News

Much has changed since the first official Labor Day in America was enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Grover Cleveland in 1894. Back then, workers sought job stability and most seemed comfortable with the idea of staying with the same company until retirement. But, while that percentage has decreased over time, new research indicates that only 2 percent of workers now rank job stability as a high priority for their next position. It now seems that the top three priorities workers want from their next jobs are: interesting work (29 percent), meaningful work (18 percent) and work/life balance, also at 18 percent. People realize that no job is permanent, that change is now normal and that they have considerable control over their own career – both with their present employer and a prospective one. It’s not that workers don’t want job stability, it’s that they know “that employers can’t guarantee that” in this day and age. So, people are really looking for work that works for them. Other attractions for job candidates are financial reward (14 percent), opportunity for promotion (8 percent), cultural fit (6 percent) and a boss they trust (4 percent). The survey of 976 participants across 33 countries, with three-fourths of respondents based in the United States, also found that women are slightly more likely than men to seek interesting work (30 percent versus 26 percent, respectively) or work/life balance (20 percent versus 14 percent, respectively). Most workers understand that they, not their employers, need to control their careers, according to the survey, which found that the majority (57 percent) of respondents don’t expect their employers to provide clear career paths – and that is a sentiment that increases with age. The drive to climb the corporate ladder, however, is slightly stronger in the Asia Pacific region, where 11 percent of employees are more likely to pursue jobs that provide an opportunity for promotion, compared to 8 percent in North America or 7 percent in Europe. A huge cultural shift has pushed away the idea in younger workers’ minds that taking a job results in a lifetime commitment. Most of the workers today, even professional ones, view their position as one where they view themselves as free agents who can move from one job to another without recourse. While they may consider themselves free agents, that does not mean that younger workers don’t want to contribute positively to their companies. There’s an expectation among younger people coming into the workforce that their jobs should provide more than just a paycheck, and that the job is fulfilling towards what they see themselves as doing during their lifetime. If there’s a way to allow for more decision-making or input from employees, that tends to help employees to view themselves more as contributors, and thus make them more likely to stay at their jobs. In addition, managers are uniquely placed to help satisfy employees, as they know each member of staff well and are able to help him or her connect the dots between the type of work the employee wants to do and what kind of work the organization values. Of course, keeping hold of valuable members of the workforce is a top priority for successful corporations, many of whom are implementing rotating or flexitime working, to enable their staff to preserve a positive work/life balance. Tensor manufacture and supply time and attendance systems that accurately record and process your employees’ clocking data. Multiple shift patterns can be monitored, analyzed and reported upon, giving you all the information needed for accurate processing of working time.

Conducted by Salary.com, the 2007 Wasting Time Survey polled 2,000 employees across all job levels about how they spend their working hours. The top time-wasting activities included using the Internet for non-work-related purposes, socializing with co-workers and conducting personal business. The average time wasted represents a decrease from the previous year’s survey, when workers reported wasting an average of 1.89 hours a day. In the survey, 20- to 29-year-olds admitted they waste an average of 2.1 hours a day, with the wasted time dropping with age: Those aged 30 to 39 reported wasting 1.9 hours a day while those 40 to 49 wasted 1.4 hours. But some of the differences may be a question of semantics. Older employees tend to have a very strong work ethic who understand that some humdrum office tasks, like all-day meetings, have value that may not be apparent. The under-30 crowd is so used to instant feedback that that kind of thing to them seems to be wasting time. Younger workers may well have a higher standard for what efficient or effective use of time is. Younger workers often require time to learn what’s expected of them. While wasted time certainly includes Web surfing and non-work-related instant messaging, some of that behavior may be due to “inefficient processes,” such as waiting for computers to retrieve information or waiting for a return phone call. Employees generally rate their companies’ efficiency of work processes very low. Most people do tend to feel that there could be process improvement and the younger employees are even more impatient about those improvements being made. According to the survey, 14 percent of those who slack off said they did so because their hours are too long, 18 percent said they don’t have enough work to do and 11 percent said their work isn’t challenging enough. The whole HR community needs to realize that kids these days have grown up in a different environment, rife with distractions, and they are used to multi-tasking. When younger workers don’t achieve instantaneous results on work-related duties, they often get bored and turn to other tasks. It’s very important for HR to target under-30s through mentoring programs. Younger people particularly have a great interest in being developed. Fostering employee engagement, showing them what it takes to get ahead in the company and showing interest in them will help to motivate them and build commitment to the company. HR professionals should solicit feedback from workers on how to improve processes and reduce idle time. Employees usually have some very good ideas.

