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The latest research finds staff aged 16 to 29 faced a 10 per cent wage fall from 2003 to 2011 in real terms. Their pay situation compared poorly to that of older workers. The Resolution Foundation discovered that earnings for employees aged under 30 fell by 6.4 per cent in the seven years from 2003, representing the biggest pay contraction of the UK workforce. Young men fared worst as their average wages fell 8.6%, while women’s went down 5.8%. Payroll, wages and hours are all dealt with by WinTA, the leading clocking recording and HR management system from Tensor. All frequently used methods of hours calculation are handled, from simple determination of overtime by the number of daily hours worked to the more complex payment of overtime hours adjusted when periodic targets are not met. WinTA contains special rules to accommodate the formal flexitime contracts worked by many public sector employees. Workers paid via annual contracts are encompassed by the annualised hours procedures.

Olympic Security Chief Chris Allison said cuts in specialist police officers were already starting to bite. The Met Assistant Commissioner had asked chief constables to delay making cuts until after the Games, but warned police bosses will need to make “very difficult decisions” in the aftermath of London 2012. There were no security major incidents in the Olympics. This was partly due to more than 100 people being arrested in pre-emptive operations before the event, plus the deployment of extra troops. Tensor’s gates, barriers, and turnstiles fully integrate with our smart card and biometric access control systems and will prevent a security incident happening in and around your site. Automatic bollards limit vehicle access to a specific location, and can easily be lowered when passage is authorised, typically within a few seconds. Proven in a range of locales, these bollards are a trusted way to control access to private or restricted parking facilities. For more information on a Tensor turnstile, barrier or gate, please contact our sales team.

A man has appeared in court accused of four counts of fraud by false representation, four counts of fraud by abuse of position, and two counts of using a false instrument with intent it be accepted as genuine. Giovanni di Stefano is a lawyer who has represented many notorious criminals, including ‘Great Train Robber’ Ronnie Biggs. The legal team of Di Stefano indicated he “vigorously” denies the allegations and will plead not guilty to the ten charges. A Visitor Management System (VMS) from Tensor is the answer to checking the credentials of individuals who enter your facility or office building. The document scanning facility within VMS allows your organisation to make scanned digital copies of special identification licenses or insurance documentation provided by a visitor or contractor. Once recorded onto the system, these documents can be retrieved, viewed or recreated and printed on demand. This is especially important where it is necessary to provide proof that only properly qualified people are allowed on site.  

A well-known car company moves to 24-hour production at one of its factories this week. Workers at the Jaguar Land Rover Halewood facility will assume three eight-hour shifts for the first time in its 50-year history. The vehicle maker said that the move was in response to growing demand for its Range Rover Evoque model, which was launched in July last year. New production operators taken on will receive training of up to a year towards an NVQ Apprenticeship. Tensor can install a complete factory smart card time and attendance system, ensuring that your company retains full control over changing shifts, manning levels and rostering. Using the Shift Premiums function, complex payment schemes can be used, based on factors such as the time of working to the grade of employee. Via the simple use of contactless smart cards or key fobs, employees can book time against their production jobs to produce a fully costed analysis and breakdown of time spent on each one.  

Police have issued CCTV images of two suspected burglars being sought over the riots which broke out over summer 2011. Both men were seen in Hackney, east London, which witnessed much looting from shops during the disorder. A police spokesperson said: “A year on and we are still working hard to track down the people responsible for last summer’s disorder. I hope that someone somewhere will be able to identify them.” Protect your retail premises, whether a shop, warehouse or on an industrial estate, with a Tensor Digital CCTV system. The technology enables your management to monitor movement and access within a specific area. The camera network can be combined with any previously installed Tensor access control or visitor monitoring equipment. In addition, you are not restricted to the type of camera you wish to install as the CCTV software is able to support all cameras within our product range. Picture quality is far superior to that of an analogue system.  

UK Border Agency (UKBA) officers raided a Tesco property and discovered its staff were breaching the terms of their work visas. The UKBA found that foreign nationals were working longer hours than their visas allowed at the South London warehouse, which supplies groceries for online customers. UKBA officers arrested 20 workers who were mostly of Indian and Bangladeshi origin. These people were perfectly legally entitled to work in the UK but could only do so for 20 hours a week. All Tensor time and attendance systems come complete with sophisticated software to help your company meet the requirements of the EU Working Time Directive, plus other employment rules. The EU Working Time Directive provides a complex set of employment rules and regulations that govern the number of hours an employee can work. Tensor provides companies with an accurate method of recording their staff’s hours and breaks for payroll, job costing and legislation purposes. For example, the software ensures minimum rest periods are taken.

