Eden District Council improves visibility and accuracy with hfx flexible working solution

Council selects hfx to unify and streamline time management processes
hfx, a leading provider of flexible working systems, has announced that Eden District Council has selected the hfx Etarmis solution to centralise its flexible working processes for 180 members of staff employed across the Council. The solution has reduced the administrative burden by automating manual tasks, enhanced business planning through increased visibility into working patterns and improved accuracy by replacing paper-based systems.

The Council wanted a system that could unify the processes for time recording across the organisation, deliver greater visibility and accuracy while also being easier to manage. At the same time the Council was experiencing problems with its existing holiday tracking system that was no longer fit for purpose and was seeking a replacement. After conducting research into viable solutions, Eden Council selected Etarmis from hfx.

Bibian McRoy, Assistant Director Organisational Development at Eden District Council comments; “We work closely with a neighbouring council which uses Etarmis and recommended the solution to us. We carried out research and came back to hfx, it ticked all the boxes and offered the functionality we wanted at a price point that suited our budget.”

Eden District Council is using the hfx solution for time recording, flexitime management and holiday management. Each employee has their own smart card, which enables them to access the building and record their working hours by clocking in and out. Additionally, employees use their smart cards to access the printers following the implementation of a new document output management solution.

Linzi Gate, Senior Human Resources Adviser at Eden Council comments; “One of the benefits of the hfx solution is its capability in supporting a wide range of smart card technologies. It enabled us to select the right smart card to meet our needs for a single card solution without compromise.”

Since implementing Etarmis, the feedback from staff has been overwhelmingly positive. The solution accurately records all working hours including accrued flexitime in a transparent and equitable way, providing both employees and managers with the required assurance that the flexitime policies are adhered to.

Employees are able to access the system via the Council’s intranet site to review their annual leave entitlement and flexitime balance. Employees are able to see their own annual leave entitlement and also have visibility of when other members of their team have authorised annual leave.

“Etarmis is our single repository of information, because all employees log in and out of the solution via their smart cards, we know the information is accurate and up to date. The automation of many processes has radically reduced the number of manual errors and any issues that do arise can be identified and corrected quickly,” comments Linzi Gate.

From an organisational perspective, the hfx solution has enhanced business planning through increased visibility into working patterns. The HR team now have access to real-time data, which has removed the guesswork in supporting personnel administration and broader HR strategy.

Alex Boa, Director at hfx said; “Flexible working systems have evolved from the clock in/clock out practice of previous years into solutions that can adapt as the organisation develops. Etarmis is an adaptable solution that has the capacity to manage any combination of work patterns, shifts and rotas as well as the capability to integrate with other business essential solutions such as smart card technology. Eden District Council has shown that by delivering flexibility in the workplace, employers can create an agile culture that really benefits both the organisation and the employee.”


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NOTES TO EDITOR

About Eden District Council
Eden District Council is based in Penrith and is named after the Eden River that flows through the district. Covering an expanse of more than 2,000 square kilometres and with part of the Lake District National Park within its borders, Eden is the second largest district in England and Wales.
Eden is one of the six District Councils in Cumbria and occupies the layer of local government between the County Council and Parish Councils. The council employs 180 members of staff to deliver vital public services across the region including affordable housing, economic development and environmental health.
For more information please visit: Eden Council

About hfx
Founded over 40 years ago, hfx has a proven history of developing innovative staff time management solutions. The company introduced the concept of flexible working hours in the 1970s with its Flextime® system, and has continued as a leader in the delivery of flexible working solutions.

Its flagship product, Etarmis, with its ‘one card – one solution’, incorporates access control, photo ID, time and attendance recording, flexitime management and provides seamless integration with major HR and payroll systems. Highly customisable, Etarmis can be configured to meet exact requirements and can support unlimited numbers of work patterns.

Based in the Home Counties just north of London, hfx services clients across the public and private sectors throughout the UK. High profile customers include Home Office, Merck, Bentley Motors, Adidas, Buhler Sortex Ltd, The Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT), Eaton Limited, MoD, National Farmers' Union, Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk, Hertsmere Borough Council, North Lanarkshire Council, East Renfrewshire Council, Exeter City Council, Isle of Man Government, MoJ, Pendle Borough Council, Met Police, Flintshire County Council, Office for National Statistics, UK Intellectual Property Office, NHS Business Services Authority, Pembrokeshire County Council, Science and Technology Facilities Council, West Lancashire Borough Council, and many more.

For more information please visit: HFX

Editors Contacts

Andreina West/Mary Phillips
PR Artistry
+44 (0) 1491 639500
andreina@pra-ltd.co.uk