Working from home is becoming more popular throughout the country. Over 3.1 million people are regular home-based workers. Recent reviews show that people benefit from working at home as they are able to be a working parent, and have fewer interruptions. Some workers also find that they are more motivated, as a result of reduced stress and sickness levels. Although working from home can be advantageous for the employee, many employers have no method of maintaining an accurate record of the employees’ hours or monitoring their performance. Tensor has developed an efficient, quick, add on product, which allows the employer to monitor their employees’ hours who work from home, for just £1,250. The online system permits the employee to clock ‘In’ and ‘Out’, review their holiday planner and submit requested annual leave to their manager. For more details please contact our Sales Team on +44(0) 1480 215530 or click here to request a call back.

In Cambridgeshire alone metal thefts increased by 170% in 2007. Figures obtained by the BBC, show that metal thieves have been responsible for thefts valued at tens of millions pounds. Police are hoping to crack down on the spate of metal thefts by setting up a nationwide task force to tackle the problem. School roofs, statues and power lines seem to be some of the most popular targets, costing millions of pounds to replace. In particular copper is becoming one of the most sought after materials, because it is now worth £4,000 per tonne; twice as much as two years ago. Security is an essential tool for businesses, in order to combat such crime and to provide general peace of mind. Popular security solutions for businesses consist of rising bollards, barriers, turnstiles and automated gates. These are robust products, which will deter intruders whilst causing the minimum amount of inconvenience to employees. For more information on Car Park Barriers, Turnstile & Gates, please contact our Sales Team on +44(0) 1480 215530 or click here to request a call back. www.tensor.co.uk

Visitor monitoring is an indispensable system and is becoming increasingly popular. Visitor monitoring controls, records and monitors the entrance and exit of a guest. Upon arrival the Receptionist will check the visitors’ identity and enter their details onto the visitor monitoring system. The guest will then be issued with a printed ID pass. This system is an advantage to any business because: It records an accurate date & time of the visitors arrival Is individulaised with a bar-code and expiry date Is an efficient way to quickly pass visitors through Reception It is becoming increasingly common for businesses not to have a Reception/Receptionist. Visitor monitoring will allow a guest to self register by using a touch-screen computer. The system will automatically notify the host by email. Depending how high-tech a company wants to be, biometric fingerprint readers are frequently used as part of the visitor monitoring system to provide irrefutable proof that the guest is who they say they are. The biometric fingerprint reader is vital for high security sites. In addition, surveillance equipment such as digital CCTV and automatic number plate recognition devices can be combined with your ID card software, allowing you to create a highly sophisticated visitor monitoring network.

A turnstile allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be manufactured to enforce a one-way traffic system for people. The turnstile was originally used to allow people to pass while keeping sheep or other livestock penned in. In the late 1880’s Britain used turnstiles for public events. The first major use of the turnstiles was at a sporting venue in Hampden Park, Glasgow. A turnstile is often used for counting the number of people passing through a gate, even when payment is not involved. Turnstiles are extensively used in amusement parks to track how many people enter and exit the park and go on each ride. Turnstiles are more effective than doors when there is a need to physically control people entering or exiting a facility. With crime such as robbery on the increase, turnstiles are also used for security purposes. In addition, an Access Control system can be integrated with the turnstile/turnstiles. There are many different types of turnstile. It depends on what the individual wants. The most commonly used turnstiles are: Half Height Turnstile – Ideal for controlling access in areas such as reception, health clubs and libraries. Full Height Turnstile – Recommended for use when absolute entrance or exit security is required. For example football stadiums, amusement parks and high security establishments. For more information on a Tensor turnstile, barrier or gate, please contact our sales team.

Every year, many people die or are seriously injured as a result of fires in the workplace. Fires cost UK businesses millions of pounds a year due to damage, loss of business, fines, compensation claims and insurance premiums. Statistics show that between 70% and 80% of UK businesses fail within 3 years of experiencing a fire. Burning or combustion is due to a chemical reaction between fuel and oxygen. Many common materials can act as fuels such as: furniture curtains desks The rate of fire growth depends on the fuel that is burning and how much air can get to the fire. Legislation implements a risk based approach to fire safety within a business. It requires a responsible person to carry out a fire safety risk assessment and implement appropriate fire precaution and protection measures. Once this is in place, it must be maintained with a fire management plan. Fire safety at work is exceedingly important. Although employers must ensure that their staff are trained in how to prevent a fire and know the escape routes, there are still companies that do not have a Fire Roll-Call system in place. A Fire Roll-Call system is a fundamental tool. Should a fire start, the Fire Roll-Call system will automatically print a report indicating which employees are on site. In 2002, over 40,000 workplace fires were reported causing 147 deaths and 3,200 work injuries. Fire Roll-Call will determine who is at the fire muster point and who is unaccounted for.

