AMGtime News & Updates – AMGtime Blog https://amgtime.com/blog Workforce Management Solutions Tue, 19 Mar 2024 00:12:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://amgtime.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/AMG-Icon-150x150.png AMGtime News & Updates – AMGtime Blog https://amgtime.com/blog 32 32 Daylight Savings in AMGtime https://amgtime.com/blog/daylight-savings-in-amgtime/ Thu, 07 Mar 2024 15:03:17 +0000 https://amgtime.com/blog/?p=8731 Enabling Daylight Savings will automatically add or remove an hour for employees clocked in during the Daylight Savings timechange. To enable this setting, we must locate the “Adjust daylight saving hours” option found in the Settings tab under theTimecard section. Switch the option from OFF to ON and press OK to save. The Timecard Screen...

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Enabling Daylight Savings will automatically add or remove an hour for employees clocked in during the Daylight Savings time
change. To enable this setting, we must locate the “Adjust daylight saving hours” option found in the Settings tab under the
Timecard section. Switch the option from OFF to ON and press OK to save.

The Timecard Screen will look the same except for the hour difference. The Timecard Report will have an indication of there being a Daylight savings adjustment.


Based on Daylight saving adjustment, the punched work duration is (x) hours.”

To view the Employees affected by this change the “Daylight Saving Worked Hours” report can be used to pull up the full list.

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4 Tools to Increase the Effectiveness of Business Process Management https://amgtime.com/blog/4-apps-to-increase-the-effectiveness-of-business-process-management/ Sun, 29 Oct 2023 18:30:58 +0000 https://amgtime.com/app/?p=7532 Running a business, whether it’s big or small, can be time-consuming and expensive. You’re managing people and projects simultaneously, all of which have different needs and deadlines to take note of. With all that’s going on within a company’s day-to-day activities, it can get quite hectic and confusing to keep track of everything that’s happening....

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Running a business, whether it’s big or small, can be time-consuming and expensive. You’re managing people and projects simultaneously, all of which have different needs and deadlines to take note of. With all that’s going on within a company’s day-to-day activities, it can get quite hectic and confusing to keep track of everything that’s happening. Some tasks will fall to the wayside. Information can get buried in a long email thread. Reviewing and proofing documents or designs can get messy. What’s a business owner do? Use business management tools and mainly there are 4 apps to increase the effectiveness of business process management.

Why Use Process Management Solutions For Your Business?

There are plenty of reasons why you should use process management software for your business. But before we list them, let’s give a clear definition of what these business apps are. Business management tools are applications that have been specifically designed to help manage work within a company. They are created to help streamline your daily operations, automate tasks, and improve your business processes. Some business owners get started on setting up these business management apps with the help of a virtual assistant.  There are several different types of business tools in the market including chat, task management, customer service, and time tracking. So, what can all of these bpm tools do for your business?

Save Money

In order to thrive, businesses need to earn more than they spend. One way to do that is to maximize the efficiency of your costs. With business management apps, you’re able to streamline collaborations and processes, automate repetitive tasks, successfully manage employees, and even reduce risks. And at times, these tools automate tasks that save you from hiring an extra employee. For example, a CRM system can help you reduce the cost of customer acquisition and retention. You can send more targeted, personalized marketing campaigns using the information in your CRM system which lessens your marketing cost. Plus, it can help improve your customer service which can reduce customer satisfaction, preventing you from losing money to your competitors.

Save Time

Business management tools can help you reduce the amount of time spent on repetitive tasks such as posting messages on social media or sending email campaigns. With a communication tool, you won’t need to waste time sending or reading combing emails. Collaboration between members of your team is much faster, especially when compared to phone calls or emails. Some tools can help you keep track of a project or task; no need to waste time speaking with employees who are involved in the project. For example, if you own a restaurant, an order management system can make your business operation more efficient and save time.

Keep Focused

Some business process management tools can help your team stay focused on goals and projects, on meeting deadlines. Some tools help you track time, so you can make sure that employees are spending time on work and you are building smart time management for your business.

Time tracking tools also allow them to stay more focused on one task at a time, pausing and restarting the tracker when it’s time to switch to a new task.

Keep Organized

Business management tools are great for keeping everything organized. Chat tools can help keep all the conversations within the team in one place, using different channels for different teams or projects. Long, confusing threads in your inbox will no longer be a problem. CRM systems can help you maintain your customer database, keeping all the important information in one place. Task management tools, on the other hand, help you manage all your work activities and organize your day, so you’re always on top of your schedule.

Effective Communication

One type of business process management solution that can help you facilitate effective communication is the chat tool. As we’ve already mentioned, a good chat tool can help your team members quickly and easily stay in touch and collaborate on projects. While email is still an important form of communication, it can be hard to get a quick response from someone when their inbox is always full. With an internal communications tool, it’s easier for people to get a timely answer to an important question. Additionally, integrating hybrid workplace technologies into your business process management strategy can enhance flexibility and efficiency, bridging the gap between remote and in-office work environments.

Another type of bpm solution that ensures effective communication and can be beneficial to your business success,  is the CRM system. Because you can keep track of your customer’s journey along your sales funnel, you can use the data you’ve gathered on your customer to send them highly targeted, relevant content at the right time. You’re less likely to look like spam and you’re more likely to get them engaged with your brand.

