Findmyshift https://www.findmyshift.com/au/ All the latest news, updates and features from Findmyshift. en How timesheet data can help your business https://www.findmyshift.com/au/how-timesheet-data-can-help-your-business https://www.findmyshift.com/au/how-timesheet-data-can-help-your-business Mon, 18 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT support@findmyshift.com (Findmyshift) Smart scheduling solutions can make building rotas a piece of cake, but they also offer much more. Diving into the data behind them can make your business more efficient than ever. Find out more on our blog.

Key trends to look for in your rota

We live in a data-driven world, and our rotas are no exception.

Most businesses have moved on from the days of pen and paper schedules.

Even complex spreadsheets have been left behind.

If your business is still using either of these methods, it’s time to upgrade.

A digital employee scheduling system like Findmyshift can save you time and money while contributing to a happier and healthier workforce.

There’s no excuse to still be scheduling in the dark ages!

And with a digital solution, you have access to a lot more data about your rota and your timesheets as well.

This is even more relevant if you use a time clock system to allow employees to sign in and out, as well as track their time on different roles.

Check out this post for how a time clock can help your business. It can be a particular advantage in shift-based industries where hours fluctuate regularly.

Greater oversight of your business, more accurate costs, and ensuring fair rewards to those working hardest are just some of the benefits.

So what can you do with all the data produced by these solutions?

This post will be looking at the key ways to use rota and time clock data to drive smarter decisions in your own business.

There’s a lot more you can learn by diving into your own data. And with Findmyshift offering over 40 interactive charts and visualisations, you have all that power at your fingertips.

Identify scheduling errors

Under or over staffing certain areas of your business can be equally detrimental.

If you don’t have enough employees in a certain department, you run the risk of employee burnout, lower quality service, or increased overtime costs.

Employees will be working too hard, have to stay later, or just be unable to deliver the standards you expect.

Overstaff areas mean that you’re either wasting money on employee hours you don’t need, or you’re regularly having to send staff home early, so they’re not getting the hours they hoped to have. Do that too regularly and morale could take a hit.

By looking at what areas regular incur overtime costs, and equally where the logged hours are lower than the scheduled shifts, you can spot these discrepancies and address them.

Fine tune your project pitches

If your business works on a per-project basis regularly, then you may have to estimate costs when bidding for contracts. This is far easier to do when you have the data to back up your predictions!

If you can look at the hours billed to previous similar endeavours, it will inform your bid accordingly. This ensures you make accurate bids for profitable projects and grow your business as a result.

Potential clients will be impressed if you can back up your pitches with real data and examples from your past work to show your understanding of the task at hand.

Keep projects profitable

In the same vein, understanding your costs in real-time as you schedule helps you stay within your profit margins. Findmyshift shows you your projected costs based on the upcoming shifts, the scheduled employees, and their pay rates.

If your labour costs are getting too high for a project with a set budget, you can adjust things ahead of time, before those hours are worked.

Understand strengths and weaknesses

The ability to track hours across different areas and roles give you the opportunity to dive into the data of individual employees. Looking at the time they spend on certain tasks can be enlightening.

For instance, let’s say you have a regular administrative task that several employee take turns to complete. If you can see that one employee usually manages the job faster than the others, that may indicate a strength in that area.

Keeping them on that task in the future could save your business time and ensure that all your employees work on roles that suit their skills.

Tracking your own time as an owner or manager can also have significant benefits. If you dive into which tasks take up the most of your time, you can look at ways to improve efficiency there.

Whatever you have on, scheduling will at least be a breeze with Findmyshift! And we hope this tips help you use your rota data to improve the rest of your business as well.



Findmyshift lets you create and share staff rosters anywhere, any time in any web browser.

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Top tips for communicating with your team https://www.findmyshift.com/au/top-tips-for-communicating-with-your-team https://www.findmyshift.com/au/top-tips-for-communicating-with-your-team Fri, 08 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT support@findmyshift.com (Findmyshift) A virtual notice board, like the one provided in Findmyshift, can turbocharge your team's communication if used correctly. So how do you ensure yours contributes to an effective team?

How to use a virtual notice board at work

Communication is a key part of any business.

Done well, it can contribute to the success of cohesive, aligned teams.

But if communication is lacking, the effects might be more serious than just missing out on extra productivity.

Businesses that struggle to open effective dialogue with their employees might even find themselves short-staffed.

In fact, 1 in 3 managers cited poor communication is the reason behind low employee morale.

There are many different ways in which you, as an owner or manager of a small business, can communicate with your employees.

In this post, we’ll be looking at one specific method: use of a virtual notice board for your team.

With a recent shift towards remote dispersed teams and home working, teams run the risk of becoming disconnected if they are not careful.

Findmyshift, however, provides your team with a virtual notice board, a digital space to share announcements with your team, have discussions, and connect in a more personal way.

So what should you be doing to ensure use of a notice board like this is effective?

Set the ground rules

If you approach team communication without a system of some sort, things can very quickly get out of hand. Be clear up front and whenever a new member joins the team of how the notice board works, what it’s used for, and the key things to remember.

Creating guidelines about what sort of discussions are and aren’t appropriate for the notice board, and displaying these rules prominently, will set the right tone. You can also include this guidance in any training material provided to new starters.

It’s important that you quickly stamp out any behaviour that could land your business in trouble. Flirting and offensive language or content are common mishaps in business communications that have no place in a forum hosted by your company.

Plan your messages

Going into a virtual notice board without a plan can lead to inconsistency, failed engagement, and even total communication chaos! It pays to be prepared and know in advance what you want to use the notice board for and how your messages will typically work.

You might plan certain types of notices or messages for particular times and days, allowing employees to get used to a routine.

That way, one-off messages, be it calls for shift cover or ideas for the office party, will get more attention and traction since they break the routine.

Encourage discussion

A great way to build engagement with your employees is to allow them to post on the notice board as well. Doing so shows that you trust them to follow the rules and believe they have something useful to contribute.

A notice board that is purely a top down method for the bosses to hand out notices won’t receive nearly as much engagement. Make it a place where employees can connect with you and their colleagues.

Stay professional but don’t intimidate

You have something of a reputation to uphold as the owner or manager. Employees are going to be able to relax and truly connect with you or each other if they feel like they are being judged or moderated for what they say.

That means you need to strike a balance between maintaining appropriate work boundaries without scaring people away from the discussion. Stick to the rules without being a stickler and you’ll create a space where your employees can loosen up a little.

Take chances to celebrate success

Shared spaces like a notice board are a great place to celebrate successes of every size. If an employee has done a great job recently, give them a shout out in front of their team. If you’ve all contributed to an event that ran smoothly, mention that.

Recognition plays a role in employee retention in over 90% of businesses, so you’re going to keep your best people around for longer.

Be sure to encourage others to celebrate their colleagues as well for even more effective team bonding.

With these tips in mind and your virtual Findmyshift notice board set up, your business is perfectly placed to drive positive communication in the workplace.

Findmyshift is a simple online staff scheduler for hands on managers.

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Making your transportation or shipping business more sustainable https://www.findmyshift.com/au/making-your-transportation-or-shipping-business-more-sustainable https://www.findmyshift.com/au/making-your-transportation-or-shipping-business-more-sustainable Wed, 28 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT support@findmyshift.com (Findmyshift) The transportation and shipping industry has a significant environmental impact, so what can these businesses do to ensure they're driving positive green change?

Green tips to ensure we can enjoy this planet for the long haul

The shipping industry is undergoing something of a revolution.

With the environmental impact of our actions a hotter topic than ever, all businesses need to be looking for ways to make changes.

And since transport accounts for a significant proportion of emissions, there is pressure for the industry to make changes.

Transport accounts for around one fifth of global CO2 emissions.

This figure is even higher in more developed countries like the US and the UK at 26-29%.

Going green is not only good for the planet, but it can reduce costs and improve public perception of your business as well.

There are increasing regulations around the environmental impact of businesses too, and meeting these targets can be critical to growth and success.

With sustainability in mind, here are some ideas to change the way your shipping business operates.

Embrace biofuel and electric vehicles

Reducing our reliance on vehicles power by fossil fuels is a major change, but one that comes with significant impact on carbon emissions and sustainability.

Biofuels made from waste products, whether from domestic or industrial sources, can provide a renewable fuel source with lower emissions.

Electric vehicle technology is also progressing rapidly, with major players in shipping like Amazon, DPD, and Royal Mail all investing heavily in decarbonising their fleets.

While these solutions do require significant upfront investment, they also pay off long term dividends and can contribute greatly to a greener public image.

Fleet tracking and route optimisation

Knowing where your vehicles are at all times can deliver surprising results when it comes to building a greener business.

Smart solutions are available that can help you to optimise routes, ensure vehicles take shorter paths, spend less time idling, and maximise their capacity.

These are often more complex issues than you may realise, with heavier vehicles using more fuel, speed affecting efficiency, etc., such that the optimal route may not be obvious. It may even seem counterintuitive!

And a lot of the data provided by these solutions can be fed back into analytics to help identify further ways to make improvements.

Train drivers for greener habits

It’s not just your vehicles that can be improved either. Training drivers to drive in a more efficient manner can have a significant impact as well.

It’s been shown that aggressive driving can reduce efficiency by 10-40%, which means there are significant savings to be had if any of your drivers display these tendencies.

Smooth acceleration and braking, cutting down on idling time, and shifting up gears early can all play their part. Tracking vehicle movements is a great way to identity where improvements can be made.

Green packaging

The materials in which you deliver your products can play a big part in your environmental impact as well.

Opting for biodegradable packaging, using foldable boxes that require less adhesive, and eliminating single use plastics are all great ways to ensure that your business’s footprint shrinks in size.

What’s more, over 60% of customers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging, such is the fervour towards helping reduce our environmental impact.

Regular vehicle maintenance

This is a simple one: vehicles that run well are more efficient. That means performing regular maintenance, even as simple as checking the tire pressure more often, can make a big difference to your emissions and your costs.

Not only will well-maintained vehicles be less likely to produce additional emissions, but they’ll be less expensive to run as well.

Don’t neglect the office

Transportation companies aren’t solely about the vehicles out on the road either! It’s easy to overlook the impact that your office has on your business’s footprint. Consider ways to make changes here for quick wins that cut emissions.

Reducing paper use or encouraging recycling are simple implementations that can help foster a greener mindset.

And many companies are eliminating office spaces altogether in favour of remote working, while even a transition to hybrid patterns can reap dividends. Having a smaller space to heat and light up can make a big difference to your energy bills.

A smart employee scheduling solution is great if you’re looking to change the way you and your staff work!

Findmyshift is a simple online staff scheduler for hands on managers.

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Can AI technology transform your business? https://www.findmyshift.com/au/can-ai-technology-transform-your-business https://www.findmyshift.com/au/can-ai-technology-transform-your-business Mon, 19 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT support@findmyshift.com (Findmyshift) Artificial intelligence is is changing the landscape of industry. What can you do to make use of the new capabilities and take your business to the next level?

How AI technology can streamline your business and propel it into the future

The world of business technology has seen many developments over the years.

From smart shift software to digital marketing to automated guided vehicles, there have been plenty of innovations.

Yet none has had the capacity to alter the business landscape as much as Artificial Intelligence (AI).

But what is AI? To put it simply, AI is an aspect of computer science that specialises in creating systems and processes that function and react just as human operators do.

As the AI market is expected to reach the $500 billion milestone in 2024, many businesses are now turning to AI to avoid being left behind by their competitors.

In business, AI can be a valuable resource and can improve customer experiences, save time and labour, and be used as a form of diagnosis and problem solving.

So, without further ado, here’s how AI technology can transform your business.

Research and understand big data

One of the most common types of AI, machine leaning is used to collect, process, and analyse large amounts of data and present it in a digestible context. Machine leaning is also a system that learns and improves over time. This means that as you feed the algorithm more data, it will alter the system’s performance accordingly.

Utilising machine learning AI will allow businesses collect an abundance of data from cookies, surveys, and social media, and find patterns across the data to gather insights around consumer behaviour. This will help businesses to develop better strategies, optimise procedures, reach more customers, better promote products, and explore new markets.

Reduce decision-making time

For humans it’s only natural to make mistakes, fall ill, or attend laborious meetings discussing options and finalising decisions. AI can be extremely useful in finalising decisions whilst also significantly cutting down the decision-making time.

Some AI tools can be programmed to analyse ideas and make data-based decisions—the majority of which will be the correct decision. As a result, businesses can experience a reduction in human error whilst also freeing up their staff for other tasks.

Strengthen your cybersecurity

Due to the recent large increase in cyberattacks, many businesses are turning to AI to strengthen their cybersecurity. By monitoring patterns from data, AI systems can recognise cyberthreats and attacks and can even backtrack through data to find the source and prevent future threats.

As many cybersecurity breaches are a result of human error, AI can also filter for malicious links or phishing emails before employees see them. Such technology thus hugely reduces the risk of cyberattacks, therefore strengthening your overall company.

Automate everyday tasks

AI assistants can transform the way your business operates. An AI bot can help you to manage your emails, update and maintain your calendar, and even answer online questions from customers.

In utilising an AI personal assistant, you can cut down on the small yet time-consuming everyday tasks and free up extra time for the more meaningful tasks, such as creating staff rotas.

However, AI personal assistants aren’t just for managers. They can be delegated to the rest of your staff. In helping your staff manage their duties and automating mundane and manual tasks, your staff will also be bestowed with extra time to dedicate to their roles.

Enhance customer personalisation

Certain AI tools analyse data and learn what an audience wants. The AI can then tailor the content to meet those needs and draw in consumers. As a result of such personalisation, your customers will have a greater connection with your business, leading to brand loyalty.

Combining customer relationship management with AI capabilities in such a way will improve your marketing campaigns, upgrade the customer experience, and increase your business’s profit.

Reduce expenses and boost productivity

Many people assume that modern AI technology is too expensive to consider. However, as it becomes more reliable, efficient, and widely used, it also becomes more affordable. AI is also a cost-effective option for many businesses as it eliminates the limitations of a human workforce (such as time and labour).

In addition, as AI can complete the mundane and repetitive everyday tasks, your staff will experience a boost in productivity as they can spend more time on other more pressing tasks, such as handling holiday requests. As a result, this will enhance a company’s overall productivity, boosting profit in the process.

Reach new heights with AI

Although there are a multitude of benefits of AI, many people are concerned about its potential. In fact, nearly 69% of college graduates fear that AI could take their job or make it irrelevant in just a few years—a topic that experts continue to debate upon.

However, with its convenience, automation, efficiency, and accessibility, there is no doubt that AI is transforming the landscape of modern business.

When used properly, AI can help a company grow and gain a serious competitive advantage. AI is therefore elevating the business world, and, as it continues to get more sophisticated and powerful, the ambitious future of business will continue to reach new heights.

Findmyshift is the simplest shift scheduling software available. Free to try for the first 3 months, and then just $25 per month, pay as you go.

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Employee scheduling tips for cinemas, theatres, and event spaces https://www.findmyshift.com/au/employee-scheduling-tips-for-cinemas-theatres-and-event-spaces https://www.findmyshift.com/au/employee-scheduling-tips-for-cinemas-theatres-and-event-spaces Fri, 09 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT support@findmyshift.com (Findmyshift) Cinemas, theatres, and event venues can be difficult places to staff correctly. Rotas need to take into account variable demand and a variety of roles. Find out how to do the best for your business here.

Our guide to ensure drama only happens on your screen or stage

Scheduling employees in your cinema, theatre, or event venue can be tricky.

You have varied show times, different roles for different events, and multiple areas to manage.

So how can you ensure that you are scheduling your employees in a way that works for you, for them, and for your customers?

That’s the question we’ll be answering in this article.

We’ll look first at why good scheduling can have a positive impact on your business.

Then we’ll dive into our tips to make sure that you’re equipped to make the best staffing decisions.

Why is it important to schedule staff correctly?

There are several reasons why scheduling your staff well can have a positive impact on your business. By understanding these, you will also be better placed to meet these aims.

Better customer service

First and foremost, having the right number of employees available at any given time will ensure that you are able to meet the needs of your customers.

And doing this is one of the best ways to set your business up for success! There are a lot of different roles your employees can carry out in your business.

