New COVID-19 Pandemic Features in Tensor.NET Explained

As previously announced, in order to assist organisations in the management of their workforce during the current corona virus outbreak (and any other potential future pandemics), several new features have been added to Tensor.NET.

These two new features are:

• Personnel booked on to specific absence codes are immediately denied access to site
• An employee’s changing health status can be recorded and reported upon

Both of these modifications are available when these system components are installed:

• Versions 3.8.0.95 (and above in the 3.8.0.x series) or 4.2.0.57 (and above in the 4.2.0.x series) for any edition of Tensor.NET, activated for either T&A, Access Control or HR.

SYSTEM SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS

Both versions 3.8.0.95 and 4.2.0.57 include a change to the permissions available in Tensor.NET. Users must be granted this new permission, via their role, before they can access the new pandemic recording function.

DENYING ACCESS TO EMPLOYEES

A new functionality is provided in these versions of Tensor.NET to deny employees access when they are absent for an absence reason that locks access. In order to access it, Tensor.NET users must follow the next steps:

• Click on Absence Planner > Absence Codes (3.8) or Attendance > Absence Codes (4.2) to display the standard summary list view of absence reasons.
• Click on an existing entry or New to open the edit dialog.
• Navigate to the General option to display the screen segment shown below.
• Tick this setting for absence that will deny access.
• Tick the new “Lock employee on Use” setting, indicated above. When any employee is booked absent for this reason on the current day, their access is immediately denied. Employees will be denied access until their employee record is manually unlocked via Employees > Access Settings.

RECORDING EMPLOYEE PANDEMIC STATES

In order to access this feature, you will have to log into Tensor.NET as a user with Pandemics enabled in their role, then click on Employees in the Employees menu block to display the standard summary list view.

Next, you will need to click on an existing employee entry or New to open the edit dialog, then navigate to the new Pandemics option.

Here, you will be able to use the Add, Edit and Delete action icons to create, amend or remove specific pandemic state entries. Clicking the add or edit icons will display a small pop up dialog in which the following entries can be made.

Pandemic Entries Explained Pandemic This setting defaults to COVID-19, although further viruses can be entered by clicking the Add icon. State Use the drop down list to select a particular state, five default options are provided but more can be added via the icon. State Date Select a date to record against this entry. Notes Enter up to 2000 characters of notes for this entry.

Click OK to save the entry. By default pandemic entries are listed in descending date order. The field chooser for the employee list view contains three new column options; pandemic name, state and state date. Tick these options to display the most recent pandemic state of employees.

REPORTING EMPLOYEE PANDEMIC STATES

The new pandemic information recorded in Tensor.NET for employees can be included in employee report types using the standard Reports > Custom Reports facility. To report upon employee pandemic states, the following design wizard entries are required:

Wizard Page Selection & Comments Report Type Depending on which serials are registered, select either T & A , HR or Access Control for the category and Employees for the base type. Tables Highlight the Employee Main Details table in the right hand pane and locate the Employee Pandemic and Employee Pandemic Latest State tables in the left hand pane. Highlight one of these and click the + button to move it to the right. Highlight the first to show all pandemic entries and the latter to show just the most recent state. Table Joins To show only employees with pandemic entries, change the Join setting from All Rows to Matching Rows Only. Fields Highlight each table in the left hand pane in turn. Tick the settings in the right hand pane that are to be included on the report. The remaining pages Use the remaining report wizard pages in the standard manner when designing any report.

An Employee Pandemic report is launched in the normal manner by double clicking its entry from the Custom Reports list view. The Report Selection Criteria screen is displayed. One selection is required:

• Employees – use the standard employee filter and selection pane to choose which employees are to be reported upon. Employees may be selected individually or by grouping.

A partial example of a report format is shown below. Note, many other alternative formats of this information are also available.