether through a public post at the workplace or electronic methods; Give “Predictability Pay” of: One (1) hour at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 14 days but more than 24 hours after the advance notice Four (4) hours at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 24 hours before the shift starts; Allow the employee to decline work hours if it starts less than 11 hours after end of previous day’s shift. City of Seattle In Seattle, covered by the predictive work scheduling law are retail and foodservice establishments that have at least 500 employees worldwide, and full-service restaurants that have at least 500 employees and 40 locations worldwide. They are required to: Provide staff schedules 2 weeks in advance, including on-call shifts Give an extra hour’s worth of pay at their regular hourly rate if: Extra hours were added to the schedule The start and end times were changed with no loss of hours Give one-half of the employee’s scheduled rate of pay per hour for any scheduled hours the employee does not work if their: Employer subtracted hours from an employee’s schedule Start and end times are changed resulting in loss of hours Shift was canceled Scheduled on-call shift is one they don’t need to report for Predictive scheduling in the State of Oregon In July 2018, the State or Oregon became the first to implement statewide predictive scheduling laws, which requires retail, food service, and hospitality industry employers with at least 500 employees worldwide to: Give new employees a document with a “good faith estimate” of their minimum number of scheduled shifts per month;he days and hours of those shifts; Provide staff schedules 7 days in advance from 1 July 2018; Provide staff schedules 14 days in advance from 1 July 2020; Give 1 hour of pay at the regular hourly rate if their: Employer adds more than 30 minutes of work to their shift Start and end times were changed with no loss of hours Employer schedules an additional work shift or an on-call shift Give one-half times the employee’s scheduled rate of pay per hour for any scheduled hours the employee does not work if their: Shift was canceled Shift was shortened or their scheduled hours were reduced Oregon employers have the option to invite staff to a “voluntary standby list” who can work extra hours, but the additional compensations don’t apply to them. Make Predictive Scheduling hassle-free With these key changes in scheduling employees in the retail and fast food industries, other employers can only expect that similar laws will be implemented in other cities and states. Employers need to be prepared to manage schedules efficiently to not incur any penalties and increase overall productivity. While predictive scheduling sounds like a lot of work, it doesn’t have to be. Workforce success platforms that specialize in creating schedules and communicating them to employees are already readily available in the United States. One such platform is Tanda, with a Scheduling Software that eliminates manual scheduling work. With Tanda, employers can build schedules to match customer demand, see staff availability in real-time, save templates, and set targets and cost schedules to make sure the schedule is never over budget. Laws will soon require schedules to be provided one or two weeks in advance. Conveniently, custom schedule templates can be saved and applied in seconds. Thus, compliance is a given every time. Informing employees of their shift is also a breeze. They can receive published schedules instantly through Tanda’s Scheduling App, or even via SMS and email. Tanda also has a Cognitive Scheduling feature which takes schedule management to the next level with smart algorithms and proprietary logic to weigh employment types, pay rates, age, skill level of staff, and much more to generate the best schedule that maximizes all resources. Employers can run multiple scenario testing against qualified data inputs to suggest an optimal output. This, and multiple other features, ensure a hassle-free schedule that fits all staffing requirements. They can even be sent to employees at the touch of a button. Technology is the future of workforce management, and Tanda is built to get you there.

Your Guide to Parental Leave Laws

Today we’re going to take a closer look at how Australia, the UK, and the US implement maternity and paternity leave. Australia Parental Leave According to the Australian Fair Work Ombudsman website, employees are entitled to 12 months of unpaid parental leave when they or their spouse or partner gives birth. Regular employees are qualified […]

Enrique Estagle

13 November 2017 |

Today we’re going to take a closer look at how Australia, the UK, and the US implement maternity and paternity leave. Australia Parental Leave According to the Australian Fair Work Ombudsman website, employees are entitled to 12 months of unpaid parental leave when they or their spouse or partner gives birth. Regular employees are qualified for parental leave if they have been working for an employer for at least 12 months before the date of birth. Casual employees are also qualified if they have been working for their employer on a regular basis for at least 12 months before the date of birth. Australia also has paid maternity leave. According to the Department of Human Services, qualified mothers get 18 weeks pay at minimum wage while recovering from childbirth and taking care of their newborn. This is funded by the government but paid through the employer. The business has to register in order for their staff to receive this benefit. UK Parental Leave The United Kingdom has different guidelines for maternity and paternity leave, as stated on the gov.uk website. UK Maternity Leave Qualified mothers are entitled to up to 52 weeks of maternity leave, broken down as: First 26 weeks of ordinary maternity leave, and The last 26 weeks of additional maternity leave Mothers are not compelled to take the entire 52-week entitlement, but they are required to take 2 weeks time off after the baby is born. If the mother works in a factory, they are required to take 4 weeks time off. They can start as early as 11 weeks before the expected birth week. In addition, mothers are entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay or SMP up to 39 weeks of their leave. They’ll receive: 90% of their average weekly earnings (before tax) for the first 6 weeks, and £140.98 or 90% of their average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) for the next 33 weeks To qualify, the mother has to be classified as an employee (which they can find out here.) There is no minimum time a mother has to work with her current employer the government requires in order to receive this entitlement. UK Paternity Leave Qualified husbands or partners of the newborn’s mother can get up to two weeks time off from work. They can only start after the birth of their child and must end within 56 days after the birth date. Throughout their time off, husbands or partners receive statutory paternity pay of £140.98 or 90% of their average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. To qualify, the husband or partner has to be classified as an employee and has been working for their employer continuously for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth. US Parental Leave On the Federal level, the United States Family and Medical Leave Act or FMLA entitle 12 weeks of unpaid maternity and paternity leave for qualified mothers and their partners. For employees to be qualified, first they have to be working for a “covered employer.” They should either be: A private sector employer that has employed 50 or more employees in 20 or more workweeks in the current or preceding calendar year A local, state, or Federal government agency, regardless of the number of employees it employs A public or private elementary or secondary school, regardless of the number of employees it employs The employee also has to be working with the employer at least 12 months with at least 1250 hours of service before their leave. Finally, the employee must work at a location where the employer has 50 employees within 75 miles. Different states supplement this federal law with their own version of parental leave laws, with some offering partial pay. Stress-Free Parental Leave with Leave Management Software Tanda’s leave management feature makes it easy to file and approve maternity and paternity leave. Administrators can create a special leave type in Tanda for maternity and paternity leave that their staff can apply for via the employee portal. Once filed, managers instantly see it on the dashboard for their approval. The maternity leave request in Tanda can then be linked to your accounting system and paid out to the employee.

Product Updates

Introducing the Tanda Mobile App!

Tanda now has a mobile app, this means your employees have one simple location where they can see exactly when they are working and also let their managers know when they are unavailable or would like to file for leave. What your staff can do right now with the app As of now, your […]

Renée Mellish

22 February 2018 |

Tanda Time Clock Now Available for the iPhone

We at Tanda are excited to let you know that our Time Clock application is now available for the iPhone. This new version adds on our existing Android, iPad, and desktop time clocks. And just like those, this has the same set of features. It lets staff clock in with their unique PIN and a […]

Enrique Estagle

20 July 2017 |

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