Frequently Asked Questions
What is WorkPlace OnLine?
WorkPlace OnLine is a web based Roster and Time Keeping solution designed to reduce the time, frustration and cost associated with managing your employee requirements. Utilising the Internet, email, mobile-phone text messaging, WorkPlace OnLine is a user-friendly, intuitive, customer driven employee management solution.
How does WorkPlace OnLine work?
In the majority of cases, you already know and understand the type rosters and schedules you want to operate, the challenge comes in making sure they are easily planned, communicated and actually worked by your staff. Using WorkPlace OnLine you can quickly plan, create and fill a roster, taking into consideration known and current staff availability, their experience to do required tasks, work rules and pay rate. The resulting shifts can then be communicated to staff either using print out or via SMS or email to gain acceptance. This reduces all the time you spend making telephone calls, collating shifts, entering times and confirming rosters. If you adopt the T&A module, actual attendance is automatically captured, compared against the plan and any exceptions flagged to you. The rest if they are expected are then sent through for payroll processing. The result - your staff are paid fairly and accurately and you can spend more time in customer facing activities.
How can I access WorkPlace OnLine?
To use WorkPlace OnLine you just need a PC with a Broadband internet connection. WorkPlace OnLine is access through most standard web browsers including Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.
Do I have to install WorkPlace OnLine?
No. WorkPlace OnLine is fully web-based, which means you do not need to install any new hardware or software on your computer. So long as you can connect to the Internet and bring up a web-page you can use WorkPlace OnLine from anywhere, even from home.
How much time will I really save?
In our experience, WorkPlace OnLine can help organisations save up to 7% of their labour bill through more accurate payments to staff and many hours in administration every week. The exact savings will depend on how much time you currently spend drawing up a roster, checking and confirming availability, allocating staff to shifts, communicating the roster, making changes, finding replacement staff, recording timesheets, calculating overtime and entering timesheets into payroll. WorkPlace OnLine makes this entire process optimised, streamlined and automated and therefore saves significant time. For more details, view our savings calculator on the WorkPlace OnLine main menu.
How do I pay for WorkPlace OnLine?
With WorkPlace OnLine, you only pay for what you use. Each month you pay by direct debit for the number of individuals that you've rostered in that month. Please note that there is often a minimum usage fee.
Do part timers and casual staff cost the same to schedule as full time employees?
Yes, it is one price for every individual scheduled in that month.
Where is WorkPlace OnLine hosted and how secure is my data?
WorkPlace OnLine is hosted in the UK and your data is perfectly secure and confidential. WorkPlace System's provide the highest level of data security by utilising a secure location and a multi-tier architecture which maintains the system's performance and physically separates the public facing front end application servers from the privately addressed back end database servers. It's the same level of encryption that you would use to make credit card payments on the internet.
Who owns the data?
It's your data - so you own it and can request it at any time.
How often is my database backed up?
We back up your system twice and in real time for every change you make.
Does WorkPlace Systems help me import my employee information to get me started?
Yes we can help you get employee details into WorkPlace OnLine. We provide a spreadsheet to fill in which when completed can then be easily imported to the system.
What support and help is available?
We offer technical and user support for WorkPlace OnLine. Up to two hours a month telephone support is included in the monthly payment price.
Does WorkPlace Systems ever view or use my data?
No. WorkPlace Systems offer assurances that we will not review, share, distribute, print, or reference any customer data. Accounts are occasionally viewed or accessed for the purpose of resolving a problem or a support issue. All customers of the system are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality and security of their user registration and password.
Could WorkPlace OnLine ever be unavailable?
WorkPlace Systems guarantees 99.5% uptime for WorkPlace OnLine. We know that businesses will depend on WorkPlace OnLine being available and we're committed to ensuring this is the case. In technical terms, WorkPlace Systems has built 'redundancy' into all its systems in order to minimise any system failures that could be perceived as customer outages. All components are proactively monitored and managed so that faults are detected before system outages.
What if I already have existing payroll software?
WorkPlace OnLine is designed to integrate with your existing systems, including. your existing payroll, accounting package, Point-of-Sale or other staff management applications.
Can we set up different access levels for staff?
Yes, there is complete flexibility to restrict access to certain areas to certain people.
How scalable is WorkPlace OnLine?
WorkPlace OnLine is a truly scalable solution that has sites ranging from just a few employees up to the largest site of several thousand users.
Can I afford WorkPlace OnLine?
Ask yourself the following:
- How much time do you or your manager spend creating and managing the roster?
- How much time is lost by staff planning their roster while at work?
- How much ongoing time is spent changing and updating the roster?
- How many hours are paid to staff when they are not actually at work (just 5 minutes per shift can quickly add up)?
- How much time is spent recording and checking timesheets?
- How much time is spent calculating overtime?
- How much time does payroll spend manually entering timesheets into payroll?
In our experience if you just make time savings in a couple of these areas you've covered the cost and it's not only costs that you save. By using WorkPlace OnLine you can also improve sales by providing better customer service.
How soon can I start using WorkPlace OnLine?
We can usually get your account set up in under 3 weeks.
How do I find out more and sign up for Hosted WorkPlace OnLine?
Call WorkPlace Systems on +44 (0) 1908 242 042 or email info@workplacesystems.com