Whether it’s selling tickets, answering queries, offering drinks and snacks, or setting up for the show, all of these provide opportunities to please your customers.

Having enough employees available to tackle any and all jobs in a timely fashion will ensure your visitors leave happy. Ensuring you have someone to sell drinks and snacks can be critical, since this makes up a significant proportion of a cinema's profit.

Cost efficiency

Equally, there will be times when you don’t have many customers around. Ever been to the cinema in the middle of the day and had the whole screen to yourself? In cases like this, it may be perfectly acceptable to have far fewer employees available.

It could even be the case that one person could handle much or all of the tasks on their own at slow times.

By limiting the number of employees you have present during these off-peak periods, you will save your business money by not paying wages to employees who aren’t needed there.

Engaged employees

Another effect of only scheduling the employees you need at any given time is that you won’t have bored employees lounging around. There is only so much you can do when there are no customers in.

And bored employees are likely to be less satisfied with their roles. That means they could end up more likely to leave and provide worse customer service, all while costing you money!

While you might be able to find some tasks that can be carried out when no one else is around, it may often be better to just have fewer people in at these times.

This will ensure that the employees who are working have more to do and stay engaged.

How to schedule your cinema or theatre employees

We’ve covered why smart scheduling is a good thing. But what do you need to bear in mind when scheduling your employees? How do you actually make a good schedule?

Match staffing levels to your event timetable

Luckily, in theatres and event venues, you often have a very clear timetable of when your quiet and busy periods will be. You’re unlikely to have dozens of customers wandering in when there are no shows on!

Cinemas have a slightly trickier time of it in that they do show films throughout the day, some of which are busy and others quiet.

In time, you will get a good sense for when your peak periods are and how many employees you need on at any one time.

Even if you’re not in personally for all these times, checking your sales records or asking employees can help you to understand the times when you’re not there. Trim your roster down for quiet spells and add extra hands for peak times.

Schedule flexibility to meet customer needs

Having employees that can carry out multiple roles is very important in these venues where staffing levels can vary so much. As discussed above, it’s perfectly possible for one person to handle almost every aspect of a cinema if there are only a few customers in.

Building flexibility into your employees by training and upskilling them, and scheduling flexibly can allow you to cover any circumstance.

Know your employees

Of course, to have the flexibility to adjust your rota to your demand, you need to understand when your employees are and aren’t available. Some might have care commitments, other jobs, or transport issues.

Be sure to stay up to date on your employees’ capabilities and limitations so you can schedule in a way that suits them and you.

With these tips in mind, you’re ready to schedule your cinema, theatre, or event space employees better than ever. Be sure to check out Findmyshift’s features for employee scheduling in the event space.



Findmyshift is the simplest shift scheduling software available. Free to try for the first 3 months, and then just $25 per month, pay as you go.

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Using AI chatbots to generate business content https://www.findmyshift.com/au/using-ai-chatbots-to-generate-business-content https://www.findmyshift.com/au/using-ai-chatbots-to-generate-business-content Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT support@findmyshift.com (Findmyshift) ChatGPT and other AI chatbots have taken over! But you don't need to fear this new technology. Instead, using it responsibly can help your small business to thrive and generate meaningful new content.

What AI assistants can write for your small business

Love it or hate it, artificial intelligence (AI) is a growing part of modern life.

The release of ChatGPT in late 2022 was a significant milestone.

Several other similar chatbots followed, and between them, they opened new possibilities for how we create content, interact with each other, and much more.

What separated ChatGPT from the AI solutions before it was the way it could process and produce natural language.

Instead of feeling like you were prompting a robot and receiving a lifeless, parroted reply, conversations with ChatGPT and other chatbots sound more like talking to another person.

Among the many different applications for this technology, businesses have been exploring how having access to an AI chatbot can help them.

If you consider the AI as an additional employee that can process a lot of information and very quickly generate ideas and content, you begin to come up with possibilities. What’s more, these AI tools are far less expensive than an employee.

Of course, they have their limitations too, but they can take away repetitive jobs from employees that don’t require an in-person connection.

So in this article, we’ve looked at several ways small businesses can make use of AI chatbots to enhance their offering to customers.