Who Needs To Use BPM Apps?

Employees

Passion, skill, and grit can only get your employees so far. If you want your people to be effective and efficient in their roles, you need to provide them with the right tools. Business management tools can help your employees successfully complete a task as well as expedite their processes at work. It can help them save their brainpower for more important matters while the tools handle repetitive tasks. It can keep them engaged with their colleagues, help them stay organized, and improve their overall productivity.

Employers

Business tools are not just a benefit to employees. Employers also benefit from them. A task management tool, for example, can save you time from reaching out to employees just to get an update on the status of a task or project. A time tracking tool can help you see what your staff are doing every day. It also enables you to streamline how you calculate the wages of your people.

Trello For Project Management

One of the top must-have apps for boosting the effectiveness of your business process management is a task management solution. Task management tools, as the name already implies, are apps that allow you to manage specific tasks. You can use this bpm software to set goals, add tasks, create categories, set due dates, etc. In short, this type of tool is ideal for organizing the work of a person or a whole team and boosting productivity.

Of all task management tools in the market today, Trello would probably be voted the best. It’s incredibly simple and straightforward. It looks like an online corkboard where you are given “cards” that can be used as tasks, notes, projects, etc. You then organize these tasks into lists. At a glance, you can easily see what’s happening and what’s not on the various projects you have on the board. It holds people accountable for their tasks because there’s full visibility of what needs to be done and who is responsible for doing them.

Another reason why Trello is so great is that it is very flexible. Your team can easily rearrange the cards to enable them to adapt to any changes in the current situation. Moreover, Trello can be used across industries. It can be adapted to manage the workflow of any type of business, big or small.

Slack For Communication

For a workplace communication tool, nothing beats Slack. It can be used for instant messaging, sending files, and collaborating with teams. Moreover, Slack comes with lots of add-ins (app integrations) such as Gmail, Google Drive, Zoom, Jira Cloud, and Salesforce. There are even add-ins that help promote engagement within the team itself such as Donut – an app that helps you connect with colleagues remotely, learn more about them, and build a more authentic relationship with your peers.

This is a well-built app that’s easy to use, even for non-technical users. It allows you to create private channels for projects, teams, and one-on-one collaborations. You have the ability to directly message anyone on the team. Plus, you can kickstart your small business process management app journey for free, which is great for those who are just starting to get off the ground.

Zendesk For Customer Service

Customer satisfaction is always the goal of any business. A happy customer is a walking, talking advertisement that can help you generate more business without any added cost. To help you ensure customer satisfaction, you’ll need to use customer service software. And the best in the business is Zendesk for many reasons.

Zendesk is incredibly popular because it’s easy to set up and use. The user interface is attractive. More importantly, it provides different pricing plans that can fit every budget. In short, it offers something for businesses of all sizes. The basic plan includes support through email and social media channels as well as website and mobile integration. The higher-priced plans include a performance dashboard, app integration, custom reports, CSAT, and other analytic tools.

Zendesk also offers native add-ons or additional services such as Chat which you can use to integrate chat support and Talk which is for phone support. You can opt for the “lite” version which is free or pay to get more advanced features.

AMGtime For Employees’ Time And Attendance Tracking

If you want a business management system that helps you keep track of your employees‘ time and attendance, then you should choose AMGtime. The company provides various time and attendance solutions to cater to a variety of industries such as manufacturing companies, nursing homes, accounting firms, hospitals, and staffing agencies. The software allows you to analyze tardiness, calculate overtime, track vacation and sick pay, and show the worked hours and wages of the employees. In short, it allows managers to perform HR functions in the shortest time possible, freeing them to spend time performing tasks that add more value to the company. Aside from just tracking time and attendance, AMGtime also offers a workforce scheduling solution, which enables you to automate the scheduling of your employees. You will be able to effectively and efficiently manage the schedules of your employees while providing them with the flexibility of dropping, picking up, and swapping shifts with ease (with the manager’s approval). This software ensures that there are no coverage gaps (all shifts are covered) and helps reduce overtime. In addition, AMGtime mobile solutions offer a mobile time clock app, which enables you to keep track of your labor force remotely.

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Tips on Cutting Costs in Business Productively https://amgtime.com/blog/business-cost-reduction-strategies/ Fri, 06 Oct 2023 22:02:42 +0000 https://amgtime.com/app/?p=7028 Running a business entails many financial responsibilities. As a business expands, costs and expenses increase as well. Even if the business is going well, as a business owner, you need to think up various innovative cost reduction strategies and adopt ways to cut business expenses and implement effective methods to drive revenue. To protect your...

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Running a business entails many financial responsibilities. As a business expands, costs and expenses increase as well. Even if the business is going well, as a business owner, you need to think up various innovative cost reduction strategies and adopt ways to cut business expenses and implement effective methods to drive revenue.

To protect your revenue from being depleted regarding business expenses, you need to cut down and control your expenditures. In this article, we will introduce the various cost cutting strategies for companies and will lay down several on how to effectively cut business costs without sacrificing productivity and quality.

