Issue 12, September 2007   SECTIONS Articles & Insights Case Study EmpCenter Archived Webinars Upcoming Events by Roger A. Smith, CPP & Payroll Consultant National Payroll Week! If you’re reading this between September 3 and 7, Happy National Payroll Week! (If you’re reading this after September 7, a belated “Happy National Payroll Week!”) National Payroll Week (NPW) celebrates the hard work by America's 146 million wage earners and the payroll professionals who pay them. Together, through the payroll withholding system, they contribute, collect, report and deposit approximately $1.6 trillion, or 64.3%, of the annual revenue of the U.S. Treasury. [more]   OTHER ISSUES August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 SUBSCRIBE   Welcome to The Workforce Chronicle! In this issue of The Workforce Chronicle we examine the issue of time collection for remote employees. You'll also learn how Parkway School District streamlined and improved their workforce management activities by implementing a time and attendance system. Congratulations to Mary Edwards-Bell from the City of Naperville, IL and Jane Davis from RF Micro Devices, Inc. for winning the BLR Special Report on FLSA Overtime: Making Your Way Through the Exempt/ Nonexempt Minefield. Featured Article Accurate Time Collection for your Mobile, Field, Remote Workforce You are ready to process your weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly payroll, but come to a screeching halt or dead stop when you realize that you do not have timesheets for a number of your remote, hourly employees. This is not the first time it has happened. And, you know it will not be the last unless you find a solution to resolve this highly critical issue that directly affects your organization’s most valued asset – the employees. As a payroll professional, you understand that your field, mobile, and remote employees do not have access to a computer, badge reader, or biometric reader to collect hours worked. With some simple research, you will find Interactive Voice Response (IVR) as a solution. IVR is telephone technology that allows a computer to detect voice and touch tones using any telephone, including cellular. Employees without access to a traditional or web clock can easily clock time using a cellular phone. COMPLETE ARTICLE Articles & Insights Staffers Sue Ritz Hotel in Pasadena Two employees at the Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena filed a lawsuit Thursday against the luxury resort, alleging that they are not paid overtime and are forced to work through their breaks, the Los Angeles Times reports. The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, is the latest salvo in a dispute between workers and management at the hotel, which is the focus of a union organizing campaign. In addition to the lawsuit, workers have recently filed complaints with the state Department of Fair Employment and Housing and the National Labor Relations Board. [more] Gardena firm loses wage battle A Gardena-based maid services company has been ordered to pay more than $4.5 million in unpaid and compensatory wages to 385 former employees. A federal court judge determined that Southern California Maid Services and Carpet Cleaning did not pay its employees minimum wage or overtime from 2003 to 2006, according to an Aug. 20 order filed in the U.S District Court's Central District. [more] GM Lordstown strike vote ends this morning A strike authorization vote at the General Motors plant here comes as a news report indicates local bargaining has slowed. Workers were deciding whether to give union leaders the authority to call a strike if talks become stalemated. Voting was to end this morning. While the vote is routine, Automotive News said in a story last week that union leaders in Lordstown and Kansas City, Kan., are reluctant to accept GM's proposals to bring in outside contracts to handle janitorial, forklift and subassembly work. Listed as sticking points were overworked jobs, team leader classifications, vacation approvals and overtime agreements. [more]   WorkForce News First-Ever List of the 5,000 Fastest-Growing Businesses Reports Total Revenue of $194.5 Billion ‘Process Modeling in the Payroll Department’ is WorkForce Software’s Latest On-demand Webinar in its Learning Series WorkForce Software Ranked 283rd Fastest Growing Business in Entrepreneur’s 2007 Hot 500 WorkForce Software In The News   Case Study Parkway School District EmpCenter Fully Automates its Workforce Management Processes Customer Since: February 2004 No. of Employees: 3,200 Industry:K-12 School Districts EmpCenter Solution: Time & Attendance Base, Accruals & Absence Manager, FMLA Manager, Employee Self-Service Platform: Windows COMPLETE CASE STUDY   EmpCenter for Higher Education The business of higher education becomes more difficult each year. States cut budgets and service costs grow, while enrollment drop and regulatory compliance becomes more of a burden. This changing environment means institutions must do more with smaller budgets. Institutions are optimizing all operational processes in order to save money; given the right system, payroll spending can be the easiest controllable cost for higher education. WorkForce Software’s EmpCenter for Higher Education helps colleges and universities eliminate wasted time and money spent managing their workforce while ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations. A workforce management solution, EmpCenter for Higher Education automates and streamlines interactions between your staff and the university. Ohio University, a WorkForce Software customer, provided a great deal of input in the development of EmpCenter for Higher Education, and the result is a system that can save one to three-percent of annual payroll costs. The money saved helps ease budget burdens and helps deliver the world-class education your college or university has set as its goal. Contact WorkForce Software for more information at info@workforcesoftware.com.   Archived Webinars Process Modeling in the Payroll Department Strategic Planning in the Payroll Department Payroll Technologies: Past, Present and Emerging Top 5 Essential Practices for Payroll Professionals Controlling Overtime Pay with Scheduling Automation Trends and Myths of Workforce Management The Fair Labor Standards Act - A Review   Events Stop by the WorkForce Booth to receive your free gift and register for our drawings! APA Rocky Mountain Conference Fort Collins Marriott, Colorado September 13, 2007 APA Rainer Conference La Quinta Inn Hotel & Conference Center Tacoma, WA September 20, 2007 APA Texas Statewide Conference Booth #38 Renaissance Austin Hotel September 27 – 28, 2007 Booth 38 HR Technology Navy Pier, Chicago October 10 – 12, 2007 Booth 1112 APA Michigan Statewide Conference Crowne Plaza Grand Rapids Airport October 18, 2007 CUPA-HR National Conference & Expo Baltimore Marriott Waterfront November 8 – 11, 2007 Booth 614     Sponsored by: