An Amazon search for books on working smarter, not harder returns over 500 titles, while a Google search on the topic yields over 400 million results. People have even written songs about the idea. It’s not a surprise that saving time and gaining efficiencies is prevalent in our society and for good reason. Reducing the number of tasks it takes to complete our work can translate into time and cost savings as well as reduced stress levels and increased job satisfaction. For Collin Robinson, director of payroll and compensation at Eskaton Properties, achieving efficiencies and benefits by adding UKG Dimensions capabilities to the suite mix is what led their organization to work smarter and not harder.
Eskaton Properties, a California-based nonprofit aging service provider, was already using the UKG Pro solution for their human capital management needs when they added UKG Dimensions capabilities about a year and a half ago, and officially became a UKG Pro Workforce Management user. The organization gained many benefits by adding workforce management capabilities and Robinson focused on five benefits to share with users like you.
Minimize risk with automation and employee-driven time reporting
With changing labor laws, especially in California, compliance could not be more important. For Eskaton Properties, the ability to track compliance, especially when it comes to time and attendance, has saved the organization significant time and money in potential lawsuits. Robinson shared that by using features like Attestation, Fix Missing Time Punch, and Employee Timecard Sign Off they can show that time changes or missed breaks, for example, are driven by employees and not the employer. With employees having the ability to make changes at the time clock, on a mobile device, or at a computer station, the process is easy: employees make the change, managers approve, and Eskaton Properties has an invaluable digital audit trail in the event they’re required to show compliance in court. As a bonus, their employees are engaged in time tracking, resulting in fewer tasks for managers.
Save time by staying on top of payroll tasks throughout the pay period
With increased employee engagement and visibility for people leaders, Eskaton Properties reduced payroll processing by a full day, which is especially valuable since the organization runs payroll on a weekly basis. The efficiency gains start with their UKG Pro Workforce Management solution, where managers have increased visibility to time and attendance using home page tiles. Robinson created a tile called “Pay Period Close,” which summarizes each team’s regular time and overtime, shift differentials, vacation, and sick time to give a quick view of the pay period and to see open tasks like paid time off (PTO) and timecard approvals. With this tile placed on managers’ home pages, tasks are easily visible and managed throughout the week so timecards can be ready for sign off by end of business on Monday. Data then flows easily so Eskaton staff can complete any audits and final checks, run payroll, and ensure employees are paid by Tuesday evening.
Eskaton Properties also invested in remote check printers for each of their locations. With approximately 30% of employees receiving a printed paycheck, the company’s ability to print remotely saves time and shipping costs. The added benefit of paying employees earlier has been a significant win for the organization and as Robinson explained finding and keeping employees in the current market can be a challenge so anything that increases employee satisfaction has a positive impact on recruitment and retention.
Ease of data flow between payroll and timekeeping
During the onboarding process, Robinson adds new employees and, depending on the time of day, new records for timekeeping and scheduling can be available in their solution in as little as one to two hours later. Once data is added, it feeds directly into the Advanced Scheduling module. Employee data flows over attached to correct pay policies and pay groups, and those employees can then be scheduled for work. The option to add skills and certifications in their UKG solution allows schedulers to assign employees with the appropriate certifications to each shift, increasing efficiency and accuracy in the scheduling process.
The ability to manage multiple pay rates based on job codes has also been a game changer for Eskaton Properties and is necessary for the organization’s smaller locations where employees have more than one role. An employee could work as a driver on Tuesdays, but as a receptionist on Wednesdays, getting paid at a different rate for each job. Setting up multiple jobs in their solution takes seconds, according to Robinson. Once set up, time clocks display the appropriate job for each employee based on the day they’re working, so when an employee punches in, they’re set up in the correct role at the correct payrate. The UKG Pro solution can also be configured to include a feature where employees can easily make a job transfer or select a secondary job at the time clock. If a job code that the employee is not entitled to is mistakenly selected, the system will default back to the employee’s base pay to ensure they’re not overpaid.
Leverage Proactive Reporting
With proactive reporting, Eskaton Properties has been able to increase productivity by allowing managers and employees to stay on top of tasks instead of scrambling to make corrections. Using Data Hub, Robinson shared that he easily pulls data to create reports with an analytics tool. He then runs a nightly report for all managers that shows employees with missing punches from the day before. With this information, managers can work with employees to not only correct their punches for that day, but also to coach them on the importance of accurate time tracking and, if necessary, how to use the time clocks or their mobile device for managing time.
Managers also receive a daily report on meal penalties. If an employee takes a late lunch the day prior because of their workload their manager can work with them the following day to make sure they get back on track. Pushing these types of reports to managers allows them to manage to the exception by paying attention to those employees who need additional assistance and even praising those who are managing their time well.
Take Advantage of UKG Community Resources
The UKG Community offers great information, including product tips and tricks, so Robinson said he rarely needs to submit a ticket.
“I like being able to work independently with the information I find on the Community,” he shared.
There is even an area in the Community called Learn About UKG Pro where savvy users like Robinson review tagged Community posts that include ideas and reports shared among other users, in addition to easy accessibility to helpful resources. With increased efficiencies, ease of use, and proactive reporting, Eskaton Properties and its employees have benefited significantly from adding workforce management capabilities to their product suite.