Using Efficient Time Strategies As a Mean of Business Expense Reductions

There seems to be not enough time in a day to accomplish all the tasks you have laid out for yourself. On occasion, you have consumed the entire day working on one item only to realize that you haven’t accomplished anything. While it is great that you work hard, it is always better to work smart.

This is where time management strategies come into the picture, as effectively managing your time is important. Good time management skills lead to improved efficiency and productivity, less stress, and better employee engagement. Below are some important tips for implementing efficient time strategies:

Use of staff scheduling tool

Depending on the size of the company and the complexity of work shift patterns, preparing the work schedule of employees may consume the majority of your working hours. This may make you unable to focus on other important tasks. However, with the aid of a workforce scheduling tool, these problems can be avoided.

A staff scheduling tool allows you to conveniently set up new schedules in minutes instead of hours or days. Mostly, this tool does have user-friendly features that could generate and create standard shifts or even reschedule employees’ shifts in an instant. If your business requires a change of schedule weekly, you can set up the tool to create templates. Moreover, you may tweak it as necessary in cases where the schedules significantly differ from the norm which will lead to expense reduction and new business opportunities.

Plan ahead to Cut Business Expenses

A very important part of cost cutting strategies is planning ahead. Nearly everyone would agree that planning is very important. Whether it is work or daily life, we all have even experienced firsthand how planning ahead is beneficial in all kinds of situations. Without calculated and planned business expense reduction strategies the businesses may struggle to stay afloat and compete with their rivals. Still, some ignore the benefits of planning as it seems to involve too much work and organization.

Another benefit of planning ahead of time is that it helps reduce stress and frustration for everyone. Let’s take, for example, the workload allocation in a production setup,—by planning, you would be able to adequately prepare for the number of resources needed to complete the required output. This can save you production costs as there would be fewer impulse decisions and more contemplation of what needs to be accomplished. Though, you should always include a backup plan in case something goes wrong.

Prioritize tasks

A variety of tasks with almost the same turnaround time on a given day from different stakeholders can be overwhelming. This is usually the situation employees face, thus, contributing to their stress and frustration. While multitasking at work can be effective in some situations, this cannot be applied in the long term as it would result in burning out—leaving the employee no other option but to look for something better elsewhere.

Prioritization deals with placing the more important work at the top of the list as it indirectly leads to business expense reduction. This is a more strategic approach as compared to working on different tasks at the same time without actually achieving anything. Time and again, it has been proven that prioritization does not only improve efficiency but also allows the employee to focus on their personal goals.

man reviewing his expenses on his phone at an office desk

Cut Business Production Costs

Company productivity and profitability are key elements to staying competitive. In an uncertain economy, companies should strive to manage and reduce expenditures, which in turn cuts down the business production cost.

The good news is that a complete overhaul of the business structure isn’t necessary to cut down production costs.

Track the numbers

When you’re cutting costs in the business, you should never neglect to track numbers. Everything should be measured; you cannot improve what you cannot measure. By tracking numbers, be it business purchases or expenditures, you would be able to monitor the expenses of the company. This will allow you to effectively manage the finances of your company as you will have a clearer picture of its actual needs, thereby reducing business expenses that remain unnecessary.

Increase workers efficiency

Another cost reduction strategy is evaluating your employees’ experience and skills. Then allocate more responsibilities to employees with the most expertise and competence. As task assignments should be matched according to skills.

Use the delegation method: qualified employees should be given vital tasks allowing the employee to gain confidence and leadership, which will ultimately benefit the company and increase your employee engagement. This, combined with a hybrid workplace environment, can further streamline the process and foster a more efficient work environment. Additionally, giving employees something to look forward to can also increase their work efficiency and eventually cut down production costs.

A classic example of this is to incentivize employees for a job well done. This will make them feel appreciated, and they will continue to increase their productivity.

Cut direct material cost

Material costs are expenditures for materials needed to produce a product. In other words, the money that you spent on materials during the production process. For instance, a complete dining table has many different parts and components before it is considered a finished product. The expenses for the purchase of the wood, paint, and other materials needed for the product are what consist of direct material costs.

For cutting down direct business material costs, you should consider looking for other suppliers of materials that offer a lower price without compromising the quality.

Cost reduction strategies can also lead you to find alternative solutions. For instance, your company may take part in recycling programs as well, such as the “Sneakers For Good” program, which will give your employees an opportunity to earn funds recycling their sneakers.

How AMGtime can help cut costs in business productively?

AMGtime is software available in the market that could help companies cutting costs in business. It is a scheduling solution that helps companies manage the entire workforce efficiently and flexibly. The effective time and attendance software contain various features and functionalities, such as creating schedules, auto-scheduling, setting job requirements, and availability preferences, which are all user-friendly and can be easily managed.

With AMGtime business expense reduction is easily tangible and measurable. Companies would be able to cut down business costs as all shifts would be covered, reducing overtime and avoiding coverage gaps.

Conclusion

Companies may adopt various innovative cost reduction strategies to cut costs in business. Whatever the process is, the solution lies simply in evaluating all expenses and expenditures and head continuously making the necessary adjustments.

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AMGtime Announces Their First Scholarship Award! https://amgtime.com/blog/amgtime-announces-their-first-scholarship-award/ Tue, 20 Apr 2021 16:09:06 +0000 https://amgtime.com/blog/?p=8215 AMGtime is happy to have started their very first scholarship award for this upcoming Fall 2021 university semester or quarter. AMGtime wants to offer financial support to a STEM or business major currently attending any university residing in the USA. This scholarship is aiming to help encourage these undergraduate students to continue their studies in...

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AMGtime is happy to have started their very first scholarship award for this upcoming Fall 2021 university semester or quarter. AMGtime wants to offer financial support to a STEM or business major currently attending any university residing in the USA. This scholarship is aiming to help encourage these undergraduate students to continue their studies in their respected fields. Therefore, AMGtime encourages all STEM or business majors to apply before the deadline of September 30, 2021.

One winner will win the $1000 scholarship award for this upcoming Fall 2021 semester or quarter.

Criteria for AMGtime’s Fall 2021 Scholarship:
  • Applicant must attend a 4-year university
  • Applicant must have a minimum 3.0 GPA
  • Applicant must be a STEM or business major
  • Applicant must be a Junior or Senior standing at their university

AMGtime welcomes everyone who meets those criteria to apply to their scholarship and cannot wait to select a winner of the $1000 award.

How to Apply

First, the applicants must meet the criteria listed above and complete the scholarship application with a transcript file submitted to prove that they meet the scholarship requirements. Afterward, paired with the application form is an essay submission with a topic that the applicant must answer in 500 words or less.

If you or anyone you know wants to apply for this application, then please click on the link below:

The winner will be chosen based upon their merits and the essay submission. The winner will be notified by email if they have won and will be sent their $1000.

About AMGtime

AMGtime is known for being highly flexible, customizable, and cost-effective. They provide some of the fastest and easiest implementation, data transfers from other time software providers, and onboarding in the industry. Plus, they provide advanced offerings of mobile apps, add-on modules, biometric devices, and more. With AMGtime’s comprehensive partner program, payroll and HR professionals have the right tools and solutions to solve their customer’s needs. AMGtime’s offerings are adaptable for basic to complex configurations and simple to implement, providing organizations with the highest level of efficiency and ROI. To learn more about AMGtime, please visit https://amgtime.com/.

 



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One year COVID-19 Anniversary – How did AMGtime fare? https://amgtime.com/blog/one-year-covid-19-anniversary-how-did-amgtime-fare/ Fri, 26 Mar 2021 15:48:11 +0000 https://amgtime.com/blog/?p=8161 We have reached one year since the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Shortly after, President Trump declared a national emergency on March 13, 2020, beginning our “new normal.” On March 19, 2020, all non-essential businesses were ordered to close, hitting small businesses particularly hard. Even with the...

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We have reached one year since the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Shortly after, President Trump declared a national emergency on March 13, 2020, beginning our “new normal.” On March 19, 2020, all non-essential businesses were ordered to close, hitting small businesses particularly hard. Even with the CARES act and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), small businesses are still going out of business due to COVID-19.

Small businesses whether going fully remote or completely shutting down their operations have been struggling with this pandemic. 

How AMGtime was affected

Like other non-essential businesses, AMGtime stopped working from the office after the stay-at-home order and relocated their workers remotely. As a small business providing time and attendance software that also handles tech support in-house, adjusting to remote work was a struggle in the beginning. They had to learn to telecommunicate more effectively with each other to assist their clients’ technical and customer support needs. The convenience of your coworker next to you to ask questions or show the problem was no longer available and adjustments needed to be made.

Eventually, AMGtime employees were able to relocate back into the office by following CDC guidelines of social distancing and wearing masks. However, the first few months of the pandemic were some of the hardest for AMGtime.

Our CEO, Tony Galstyan, states, “When the pandemic first occurred, we saw a major decrease in our sales which hit our business financially. We have never seen such a drop in sales since opening like we did those first few months of the pandemic.”

Tony and AMGtime had to rethink and adjust what products were needed during this time and how to cater to their client’s needs to ensure they were staying safe all while having his company able to continue operating.

AMGtime Solutions

AMGtime recognized that typical time clocks with fingerprint and hand readers were no longer pertinent for businesses to use during COVID-19. They shifted their focus to their facial recognition time clocks on hand and were able to get biometric time clocks with mask detection and thermal imaging for extra security measures against the spread of COVID-19.

For our clients who went fully remote and have been staying fully remote, they have been able to utilize AMGtime’s web-based software system to being able to clock in and out from their workstation or using AMGtime’s mobile time clock app.

Employers are still able to easily track their employees’ time and attendance while giving their employees ease and convenience by using the software or mobile app. The mobile app also has location tracking and geofencing. Therefore, allowing employers to see where employees have been clocking in and out from and able to geofence that location to ensure they are working from their remote location.

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AMGtime Attends First Virtual Execupay User Conference! https://amgtime.com/blog/amgtime-attends-first-virtual-execupay-user-conference/ https://amgtime.com/blog/amgtime-attends-first-virtual-execupay-user-conference/#respond Thu, 17 Dec 2020 17:40:01 +0000 https://amgtime.com/blog/?p=8023 AMGtime was excited to attend our first-ever virtual conference. Execupay User Conference happens every year, and with 2020, we were curious to see if it would still occur. Thankfully, technology is on our side, and AMGtime attended Execupay’s first virtual Execupay User Conference. Like any previous conference, AMGtime had: a booth for attendees to browse, documents to...

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AMGtime was excited to attend our first-ever virtual conference. Execupay User Conference happens every year, and with 2020, we were curious to see if it would still occur. Thankfully, technology is on our side, and AMGtime attended Execupay’s first virtual Execupay User Conference.

Like any previous conference, AMGtime had: a booth for attendees to browse, documents to access, and our President, Tony Galstyan, was still able to do a presentation about AMGtime’s time and attendance solutions and benefits.

At EPUC, we virtually attended our peers’ presentations, roundtables, and interacted with EPUC attendees.

How the Event Went  

EPUC was a three-day event from November 17-20 on AccelEvents, the virtual platform that Execupay organized their conference on. AMGtime’s presentation was on the last day, which was the perfect opportunity for AMGtime to attend roundtables and presentations.

Gerald Stowers, President of Execupay, had the opening session introducing the event and speaking about Execupay’s year with COVID-19. However, one of our favorite presentations was Belinda Espitia’s, an Execupay employee, presentation on implementing AMGtime software. She had an informative and thorough presentation providing step-by-step instructions on how to implement the software and how to use it. 

AMGtime’s second day at EPUC went similarly to the first. We were able to watch more presentations from Execupay workers and partners and continued to speak to attendees of the event to provide them more information about our software and hardware solutions for their business.

Presentation Days

Friday could not come soon enough! Scott Abramson, VP of Marketing and Sales for Execupay, was moderating the presentation for AMGtime’s President, Tony Galstyan. Tony was ready to do his presentation on AMGtime software and the benefits they provide. Including the ability to do data conversion from SwipeClock or Time America to AMGtime software.

Highlighted during the presentation was why AMGtime is the most robust, scalable, and adaptable time and attendance company. AMGtime also provides extra benefits for their clients: such as white label marketing, mobile time clock app, add-on modules, and more. Furthermore, updates were provided for new AMGtime features such as the new FFCRA module to stay compliant with the new COVID-19 sick pay regulations. Also, the new mobile application features expense tracking and mileage tracking.

AMGtime hardware solutions were also highlighted during the presentation, introducing AMGtime’s newest touchless biometric terminals FRX5/TI and FRX8/TI. These 100% touchless terminals with thermal imaging and mask detection are the best time clock on the market to ensure safety for workplace visitors and employees.

Watch our President, Tony Galstyan’s, Presentation below!

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Reopening with AMG’s Touchless Face/Palm Verification and Body Temperature Detecting Terminal https://amgtime.com/blog/touchless-face-palm-verification-and-body-temperature-detecting-terminal/ Wed, 01 Jul 2020 17:02:07 +0000 https://amgtime.com/blog/?p=7955 Getting back to business isn’t going to be easy with the new normal. Most, if not all, companies will be in survival mode in more ways than one. Amongst the many challenges that businesses face today, the biggest one is ensuring that they reopen safely, ensuring that the workplace is safe for employees and customers.  So,...

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Getting back to business isn’t going to be easy with the new normal. Most, if not all, companies will be in survival mode in more ways than one. Amongst the many challenges that businesses face today, the biggest one is ensuring that they reopen safely, ensuring that the workplace is safe for employees and customers. 

hand close to a sanitizerSo, how does one keep employees and customers safe from COVID-19? Various state and local agencies have mandated certain policies and regulations that businesses should follow in order to ensure safety. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also has a list of guidelines to help companies ensure the safety of the public. For example, in Colorado, all businesses are required to check the temperature of their employees daily as well as monitor their employees for symptoms. Some states like Indiana are asking businesses to create and implement a COVID-19 response plan. Aside from health screenings, the CDC recommends social distancing and using disinfecting wipes to clean frequently touched surfaces.

What if there are no state or local mandates? Can employers still conduct daily on-site temperature checks as a condition of employment?

hand holding a thermometerWhether or not your state or local government agency has provided mandates regarding the safety and health of the public, it is the moral obligation of the company to ensure that its employees and customers feel safe and protected, especially nowadays, when return to office anxiety is widely spread among employees. To do that, they must conduct temperature checks of their employees; although is this legal to do so? According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, conducting daily temperature checks is permissible during this pandemic as long as it is done safely, consistently, and in a non-discriminatory manner. This means that companies should check the temperature of all employees without exception. This also applies to visitors entering the workplace.

What will the process of screening employees look like? 

disposable glovesScreening employees can be accomplished using several methods. It is important that you use a method that protects the person who will be conducting the screening. This can be done by incorporating social distancing or utilizing a physical barrier that reduces or eliminates the employee’s exposure to their colleagues during the screenings. In line with this, the CDC recommends that companies use disposable gloves as well as disposable or non-contact thermometers during the screening process. 

It is important to note that aside from health screenings, wearing proper protective equipment such as face masks is also highly advised. Of course, businesses cannot afford to become lax in their security which means that identifying employees wearing PPEs is a must while health screenings are being conducted. Fortunately, there’s one device that can do all of these things – the AMG-FRX5.

What is the AMG-FRX5 Face, Palm, Body-Temperature, and Mask Detection Reader?

To assist businesses in implementing safety protocols in the workplace to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, AMGtime released the AMG-FRX5. The AMG-FRX5 is a contactless face and palm verification terminal that reads body temperature. The device is also able to detect whether a person is wearing a face mask

woman wearing a maskThis contactless biometric time clock allows businesses to still implement their security protocols while incorporating health screenings to ensure the safety of all employees. It also eliminates single points of contact inside the workplace that could become a potential source of contamination. As an added bonus, the AMG-FRX5 makes it easy for companies to comply with the current policies and guidelines provided by state and local agencies as well as the CDC. 

The AMG-FRX5 can be used in various industries and businesses including factories, healthcare facilities, schools, warehouses, and commercial buildings. With this device and the AMGtime time and attendance tracking software, employers will be able to generate reports on the temperatures of their employees, send managers notifications about fevers, and receive real-time alerts on their mobile devices.

Benefits of Contactless AMG-FRX5 Face, Palm, Body-Temperature and Mask Detection Reader

Zero-touch Detection

The AMG-FRX5 provides businesses with zero-touch biometric authentication as well as temperature and mask detection. Because the device does not require contact in order to be used, it minimizes exposure to others. It also reduces the frequency of disinfection required. 

Multiple Verification Methods

The AMG-FRX5 allows you to verify the identity of an employee in several ways. Employees can be identified using their face, palm, fingerprint, and password.

CDC guidelines

Aside from allowing contactless health screening and identity verification, the AMG-FRX5 is designed to help you monitor the temperatures of your employees. It sends a real-time alert to the managers whenever it encounters a temperature reading of 100.4 degrees or higher, enabling them to send this person home to prevent the spread in the workplace. This allows the company to comply with CDC guidelines which state that employees who have COVID-19 symptoms such as fever (a measured temperature of 100.4°F or higher) need to be immediately sent home and consult with a medical professional.

How does this facial and palm recognition time clock facilitate the work of the Employer?

woman working with a laptop and taking notesThere’s no question that a time clock allows employers to ensure that work gets done on schedule and helps you determine who got the job done. It also enables employers to make sure that the company is working at an efficient capacity at all times while providing employees flexibility, allowing them to take time off when they need to. And when you allow flexibility, you also boost your productivity. With a facial and palm recognition time clock, you’re able to manage employee attendance as well as manage shifts efficiently and effectively without exposing your employees to COVID-19. 

Provide a Safer and Protected Workplace- AMG-FRX5 is a multifunctional time clock that keeps the workplace safe all around

Notifications 

Your managers don’t need to constantly monitor the AMG-FRX5 in order to check the results of health screenings and authentications. They can configure the settings of the device so that they can receive notifications on their mobile (via an app) and/or through email.

Run Reports

Administrators are able to create various types of reports on the temperature readings. They can customize it to see the results of readings according to a certain group or level. They can also create a report that details multiple temperature readings of a specific employee. This is an ideal solution in some states where multiple temperature checks are required throughout the day.

Set Temperatures

The AMG-FRX5 allows administrators to set temperature limits which enable them to receive notifications whenever there is a temperature reading that hits that limit. The CDC recommends that people who have a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher need to be sent home and monitored.

Alarm sounds

The device sounds an alarm whenever it detects an elevated temperature or when an individual is not wearing a protective mask.

Identification with face mask

The facial verification method of the AMG-FRX5 works even when an individual is wearing proper protective equipment such as a face mask.

Conclusion

We are not living in normal times. There is no ‘business as usual after the pandemic and AMGtie offers a variety of time clock systems that are adopted for post-pandemic businesses. The way we work needs changing and companies need to go beyond crisis management in order to survive. Employees require more than just the usual safety standards in order to feel safe and protected. With the AMG-FRX5, companies are better able to move forward while ensuring that the health and safety of their staff and customers are never compromised.

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AMGtime’s System Implementation in Respect to Family First Coronavirus Response Act https://amgtime.com/blog/amgtimes-system-implementation-in-respect-to-family-first-coronavirus-response-act/ Mon, 30 Mar 2020 16:06:42 +0000 https://amgtime.com/app/?p=7464 In response to COVID-19, new provisions have been laid out regarding  leave rights. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act requires employers to provide employees with emergency paid sick leave (EPSL) or expanded family and medical leave (EFMLA) for specified reasons related to COVID-19. These new provisions will go into effect on April 1, 2020, and...

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 Coronavirus Response ActIn response to COVID-19, new provisions have been laid out regarding  leave rights. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act requires employers to provide employees with emergency paid sick leave (EPSL) or expanded family and medical leave (EFMLA) for specified reasons related to COVID-19. These new provisions will go into effect on April 1, 2020, and expire on December 31, 2020.

Ultimately, AMGtime has been keeping up with all the current events and provisions being passed and has updated its software to reflect these new requirements regarding paid sick leave. Our team wants to ensure feasibility and compliance for all users of the software.

Employers Who Are Covered

Employers Who Are CoveredThe paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave provisions of the FFCRA apply to certain public employers and private employers with less than 500 employees. Most employees of the federal government are covered by Title II of the Family and Medical Leave Act, which was not modified by this Act, and are therefore not covered by the expanded family and medical leave (EFMLA) requirements of the FFCRA. Though, federal employees covered by Title II of the Family and Medical Leave Act are still covered by the paid sick leave stipulation.

Small businesses with 50 employees or less may qualify for exemption from the requirement to provide leave due to school closings or childcare unavailability if the leave requirements would threaten the sustainability of the business as a going concern.

Eligible EmployeesEligible Employees

All employees of covered employers are eligible for two weeks of paid sick time for reasons related to COVID-19. Employees who have been employed for at least 30 days are eligible for an additional 10 weeks of paid family leave to care for a child under certain circumstances related to COVID-19.

Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act & FMLA Expansion Details 

FMLAThe act provides that employees of covered employers are eligible for up to two weeks of emergency paid sick leave (EPSL-Self) if the employee is unable to work because he or she is subject to quarantine by state, federal or local government order as well as if the individual is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. If any employee, however, is unable to work because they are caring for an individual who is subject to quarantine by the same entities stated earlier or care for a child whose school or place of care is closed, they are eligible for up to two-thirds the employee’s regular rate of pay of emergency paid sick leave (EPSL-Other).  For employees who have been employed for at least 30 days, and need to care for a child whose school or place of care is shut down, they will receive up to an additional 10 weeks of paid expanded family and medical leave (EFMLA) at two-thirds an employee’s regular rate.

Pay for employees

Pay for employeesFor employees who are subject to a Federal, State, or Local quarantine or have been advised by a healthcare provider or even experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, they are entitled to pay at their regular rate of pay or applicable minimum wage of up to $511 per day and $5,110 over a two week period.

For employees who are caring for an individual who has been subject to a Federal, State, or Local quarantine or advised by a healthcare provider, they are entitled to pay at two-thirds their regular rate or two-thirds the applicable minimum wage, up to $200 per day and $2,000 over a two week period.

For employees who are caring for a child whose school has been closed or place of care is shut down due to COVID-19, they are entitled to pay at two-thirds their regular rate or two-thirds the applicable minimum wage, up to $200 per day and $12,000 over a 12 week period.
 
In any scenario above, employees entitled to pay at either their regular rate or the applicable minimum wage, whichever is higher. Employees will be taxed normally, and employers are required to deposit these federal taxes with the IRS and file quarterly payroll tax returns (Form 941).

DOL Employee Paid Leave Rights in Response to COVID-19
Non-Federal Employee Rights
Federal Employee Rights

DEMO REQUEST

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Easiest Way To Track Your Mileage and Expenses https://amgtime.com/blog/track-mileage-and-expenses/ Wed, 25 Mar 2020 19:06:03 +0000 https://amgtime.com/app/?p=7431 Tracking your personal expenses can be quite difficult enough, but tracking business expenses, particularly auto expenses, and mileage is a whole other level. For some of us, a shoebox full of gas receipts is the only way to keep a record for future accounting. Unfortunately, sorting through these little pieces of paper can be time-consuming, and...

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Easiest Way To Track Your Mileage and ExpensesTracking your personal expenses can be quite difficult enough, but tracking business expenses, particularly auto expenses, and mileage is a whole other level. For some of us, a shoebox full of gas receipts is the only way to keep a record for future accounting. Unfortunately, sorting through these little pieces of paper can be time-consuming, and time you can use running and growing your business. Worse, this lack of organization can cause you to miscalculate your actual expenses which could lead to you missing out on some of your eligible tax deductions. It can also harm your business should you be audited by the IRS. For your employees, this lack of organized tracking can make them feel that they’re not being reimbursed fully for their expenses. For this coming tax season, why not make things easier for yourself and/or for your employees with an expense tracker. One that’s easy to set up and use. One that will help you save both time and money.

Understanding Mileage and Expenses

Employee Mileage TrackingThere are two methods offered by the IRS for businesses to calculate the cost of vehicle expenses. These are the Actual Expenses Method and the Standard Mileage Method. Which one is better? It depends. These methods can produce different quantitative vs qualitative results and have their own advantages as well as disadvantages. The good thing about this is that you can switch between these two methods to see which gives you a larger deduction. However, you need to use the standard mileage rate method in the first year that you use your vehicle for your business. Afterward, you can choose whichever method gets you a larger tax benefit.

standard mileage rateSo, let’s explain the standard mileage rate. This is the maximum per-mile rate provided by the IRS that you can use to calculate how much it costs to operate your vehicle for business purposes. The current standard mileage rate for 2020 is 57.5 cents per mile for business miles. For medical or moving expenses, the rate is 17 cents per mile. For vehicles of charitable organizations, the rate is 14 cents per mile.

 

 

Why Mileage Tracking Software is Important

Expanse Tracking SoftwareTracking your business miles is not something you can afford to ignore. Not unless you don’t mind paying more than you should come tax season. Now, for some of us, this means using a spreadsheet or a logbook as our business mileage tracker. Fortunately, manually keeping an eye on your business miles and mentally estimating your miles and expenses after a long day at work is not the only option. You can also choose to use a mileage tracker app or an expense tracker app. Below are some of the reasons why utilizing mileage tracking software is the best path to take:

Mileage tracking software removes the guesswork.

