The top 5 mistakes aged care companies make when choosing a workforce compliance management system

When researching workforce compliance management system for aged care, look for one that puts its residents and their families at the heart of everything they do – that provides top-notch service and continually updates its platform for the ever-evolving aged care landscape.   

Ideally, you’ll find a workforce compliance management system for aged care that’s flexible, user friendly, and puts a premium on security (bonus points if it reduces costs and has built-in automation that makes your staff work smarter, not harder). To assist you in your search for the perfect workforce compliance management system for your aged care facility, try to avoid these five critical mistakes:

Mistake #1: Not maximising cost reductions

Workforce compliance software should supplement your existing HR toolkit. Although labour management solutions aren’t technically payroll processing software, they should integrate seamlessly with them to ensure that the data being fed into one is as accurate as possible. In action, your system should be able to establish employment “rules” so that it knows what allowances, benefits, rates, and pay rules apply to which employee.  

Another key area for cost reductions is avoiding compliance penalties. Any top-notch workforce compliance management system will keep up with tracking pertinent details, such as ensuring your staff have valid and current visas, proper staffing by qualification, and that you’re compliant with the award and employment agreement requirements.  

Scheduling exceptions, such as leave, can throw a wrench in your operations and cause unnecessary expenses like overtime. A workforce compliance management system that has rule-based rostering – and which gives your schedule grey-out and blackout dates to lessen the blow of absent employees – can help.   

When possible, look for a rostering & scheduling solution like Humanforce that allows your staff to bid to pick up extra shifts and swap shiftson their own so that you can avoid costs associated with contracted labour. Contractors can be more expensive than regular staff, and are often less engaged than them as well.

Mistake #2: Ignoring data security & privacy concerns

As more and more companies realise the value of adopting advanced technology to drive efficiency and productivity, the need for top-tier security and reliability becomes even more significant.   

When choosing a workforce compliance management system for aged care, security should be a top priority. The peace of mind that comes from knowing your data is safeguarded from unwanted intruders and uncleared personnel is invaluable. Your system should help you stay compliant with global privacy acts such as GDPR and operate with a security and risk framework such as SOC-2.  

Ideally, the system should simultaneously provide access 24/7 and be device agnostic. In particular, aged care facilities need solutions that are reliable since their operations run 24/7, 365 days a year. For that reason, choose a single account provider who can guarantee service up-time over 99% of the time.

Read more about Humanforce’s data security and support here, and our Privacy Policy here.

Mistake #3: Disregarding the importance of user experience

A workforce compliance management system for aged care should make your life easier – not harder.   

Usability is essential with any software, but it’s especially important in aged care facilities, as the industry has not traditionally been the strongest when it comes to technology adoption. Regardless, facility workers shouldn’t need advanced training to operate the system’s most basic functionality.  

Lowering the barrier to employee self-service for processes like time card access, schedule requests, and attendance management is a no-brainer move when it comes to selecting software. In addition, doing so lowers administrative burdens associated with training and retraining, giving management the bandwidth to focus on more important tasks.  

Mobility is a huge factor in aged care facilities as well, since your staff are always on the move.

The workforce compliance solution you select should have an app and be cloud-based so that you and your staff can access it from any web browser, phone, tablet, or laptop computer. The Humanforce Work App meets all those requirements, while also enabling staff to access everything they need to do their jobs on-the-go, such as checking rosters, swapping or bidding on open shifts, requesting leave and checking leave balance, and reviewing pay slips.

Opting for a user-friendly solution is a great starting point, but that doesn’t mean you should settle for a system that’s overly simple or that doesn’t solve a majority of the problems you’re looking to remedy. Naturally, some complexity will require training, though you can mitigate the time and effort required by appointing an assigned trainer within your organisation.   

Further, the solution you choose should have plenty of training resources available to facilitate ‘training your trainer’. Ideally, training material should include a mix of self-paced eLearning options, as well as on-site or distance learning options (usually via videoconferencing).   

You may also decide to work with a provider like Humanforce that offers customised onboarding and training. That way, you’ll gain instant access to materials when you need quick answers, but also individualised assistance when you’re just starting out.

Mistake #4. Overlooking the need for a flexible solution

The aged care industry encompasses a wide variety of qualifications and skill sets, but it also bears some of the most restrictive compliance measures in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. Seamlessly adjusting to these differing needs requires a highly configurable solution that is adaptable to laws that vary by region – as well as one that allows your team to quickly shift strategies based on performance needs or regulatory changes.  

Mistake #5: Not utilising industry-disrupting automation features

Automation is the future, and any workforce compliance management system not automating previously manual functions is going to get left behind. When searching for a software solution for your compliance needs, it’s imperative that automation be on your short-list of must-have features. A few key areas ripe for automation include employee scheduling, skill profile staffing, and qualification expiration tracking.  

Automating employee scheduling is a win-win for aged care workers at all levels. Not only do these systems free up management’s bandwidth to focus on more critical tasks (since they aren’t acting as middle-men facilitating employee shift changes), but it also empowers employees with more autonomy so that they can focus on what they do best - providing quality care to residents.   

With an automated Rostering & Scheduling solution like Humanforce, employees can swap shifts on their own, rostering is simplified, and the risk of human error is significantly reduced. Workforce compliance systems can also streamline payslip delivery for companies that are required to provide them by hand or electronically within one day of payday – and they can improve worker health and safety by deploying contactless clocking solutions that avoid cross-contamination.  

Skill profile staffing automation helps your facility avoid penalty rates stemming from employees working outside normal hours with automatic time tracking. This also provides the flexibility to monitor and enforce skill profiles and their required staffing ratios with automatic alerts signalling when compliance obligations are being compromised. 

Humanforce’s workforce management suite helps with all of the above, not to mention assistance with regulatory compliance and AN-ACC reporting (for Australian employers) via our Workforce Analytics tool. 

Finally, expiration tracking, like that seen in Humanforce’s Compliance Management solution, can automatically restrict log-ins for employees with expired certifications and vaccinations. In a manual environment, things will inevitably slip through the cracks. A system like Humanforce can help you stay compliant and protect you from unwanted penalties, while also lowering costs, streamlining your operations, and seamlessly supporting your facility’s unique needs.    

About Humanforce

Humanforce is the best-in-one platform for frontline and flexible workforces, offering a truly employee centred, intelligent and compliant human capital management (HCM) suite – without compromise. Founded in 2002, Humanforce has a 2300+ customer base and over half a million users worldwide. Today, we have offices across Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.

Our vision is to make work easier and life better by focusing on the needs and fulfilment of frontline workers, and the efficiency and optimisation of businesses. 

To learn more about how Humanforce’s solutions can help automate people processes in your business, please contact us.