Many schools are checking their security level to ensure that it is sufficient to match current threats. A recent survey of teachers carried out revealed there are a number of different security issues that present themselves in the day to day environment of a school. In the summer of 2007, schools were given the go-ahead to take fingerprints from children as young as five. An investigation earlier in 2007 showed that 285 schools had already introduced fingerprint scanners for a range of purposes including tracking children for truancy and security purposes. Although this is a successful system it still does not make school computers and equipment secure. Schools are targeted for their laptops, computers, over-head projectors and general electrical apparatus. In February of this year, a school was burgled and "50,000 worth of equipment was stolen. Unfortunately, the school did not have Access Control or secure entry & exit system. However, they did have an alarm system, but regrettably the alarm was ignored by local residents and an alert did not go through to the control centre. It is very important that schools are fully equipped with a professional security system to keep intruders out and to protect the school during the evenings and weekends.

The latest reports show prisons in England and Wales have surpassed their normal capacity for the first time. At present, there are 82,068 inmates in jail which is 96 over the Prison Service’s normal capacity. Since November 2007 to date, 521 people have been sentenced and sent to prison and around 358 inmates are serving their time in police or court cells in an attempt to ease the pressure. "The government’s policy towards prisons is like boiling a kettle – there is a red line and when you fill it with water, you don’t cross that line" – Colin Moses, Prison Officers’ Association For the first time the Prison Service has more inmates in jail than the number governors want to hold. This added pressure has caused concerns over safety & security within the prisons. HOW MANY INSIDE? Friday population: 82,068 In prison: 81,710 In police cells: 358 Official limits Operational Capacity: 81,972 Uncrowded conditions: 74,141 Source: Prison Service Tensor has a unique, low cost Prison Pass PC computer based system that allows prison officers to quickly check the identity of the visitor and monitor their movements. This is a first class system, which is used by many prisons around the country. The system is highly secure and stores a digital image to ensure instant confirmation of the visitors’ identity. Tensors Prison Pass system will also provide the prison officer with a warning when a banned or cautioned visitor is recognised. A Biometric Fingerprint Reader can also be installed for ‘extra’ security to provide indisputable proof that the guest is who they say they are. For more information on the Prison Pass Visitor Monitoring System, Access Control & Biometrics or to book a demo, please contact our Sales Team on (01480) 215530 or sales@tensor.co.uk

The BBC reported that some motorists in Cambridgeshire are filling up at a petrol pump and driving off without paying. The Cambridgeshire Police have sent out a warning that they are targeting such criminals. The fuel thefts have led to more patrols on petrol station forecourts. Although the police have sent out numerous warnings, these are being ignored as there were 125 thefts of fuel in the north of Cambridgeshire last year. Pc McCallum said "We will be concentrating on filling stations that have been particularly badly affected and that are all in rural areas". Pc McCallum also added "This is often seen as a victimless crime but the cost of thefts are eventually passed on to the public and we treat all forms of threat seriously". Officers have begun using Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology at garage forecourts to target offenders.

A new points- based system to enable the UK to control migration more effectively, tackle abuse and identify the most talented workers was launched by the Home Secretary. The Home Secretary called on industry and education sectors to play their role in making migration work for Britain, and reminded them that they had a responsibility to help make the new scheme a success.  The points based system is a central part of the Government’s five year strategy for asylum and immigration, which was published in February 2005, and is committed to a wide-ranging plan: to ensure that only those who benefit Britain can come here to work or study to strengthen the UK’s borders; to crack down on abuse and illegal immigration and increase removals. Its implementation is a key Government priority The scheme will be complemented with a tougher approach from our own British embassies abroad to weed out false applications and will place increased obligations on UK businesses and universities who will now be required to sponsor migrants and help to ensure that those they sponsor adhere to the terms of their visa. As part of the new legislation your human resource (HR) systems and compliance while employing migrants is rated when you apply for a licence to sponsor migrants under the points-based system to work or study. They assess five individual areas of your HR systems, which are: Area 1: Monitoring immigration status and preventing illegal employment Area 2: Maintaining migrant contact details Area 3: Recordkeeping Area 4: Migrant tracking and monitoring Area 5: Recruitment practices and professional accreditations You must mostly achieve a rating of 1 in each of the five areas to get the top rating for your HR systems overall. They also assess your past compliance with immigration law while employing migrants and will give you an A rating or B rating, or refuse or withdraw your licence. They assess: whether you have the correct human resource (HR) systems to make sure that you can meet your sponsorship duties; and whether you are complying with, or have previously complied with, the work permit arrangements and other immigration law. With these new regulations it would be very hard to pass the assesments unless you have a computersied Personnel System.

test-Indian-story