With a mileage tracking app, you’re no longer required to rely on your memory to keep accurate notes on your expenses. There’s no longer a need to make estimates after a long day of driving around. There’s no fear of having forgotten any expenses that need to be included. In short, there’s no more uncertainty. Instead, all the data is automatically tracked by the app and you can review as well as revise when needed.

It eases your mind.

create reportsWith tracking software, you don’t have to worry about getting audited and penalized. For employees, they won’t have to worry about not getting fully compensated for their expenses. Everybody can focus on what’s more important – run and grow a successful profitable business.

 

Why Choose AMGtime’s Expense and Mileage Tracker?

We’ve already talked about why it’s important for a business to invest in a mileage tracking software. The question we now need to ask is why choose AMGtime employee time and attendance solutions for tracking expenses and mileage? These features are smart solutions for companies who want to easily account for their employees’ expenses with the added bonus of being convenient, cost-effective, and in control.Expense and Mileage Tracker Each feature enables the employee to easily record their expenses and business miles with the touch of a button. Each one also provides managers the ability to review and approve reports per employee before it reaches accounting. Pen and paper are a thing of the past. Even better, employees can use their own smartphones for tracking miles and expenses – no extra equipment required. Companies can even try this digital solution for free to see how well it suits their current operations. Not sure about this tracking software? Check out the features and benefits of each tracking software below.

Mileage Tracker

Manually recording time, travel, distance, the purpose of the trip into a central location can be burdensome for even the most organized person. Gone are the days of grabbing a logbook out of the glove box and manually entering miles traveled with a pen or pencil. Our in-app feature makes the process of calculating miles as easy as clicking a button. The mileage tracking feature — which allows your clients to track their mileage easily while on the go.
Press start at the beginning of your destination, add multiple stops along the way, and automatically calculate miles traveled with the use of GPS.

  • Eliminate paper records with our digital solution
  • Automatically lists points of destinations and stops.
  • Create reports on miles traveled for each employee
  • Managers can modify before approving miles traveled by an employee

Expense Tracker

Gone are the days of grabbing a logbook out of the glove box and manually entering miles traveled with a pen or pencil. Our in-app feature makes the process of calculating miles as easy as clicking a button. The mileage tracking feature — which allows your employees to track their mileage easily while on the go. Press start at the beginning of your destination, add multiple stops along the way, and automatically calculate miles traveled with the use of GPS.

  • Simply enter the amount and snap a photo of the receipts
  • Eliminate the collection of paper receipts with the snap of a shot
  • Run custom reports for each employee
  • Managers can modify before approving expense reimbursements

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How Businesses Can Help Minimize the Spread of the Virus https://amgtime.com/blog/how-businesses-help-prevent-virus-spread/ Thu, 19 Mar 2020 16:08:07 +0000 https://amgtime.com/app/?p=7332 It all boils down to peace of mind. The nation is in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic, which has caused many to fear it’s spread globally and has thrown a wrench in the economy from shutting down businesses and grounding thousands of flights. Many employees are concerned that they will contract some type of...

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COVID 19 virusIt all boils down to peace of mind. The nation is in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic, which has caused many to fear it’s spread globally and has thrown a wrench in the economy from shutting down businesses and grounding thousands of flights. Many employees are concerned that they will contract some type of sickness due to simply doing what they do every day, clocking in for work! Companies across the globe have implemented biometric time capturing systems such as fingerprint and/or hand punches to manage employees’ hours. On Tuesday, the U.S. surgeon general urged people to stay calm as the number of cases has grown. Though, people are still left with an uneasy feeling.
avoid being exposedAt AMGtime we believe the best way to prevent the virus is to avoid being exposed to this illness and in order to do that, you should wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. At work, as you encounter individuals, surfaces and objects throughout the day, you accumulate germs on your hands. You can infect yourself with these germs simply by touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

The Impact of Biometric Data

Biometric systems are widely used from airports using fingerprint devices to identify employees and passengers to businesses using these similar systems for time and attendance and access control. Many individuals are hesitant to put a finger or even their entire hand on scanners since diseases are known to spread through shared contact with surfaces contaminated with viruses and bacteria.

The best way to minimize the spread of germs is by using touchless systems such as facial recognition to identify people by their biometric characteristics.

Facial Recognition

Facial RecognitionFacial recognition is an automated method of biometric identification that recognizes your face by reading features, such as the distance between your eyes, ears, etc.
These systems are 100% contactless from beginning to end, and an individual never needs to encounter one which can lessen the spread of any virus or bacteria. Not only can these systems minimize the spread of bacteria, but it is also regarded as one of the fastest and accurate forms of biometric technology.

An additional form for employees to clock in/clock out is proximity badges. RFID badges use touchless technology to connect an employee’s ID to the system. An employee does not need to come in contact with the clock as he or she simply needs to waive their badge in front of the clock to transact.

AMGtime is one-step ahead

Before we were in the midst of this pandemic, AMGtime had come out with a line of various biometric devices with different ways of functioning. Facial recognition and proximity card readers are the obvious choices for those companies who want to lessen the risk of spreading bacteria among employees in the workplace. In reality, thousands of people will not contract the virus through contact-based devices, though how comfortable would it make your employees when they arrive and clock in for work? You know how the old saying goes “it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

 




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