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Greenwich Mean Time starts at 2am on Sunday, October 28, 2012. That means your firm has just over one week to adjust your Tensor network. Please check your WinTA Lite, WinTA Enterprise, WinTA Access Enterprise, WinTA 16, WinTA CS or Tensor.NET systems to make sure that this information is correctly entered, as this will affect the time shown on your smart card clocking stations. It is straightforward to change the BST or GMT times on a Tensor system. If your business does have difficulty, remember that for those needing personal support or advice, please contact the Tensor Helpdesk by telephone on 01480 211594, or by fax on 01480 213734 or by email at helpdesk@tensor.co.uk. Or just click here. Helpdesk support is free to customers with current maintenance contracts or those whose systems are still under warranty. For others, they can either sign up to a maintenance agreement now, or receive advice on a pay-as-you-go basis using a credit card.

Some 78 per cent of workers in a new survey would like flexible working, even in lieu of a wage hike. Half of those asked said they would like to travel less for work. It is clear from the survey results that many UK businesses have not caught up with employees’ desire for a flexible working strategy. A quarter of respondents revealed that they “never” work from home. In all, 1,000 office workers were polled by software provider TeamViewer. Time and Attendance management systems from Tensor are the most flexible around as they can be customised and adapted to how working conditions are in your office or factory. WinTA handles all major hours calculation methods, absence planning and Working Time Regulations. Workers paid on an annual contract basis can be handled by the annualised hours procedures and reports within WinTA. You can enable breaks to activate between set times, and / or after a minimum number of hours have been worked.

A conman sold bogus tickets to this summer’s Olympic Games. In court last month, Christakis Ioannou admitted participating in a fraudulent business and possessing and concealing criminal property. He created fake websites to take cash nearly a year ahead of the Games opening ceremony. Olympic and police authorities urged people to only buy their tickets from anywhere but the official event organisers, or those people authorised to sell on their behalf. Reception can easily check the ID of visitors and contractors via a computer based Visitor Pass production system from Tensor. The receptionist is notified whenever a pass is swiped that is out-of-date or has other irregularities. There is also a small pop-up screen containing the person's digital photo image so that an extra visual check can be made. Recording visits is as simple as a swipe of their bar coded pass. This is especially useful for long-term contractors who can be issued with a pass valid for up to a year.

The British Retail Consortium director general commented on recently published figures showing casual crime against stores has gone down, but violent crime has risen. Stephen Robertson said of the current trends: “Retailers have made significant investments to protect their staff, stock and premises from opportunistic crime.” He added a note of warning: “What is left is a core of more serious and organised criminals who are making off with goods in larger quantities.” How to prevent hardened criminals from targeting your commercial or retail site? For a start, Tensor’s experienced engineers can individually install access control barriers to suit your needs and ensure long lasting, problem free operation. Car park barriers with induction loops are the number one solution for controlling vehicle access to your site’s parking and road entry points. All Tensor automatic car park barriers are supplied complete and have many optional extras. These include: a folding arm mechanism, an impact release mechanism, hanging racks or barrier skirts and pedestals.

Even though the condition brings high rates of absenteeism, one in four people with depression do not tell their employer about their problem. The research was carried out by the Impact of Depression in the Workplace in Europe Audit which surveyed more than 7,000 workers. According to the study 58% of people in Britain who enter into depression will take time off work. The organisation also said that managers need better support to help employees suffering with the problem. Tensor can help managers get the best out of their employees with its Tensor Personnel system which supplements our WinTA Lite and WinTA Enterprise time and attendance systems. The software offers everything you would expect from a personnel management system and has many additional features that will save time and aid strategic planning. Screen layouts within the personnel software can be added and modified to reflect the different tasks and procedures that your company carries out. We have more than a decade of experience in human resources.

A shoplifter banned from every Sainsbury’s supermarket in the country succeeded in finding employment – working in a Sainsbury's supermarket. Vishal Patel was given the punishment for stealing alcohol last year. However he had been employed at the same store where he committed the offence. A statement from the firm said he had failed to inform them of his conviction; while Mr Patel explained: “All I wanted was a chance. I won’t ever steal again.” Step up security protocols at commercial premises with Tensor’s facial recognition system for the ultimate in Access Control and user authentication applications. Powered by proprietary system design and proven near-infrared facial recognition technologies, it provides superior accuracy and reliability over other facial recognition systems. Near-infrared-based facial recognition technology reduces the interference emitted from an object or the background that may affect recognition accuracy. It also provides superior performance and accuracy over colour-based facial recognition. Contact us for a demonstration of our Access Control products.