A fake security guard got away with £14,000 on Thursday afternoon. The thief, who was wearing a safety helmet and body armour, appeared genuine and walked into the bargain goods shop carrying two cash boxes which were then filled up with money. Staff at the Midlands branch of Poundland were expecting the genuine guard at around the same time so suspected nothing until they saw the real guard sitting in his van. Tensor has the ideal system for maximum security at retail or business premises. Biometric access control is the answer for situations where irrefutable proof of identity is needed. This technology, designed specifically for your Tensor access control system, actually reads below the surface layer of skin down to the live dermal layer where an individual’s true fingerprint resides. Biometric readings are done using electro-magnetic waves. Fingerprint scanning positively identifies an employee, thus employee mimicking can be accurately prevented. If you already have access scanners in place, the biometric scanning unit is simply mounted alongside.

A school has been broken into for the third time in the last 12 months. A man was spotted in the grounds around the time of a metal theft at the Welsh primary, and police think he was with someone else. Supt Simon Clarke, leading the investigation into the incident at Tonypandy School, said: “I’ve said it before, somebody somewhere knows who did it. I urge them to do the right thing and make that call. Enough is enough.” Turn to Tensor for the latest developments in Access Control products, from simple door and registration point control, through to a fully computerised global networked door access system. With a Tensor system, you can control most standard types of internal and external electro-magnetic door releases, providing access from visible or hidden scanners. A useful feature is an audit trail that shows who gained access (or was denied) at any location at any time. A Hardware Device Manager allows easy adding or editing of hardware device profiles.  

Campus safety will not be compromised by industrial action. That was the message from bosses at Coventry University after a week-long strike over plans to outsource the work of security staff. The university said it takes the issue of student and staff safety very seriously, and stated it “can confidently reiterate the assurances of our protection service providers that the secure environment on our campus and at halls of residence will not be adversely affected by any proposed industrial action.” Web enabled, mobile and wireless technology based Time & Attendance from Tensor ensures both accurate staff absence monitoring and entitlement, plus it ensures the safety of employees. The WinTA time and attendance system performs the latter function by incorporating fire roll call technology. The Fire Roll Call reporting is directly from the clock, automatically triggered by fire alarm activation. It automatically emails or SMS text messages both employees and system users concerning any employee holiday request authorisations or refusals.

A man claimed he agreed to get involved in a robbery in order to pay off a drugs debt. Ossama Hamed today (Monday) pleaded guilty to taking part in the robbery on a jewellery shop. Giving evidence, Hamed said he had travelled on January 29 for a face to face meeting with suppliers. “I was in hock to them for about £7,000,” he said. He said the drugs debt would be wiped out and he would get £500 for the robbery. Exterior or interior Access Control and barrier devices from Tensor help prevent crime from taking place at your retail, commercial or business premises. Pedestals are available for mounting your entry control device for motorists to use to enter your facility or property. Stands are available with base plates for pad mounting or with extra length for in-ground installation. Perfect for the seamless integration of your access control system, pedestals can also be powder coated to co-ordinate with your car park barrier or turnstile.  

Four out of ten companies allowed staff to watch the Olympic Games in the workplace, a new survey says. The findings from the Institute of Leadership & Management report that 70 per cent of managers said that their office had bonded over the shared viewing experience, while 37 per cent had felt more personally productive. Two in ten firms put on trial new systems, with working from home and adjusted start and finish times being the most popular options. Tensor can provide the office with a reliable and complete time and attendance clocking system which saves time and boosts morale. Contactless key fobs can used to operate your regime as well as smart cards. The long lasting fobs use well-proven and reliable RF (Radio Frequency) reading technology, which gives a consistent read range and is unaffected by most external conditions. As there is no physical contact between the key fob and the reader, neither will become worn-out by continuous use, unlike swipe readers.

New figures suggest public sector salaries have gone up despite a pay freeze having been imposed. In order to shave billions off the public purse, two years ago chancellor George Osborne imposed a two-year freeze on pay, with the provision of a £250 flat rate increase for workers earning below the £21,000 per annum threshold. However, public servants are still entitled to incremental pay rises within their grade’s wage band, so this accounts for the overall increase. Personnel software from Tensor completely integrates with both the WinTA Lite and WinTA Enterprise time and attendance systems. Extensive information stored on each employee in your company using Tensor Personnel. One of its very useful features is the Pay Reviewer which includes reports, projected pay increases and salary expenditure. The Screen Designer allows you to completely customise the way that data can be entered into the system. Other functions include: Training Information for pending courses, including locations, descriptions and notes; and Letter Writer incorporating mailmerge functionality.