ADVICE & OPINION
KEEPING ON TRACK
FMJ AIMS TO SUPPORT TECHNICAL EXPERTISE IN THE FM MARKET
Nicole Bello, Vice President of SMB and Channel Sales, EMEA, at Kronos explains why a recent ECJ’s
ruling on time-tracking software could be benefi cial for facilities management
In May, the European Court of
Justice (ECJ) passed a ruling that
will require employers in EU member
states to set up time-tracking so ware
systems, in order to ensure full
compliance with labour laws. It’s
designed to give employees across all
industries an extra layer of protection
when it comes to working hours,
thereby reducing the chances of
exploitation and helping to maintain
worker wellbeing in the long term.
Time-tracking so… ware has been
commonplace in FM for many years,
but this ruling adds a little bit of extra
scrutiny to the need to keep close,
accurate records of worker schedules
and the amount of time they’re spending
on the job. For some managers,
this could be seen as an additional
administrative burden added to a ra…
of other responsibilities, but there are
ample benefits to derive from the ECJ’s
decision.
As far as further improving worker
welfare and performance is concerned,
this ruling presents an excellent chance
for businesses to re-evaluate how
they’re approaching time-tracking and
schedule planning, and make any further
improvements as necessary.
16 JULY 2019
THE RULING
On 14 May, the ECJ said in its ruling that
“Member States must require employers
to set up an objective, reliable and
accessible system enabling the duration
of time worked each day by each worker
to be measured”. The ruling stemmed
from a lawsuit filed by the Comisiones
Obreras (CCOO), a Spanish trade union
aiming to ensure employers act fully in
line with European labour regulations
and record overtime accurately.
The ECJ ruled in CCOO’s favour, with
the decision being received positively by
the German Trade Union Confederation,
which said that the ruling puts an end to
what it called “flat-rate work”. As far as
employee wellbeing is concerned, there’s
plenty to be optimistic about here.
CLEAR SKIES FOR EMPLOYEE WELFARE
For FM, the decision means taking a
closer look at how time is currently being
planned and tracked. It can be easy to
see this as another time-consuming
task, but in truth, there’s a huge amount
of potential to do good things for your
employees and your business in here.
Time-tracking systems might already
be a fixture in the FM world, but if you’re
relying on older legacy technology to do
the job, there’s a possibility that you’re
not getting the most out of the tools
at your disposal. The ECJ ruling gives
organisations an opportunity to assess
how they can bring an even greater
level of detail and accuracy to the timetracking
process, helping them to more
easily identify if employees are being
overworked or if their shi… s are being
scheduled in a fair manner.
PEOPLE ARE THE INNOVATORS,
TECHNOLOGY IS THE FACILITATOR
Technology that increases automation
of more mundane processes has a big
part to play here. Far from threatening
the role of human managers, these
tools are designed to alleviate
the burden of time-consuming
administrative tasks on human sta— ,
enabling them to spend more time
on activities that drive value for the
business.
Take a facilities manager who
traditionally spent a large portion of
their time manually planning shi… s
and monitoring worker activity,
painstakingly checking for any pain
points or anomalies and then taking
steps to address them. By delegating
some of these formerly manual
processes to an automated time-tracking
application, many of the headaches that
took up so much of the manager’s time
are removed.
Instead, this manager can devote more
of their time with employees, bonding
and providing real-time training, advice
and mentorship – which can be hugely
beneficial in raising worker engagement
and morale. It also gives managers a bit
more time to be creative in their work, as
their e— orts can now be directed towards
the development and implementation
of new initiatives that can further drive
employee fulfilment.
The important point to note here is that
technology isn’t there to usurp people,
it’s there to complement them, by
making their lives easier and encouraging
them to bring a new level of innovative
thought to the business.
WHERE TECH MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Workforce management technology
is evolving at a rapid pace, and will
play a leading role in the FM world
and beyond following the ECJ ruling.
Specifically, human capital management
(HCM) so… ware will be at the forefront,
not just because of its ability to track
time e— ectively, but also how it can
be used to incorporate every other
aspect of HR management under
one roof. This includes recruitment,
onboarding, performance management,
compensation and benefits, attendance,
payroll and even exit management.
The latest HCM so… ware now
incorporates technological elements
such as AI and machine learning, using
these to enhance the automation and
planning processes, and help facilities
managers to focus more heavily on
driving further value to the business.
A NEW DAWN FOR EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT
For any organisation, people are your
most important asset. Making sure they
are engaged, motivated and inspired
to do well is paramount, and the ECJ’s
recent ruling has been made with this
very much in mind. It shouldn’t be
something that strikes fear into the
hearts of business leaders and FMs; it
should be welcomed as an opportunity
to get even sharper when it comes to
workforce management.
By welcoming the ruling with open arms
and taking steps to make the very most
of the technology at your fingertips, the
world of FM will be much better o— in the
long run.
FAST FACTS