Official sources deny that 8,000 troops will be made redundant after Christmas. The Mail on Sunday newspaper claimed that Army cutbacks – set at one-fifth by 2020 – will soon go up another level so that notices would be sent out at the end of the year. A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman insisted that no decision has been taken yet on timings. She added: “We aim to remove uncertainty for Army personnel and their families as soon as possible.” Contactless key fobs (plus smart cards, if required) are used to operate a Tensor time and attendance, access control and visitor monitoring system. They will make all types of business or organisation more efficient. The fobs (an example is pictured) contain no battery, thus have a near infinite life, and can be read theoretically an infinite number of times. They house a factory encoded ID, and this code cannot be duplicated, therefore making this method of entry very secure for more restricted premises.

New mobile phone technology is bringing disorder in schools, says a new study. The report found the use of mobiles had increased considerably in secondary schools since 2009. Teachers described mobiles – and the social networks that come with them – as a frequent and distracting influence. The study, entitled Behaviour in Scottish Schools 2012, revealed that 35% of secondary headteachers and teachers had been subjected to aggressive behaviour in the past 12 months, an increase from six years ago. As well as our access control systems, Tensor can install a simple PC based booking system that allows the accurate recording of individual clocking data. WinTA PC Clock can be adapted for use in schools by pupils to increase punctuality and therefore improve their behaviour. Pupils are simply presented with an input screen on their PC allowing them to register their attendance. WinTA PC Clock’s analysis module consists of a scaled-down version of the acclaimed WinTA Lite time and attendance software from Tensor.

A thief has been given a criminal anti social behaviour order and has been banned from scrap yards across England and Wales. Craig Airnes was caught after a break in at a yard and has also been given a suspended prison sentence. Police are currently driving a crackdown on metal thieves and rogue scrap traders. Anyone trying to sell scrap metal goods illegally will be clamped down upon under the latest crime-busting national scheme Operation Tornado. Tensor has many security options for places like scrap yards, including our leading closed circuit television technology. Infra red cameras are very popular due to their ability to see in 'absolute darkness'. These cameras ensure security and safety for your sites throughout any light conditions. Infra red detectors can either be added to body cameras, or often inbuilt infra red cameras purchased for your CCTV solution. Tensor uses a vast range of products from the top CCTV companies. We can customise your CCTV system and provide valuable maintenance for the future.

Labour supports the Coalition’s salary freeze and argues that protecting jobs is a higher priority. The man in control of the opposition purse, Ed Balls, insists the party is united and claimed the “vast majority” of union members backs this position. However, Unite boss Len McCluskey and the GMB union chief Paul Kenny both attacked Mr Balls and Labour leader Ed Miliband at the party conference. Mr Kenny reportedly showed a dossier of ‘Balls Ups’ concerning the shadow chancellor’s term at the Treasury. Advanced technology from Tensor will collect, calculate and analyse salary or shift data at the office or factory. Our Time & Attendance systems suit any size of employer and do not require Treasury-level expertise to operate! Working patterns, rosters, shifts, annualised hours and flexitime can all be user-defined and adapted to your business. The Export to Payroll function allows data from Tensor WinTA systems to communicate with all major payroll networks such as Sage, Pegasus, Centrefile and many more.

A parliamentary committee has made key recommendations after an Olympics security fiasco was averted at the last minute. The Home Affairs Committee (HAC) report recommended that: Armed Forces personnel should be factored as possible security providers from the start rather than as a back-up for future major events; and government should keep a central register of ‘high risk’ firms who have performed badly at public services to guide future decisions. HAC laid the blame for a shortfall of London 2012 security staff squarely with the company G4S. Tensor provides a proven and reliable array of proximity read smart card-based access control systems. The contactless cards operate using radio frequency technology, which gives a constant read range and ensures swift confirmation of authorised personnel. When placed within range of your door access control scanner, the card will be read in under ½ second, even if that card is covered in oil and grease. Cards with a magnetic strip and dual interface ones can also be used.

A major high street retailer has had to close 133 stores and sell 20 remaining outlets this week. Many attempts to restructure the business at JJB Sports failed. The administrators, KPMG, said they had kept on 167 members of staff to assist them and that all those made redundant have had their arrears of wages and holiday entitlements paid in full. A statement from KPMG said: “Unfortunately a buyer could only be found for 20 stores on a going-concern basis.” Time & Attendance Systems from Tensor combine the requirements of time and attendance, hours calculation, absence planning, rostering and job costing. Work patterns under the WinTA system are a combination of daily rules that are either a repeating pattern of shifts or a list of alternative rules. WinTA will predict the most appropriate shift depending on when an employee starts work. Working rules can be modified to suit your company’s Working Time agreements; while reports show when night workers are due a health assessment.