The warning signs of workforce compliance risk

All eyes are on compliance after the release of the Aged Care Royal Commission’s Final Report. Although workforce compliance is only a piece of the equation, it will be essential to get right in order to enable aged care organisations to thrive into the future.

Audits will be commonplace from here on out. Collectively, being able to have a clear record of employee movements, edits, or changes to employee profiles or attendance information, and a robust award interpretation engine will minimise compliance risk.

Darren Kilmartin, Head of Healthcare at UKG, shares a great example that pertains to award interpretation and fatigue management together. 

“As we know, organisations have a responsibility to roster employees in a way that doesn’t compromise the aged care awards, but more importantly, doesn’t compromise employee wellbeing and their ability to deliver quality from shift to shift,” explains Mr Kilmartin.

“Ensuring employees do not work double shifts, consecutive days, and staffing resources so there are adequate rest breaks between shifts, are two simple examples of where employers can maintain compliance and keep employee wellbeing top of mind.”

UKG provides software solutions to a range of clients, including in aged care. Storing and maintaining all workforce data in a cloud solution means that both historical and current information is visible and accessible, with reporting at the touch of a button. 

Out-of-date technology, manual processes, and disparate systems are common causes of workforce compliance risk in aged care.

Some of the common warning signs your aged care organisation may need to improve compliance include:

• Lagging behind on reflecting changes to legislation, industry regulations, or updates to awards or agreements.

• Errors in payroll that cost both your employees and organisation in time, money, and resources.

• Employees being misclassified in their role or skills. With high employee churn it can be difficult to maintain correct classifications, risking under or over payments and compliance violations.

• Manual or disparate repositories or storage methods for employees’ qualifications and certifications. If expiry dates or levels impact an employee’s eligibility to perform a certain task or role, notifications need to be in place to ensure transparency with HR and people managers.

• Different union rules are becoming problematic to administer properly. 

• There are no clear records of time and location worked, and there is suspicion of manual reporting being manipulated or misunderstood.

• Multiple sources of truth.

UKG believes that following the Final Report from the Aged Care Royal Commission, released on 26 February 2021, there is an exciting opportunity to redefine the standards of care. 

Investing in your organisation’s greatest asset – your workforce, will enable you to provide the best quality care.

To learn more about how UKG can help, visit their website. 

At UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group), their purpose is people. Built from a merger that created one of the largest cloud companies in the world, UKG believes organisations succeed when they focus on their people. 

As a leading provider of HCM, payroll, and workforce management solutions, UKG’s award winning Dimensions and Ready solutions help tens of thousands of organisations across geographies and in every industry drive better business outcomes, improve HR effectiveness, streamline the payroll process, and help make work a better, more connected experience for everyone.