Speedy content creation

One of the most common uses of ChatGPT and other AI chatbot tools is to quickly generate large amounts of content. These tools can write at incredible speeds compared to human writers.

They are particularly effective in generating outlines and ideas, since they will look at similar content out there and create something following that general trend.

This means they’ve become a favoured first step for writers, producing a rough draft that can then be refined.

A word of caution though. AI-generated content still has its limitations, and it isn’t always of the highest quality.

What’s more, Google has recently made changes to its search results that prioritises useful, well-written content. So simply churning out masses of ChatGPT articles is unlikely to help much from an SEO perspective.

Google wants you to create content that your readers find helpful and engage with. This means any AI-written content is likely to still require human refinement.

Writing strong prompts is a skill that needs practising as well. Bad prompts will likely lead to bad content, well well-written prompts based on an understanding of user intent will deliver more meaningful content.

Make sure you take the time to plan content ideas that your readers can make use of, and these AI tools will be of far more use than if you let them loose with only a vague idea.

It’s not just long-form content that you can generate either. Maybe your employees have stopped responding to the same old automated shift reminders. Creating some fresh new messages for these notifications might shake things up a little.

Gathering and summarising research

This new wave of chatbots excel at processing large amounts of information quickly. This gives them the ability to produce effective summaries of content that easily capture the main points.

Business owners and managers could use this capability to make concise user profiles, summarise new business opportunities, define their target market, and much more.

Keeping up to date with current trends can be a key part of running some businesses, particularly in the tech sector. Having chatbots able to summarise new advances can help identify opportunities for improvements within your business.

Suggesting new ideas

ChatGPT and other chatbots are great at suggesting new ideas, even if not all of them are good ideas! But they will generally take inspiration from other sources and find things to try far quicker than a human searching manually could do.

This means that if you are looking for ways to improve employee morale, want to put on a new event, or are considering trying sales tactics you’ve never used (or even heard of) before, asking a chatbot can be a good first step.

The more detailed you can be with your prompt, the better. So be clear about what you’re looking for and why. What is the aim of the ideas you want to generate? What’s your budget? What’s the setting they’ll be implemented in?

These chatbots are only as good as the inputs they receive, so take the time to try them out and hone your own prompt skills.

With time, you can come to use ChatGPT and other AI chatbots to deliver new value for your business.



Findmyshift is the simplest shift scheduling software available. Free to try for the first 3 months, and then just $25 per month, pay as you go.

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What are the new UK holiday laws? https://www.findmyshift.com/au/what-are-the-new-uk-holiday-laws https://www.findmyshift.com/au/what-are-the-new-uk-holiday-laws Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT support@findmyshift.com (Findmyshift) January 1st saw some changes to how employee leave is calculated, and other laws will take effect from April 1st 2024. Find out what's new and how to keep your business compliant.

Everything employers need to know for 2024

The start of this year saw several changes in how leave works.

These cover how leave is accrued and carried over, as well as a change to rolled-up holiday pay.

This is particularly relevant for part-time workers or those with irregular hours.

Of course, many of these employees work shift-based jobs, making it the perfect topic to cover today on our blog. Let’s get started!

What’s changed in the UK holiday laws?

Several changes have been made to the rules around UK holiday entitlement. We’ll look at each one in turn and examine what changes businesses may need to make to stay on the right side of the new regulations.

While the regulations came into effect on January 1st, they are intended to be implemented for leave years starting April 1st, which most companies use as the start of their leave year.

How holiday is accrued

The first of these changes concerns statutory leave requirements and the way in which employees accrue holiday.

Almost all employees, including agency workers, seasonal workers, and those with irregular hours are still entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks of holiday.

This is equivalent to 28 days a year for people working 5 days a week, the “standard” work week. But it also applies to those that don’t work a standard 5-day week.

For instance, if an employee works 4 days a week, they will be entitled to at least 22.4 days of holiday, since 4 x 5.6 is 22.4.

This formula accounts for circumstances such as compressed hours as long as the holiday days are converted into hours for the employee to use. For instance, someone who works four 10-hour days a week will only receive 22.4 days a year, while someone working five 8-hours days would get the full 28 days.

But when converted to hours, we see that 22.4 days when the days are ten hours amounts to 224 hours, and 28 eight-hour days is also 224 hours.

