Safeguarding remote cleaning operatives
Employers have a duty of care to ensure their cleaning staff are kept safe whilst working their shifts. This could include planned supervisor visits to observe staff that are working alone or agreed contact calls between the lone worker and the supervisor. However, in situations where the employer is managing large teams of remote or dispersed workers, visits and calls may not be an efficient way to monitor the whereabouts of individuals. A robust system needs to be implemented to ensure that the cleaning operative has clocked in and out of their designated location at the expected times.
Having full, real time visibility of staff attendance and punctuality is key. Time and attendance data can be captured using either a landline, mobile telephone or biometric device. The data is then sent in real time, so managers can get a clear picture of staff shift locations and times, immediate alerts for late arrivals, no-shows and early leavers so they can act fast to escalate any issues and minimise service disruption.
Our smartphone module EziMobile is a great solution for site cleaning staff who do not have access to a fixed line telephone to log their time and attendance. Staff simply log in and out of the client’s site by scanning a unique coded site tag, or QR code using their mobile or smartphone. Time and attendance information is sent instantly to Ezitracker via the mobile network and automatically synchronises each time the phone connects. Staff can access their rosters, send additional information and receive notifications of roster changes while they are out on site. It’s ideal for workers with frequently changing schedules or for those who need to record extra information about their site visits. If a mobile connection isn’t available, your staff can still log in and out and view their schedules; and synchronisation and automatic updates will just start again as soon as the connection is restored.
Remote cleaning worker software helps with many health and safety and compliance issues; Working Time Directive compliance, ensuring remote workers are kept safe and can evidence that Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are being met. The technology significantly reduces potential for fraud, eliminates the need for paper timesheets and related time-keeping disputes as it means payroll managers can compare actual hours worked against planned hours, therefore significantly reducing the chance of over-payments.
An integrated workforce management system will include scheduling, payroll and invoice reporting so you can allocate employees, assign pay rates, produce payroll extracts, and report results quickly. It should integrate easily and seamlessly with your existing rostering and payroll systems, so you can maximise the return on the system investments. Most will allow tailored reports to be created quickly and easily.
The cleaning sector has become highly competitive following the pandemic. Decreasing margins has meant that contract cleaning companies have had to adapt their proposition to deliver enhanced efficiencies as clients seek providers that offer better value for money, digital innovations and accurate management information and analytics. The evolving demands of customers continues to motivate the cleaning industry to evaluate, adapt and improve their proposition to meet new procurement criteria which has become a more complex model centred around ‘value’.
Progression in technology is the driver of innovation that is facilitating a shift for providers to deliver better value by managing contracts and mobile workforces more efficiently. The prevalence of accessible, cloud-based technologies such as Ezitracker’s workforce time and attendance software has made it significantly easier for cleaning service providers to manage teams of staff across multiple sites remotely, whilst bringing cost savings and adding to the bottom line.
