Versatile software gives local authorities total control over daily working patterns

A 'living wage' pay deal for local government workers has been hailed as the best outside London by Cosla, a representative group for councils. Although the one per cent pay rise falls well below inflation of 2.7%, Cosla said a guaranteed rate of £7.50 an hour has also been pledged for 17,000 of the lowest-paid council employees from next April. It added that local authorities had gone to the "limits of affordability" considering the financial strain many of them are experiencing.

Versatile time and attendance software and systems from Tensor allow companies or local authorities to key an eye on their staff budgets as well as giving total control over daily working patterns and pay bands. Overtime is easily monitored, and both paid and unpaid breaks are easy to define and calculate. Employees can use their contactless smart cards to book time against jobs to produce a fully costed analysis. Reports show jobs that are over budget or those approaching their budget limit.