You can also calculate this from hours directly, giving a simpler approach for those with irregular working patterns. The gov.uk website gives us this statement:

“For leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024, people who work irregular hours or for part of the year will build up (‘accrue’) leave differently. This means their entitlement will be 12.07% of the hours they work in a pay period, up to a maximum of 5.6 weeks.”

Accruing 12.07% of your hours worked as leave provides the same result.

Tracking the actual hours your employees work with a smart scheduling and time clock solution like Findmyshift makes it far easier to quickly carry out these calculations.

Carrying over unused leave

New rules have been introduced about carrying over leave as well. This refers to adding holiday accrued in one leave year to the next year’s allowance. The new regulations allow employees to carry on leave under certain conditions:

Not having reasonable opportunity to use all of their leave.

Being unable to use their annual leave because of taking other kinds of time off, like sick leave or parental leave.

They were unaware they had remaining holiday and that they’d lose it if it wasn’t taken.

What’s changed with rolled-up holiday pay?

Rolled-up holiday pay is a controversial subject, and one we’ve covered previously on this blog. You’re welcome to read our original article on rolled-up holiday pay to find out the previous lay of the land.

A 2006 European ruling made it illegal, but these new changes have reversed that, offering guidance on some situations where UK employers will once again be allowed to offer rolled-up holiday pay.

Offering this type of wage for seasonal or irregular-hours workers will be allowed from April 1st 2024, provided that their holiday pay is set at 12.07% of their standard hourly rate, is added at the end of the period in which the work was completed, and is detailed separately on their payslip.

If all of these conditions are met, employees may choose to opt for rolled-up holiday pay (which offers financial incentives for individuals who don’t want to take a lot of time off) but cannot be forced to do so.

If your business has a mix of employees who do or don’t want to choose rolled-up holiday pay, it’s simple to create alternate pay rates in Findmyshift to track these and ensure they’re paid according to the new laws.

We hope this article helps your business to navigate the new laws with ease for a happy and prosperous 2024.


Findmyshift is the simplest shift scheduling software available. Free to try for the first 3 months, and then just $25 per month, pay as you go.

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The latest sick pay allowances in Ireland https://www.findmyshift.com/au/the-latest-sick-pay-allowances-in-ireland https://www.findmyshift.com/au/the-latest-sick-pay-allowances-in-ireland Fri, 12 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT support@findmyshift.com (Findmyshift) The sick pay allowances in Ireland are regularly changing following new legislation introduced in 2022. The latest changes came into force on January 1st 2024. Is your business up to date?

What your business needs to know about the ever changing scheme in 2024

2022 saw a shakeup to how Irish businesses handle sick pay.

In July of that year, the Sick Leave Act became law after a bill passed earlier in the month.

The corresponding statutory sick pay scheme came into force in January 2023.

But each year, the allowances shift, with Ireland eventually targeting 10 days statutory sick pay by 2026.

Because of these constant increases in the allowances, some employers may be caught off guard.

This article will lay out all the changes that have taken place so far, as well as those still to come, so that your business can plan ahead.

What happened to the statutory sick pay allowance in 2024?

On January 1st, 2024, the allowance for statutory sick pay increased from 3 days to 5. This is the minimum number of days of sick pay employers are legally allowed to offer, so it’s important to make sure you comply with this.

As with the previous three-day allowance, employees are entitled to 70% of their regular pay during these five days, up to a maximum of €110 per day.

Can employers offer more than the statutory allowance?

Absolutely! There aren’t many restrictions around what you can offer your employees in terms of sick days over the minimum allowances. And offering additional sick days, or greater sick pay during those days, is a great way to show that you value your staff.

Paying above the statutory limits has been shown to be effective in attracting and retaining skilled employees.

Why do the sick pay allowances keep changing?

Ireland has introduced a gradual roll-out of the new allowances, with the minimum number of days regularly increasing each year until 2026. By then, employees will be entitled to ten days of statutory sick pay per year.

2025 is the last intermediate step towards that figure, when the allowance will rise again on January 1st 2025 to seven days.

This phased approach, rather than a sudden increase, gives employers time to adapt their businesses to any additional costs that might be created by this scheme.

Though some businesses may see a rise in direct costs from sick pay, they are also likely to enjoy additional benefits from offering these, such as improved employee health and retention.

Who’s entitled to sick pay?

Every employee who has worked for at least 13 continuous weeks prior to taking sick leave, and can provide certification of being unable to work from a GP, is entitled to sick pay. Employees on probation, training, or internships, as well as agency workers and apprentices, will likely also be entitled to sick leave, though this may cause a temporary suspension of the scheme they are undergoing.

These allowances are separate to other leave entitlements, such as parental leave, annual leave, and public holidays.

Employers in serious financial trouble may apply for temporary exemptions from paying sick leave to their employers.

What does your business need to do?

If you already offer at least the minimum five days of sick pay, you’re all good! But it’s never too early to plan ahead for the changes coming in 2025 and 2026, when the allowance will increase to seven days and then again to ten days.

Of course, if you offer less favourable terms than the minimum responsibilities set out in the act, you need to make immediate changes!

Keeping track of how many days your employees currently take will help you plan and budget for the upcoming years.

If few people are currently calling in sick, it’s unlikely that you’ll suddenly have everyone taking the full allowances—but you should still have the capacity to cover this, of course.

Findmyshift’s time off management features make it easy to track sick days as well as holidays and other forms of time off. You can even appoint assistants to help you with the workload.

There are also regulations around the records which employers need to keep of employee sick leave, which must be retained for four years. Those failing to do so can be hit with fines.

By staying on top of sick pay and the regulations around it, your business will be well placed to look after its employees now and in the future.


Findmyshift is a simple online staff scheduler for hands on managers.

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Start-up principles to bring into your business https://www.findmyshift.com/au/start-up-principles-to-bring-into-your-business https://www.findmyshift.com/au/start-up-principles-to-bring-into-your-business Wed, 03 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT support@findmyshift.com (Findmyshift) Start-up businesses are famed for their fast-paced innovation and adaptability. But some of their key principles can be adapted to your small business too, even if you aren't a Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur!

What can we learn from innovators and new ventures?

Our world changes almost constantly.

Technology is always improving and adapting.

The ways we work, relax, purchase, and live change every day.

This means new business opportunities are constantly emerging.

And many of us dream of launching the new next best thing before the competition. But even if you’re not about to branch out into a whole new sector, there are plenty of lessons we can learn from how start-ups run.

The principles that make them so successful can be applied to any business. This article will look at the fundamentals of start-up culture and how you can embrace them in your business.

The result will hopefully be a more agile and profitable venture that continually evolves and delights your customers. Let’s get started!

Put your customers at the heart of everything

This has to be where we start. Start-ups typically originate from identifying a burning customer need that isn’t being met by the products and companies out there. Finding a niche unfulfilled need and doing something about it.

You can apply the same principle to your business. What customer needs do you serve? Are you doing everything you can to meet that need as effectively as possible?

It’s easy for businesses to lose sight over time of what their purpose is. Make sure you continually evaluate how well your business caters to the needs of your customers.

Bring in expertise for the gaps in your own knowledge

Being a business owner means having to wear a lot of different hats, and sometimes it’s easy to get stuck in the idea that you, and you alone, need to take on every task your business faces.

The truth is that very few people have the capacity or capability to be an expert in every single area of running a business. Sometimes, it makes far more sense to bring in outside help.

Start-ups typically build small specialised teams from the very beginning. How many tech companies have started with programmers and then grown with the help of business experts and marketing professionals?

Whether it’s hiring an accountant or finding a business mentor, consider how an outside perspective and skill set could free up your time and energy to focus on the tasks you do best.

Don’t be afraid to invent and improve

What often sets start-ups apart is their willingness to try, and fail, again and again. Iteration and new ideas are second nature of them, and eventually, the successful ones strike gold.

There’s always room for innovation in a business. If you’ve been doing things the same way for a while, chances are there are better ways out there now.

Whether it’s the rise of artificial intelligence, automated stock keeping, or a smart scheduling solution like Findmyshift, look out for new ways to get the same tasks done faster and more easily.

Build flexibility with multi-skilled staff

The business landscape is constantly changing, and many start-ups come from the new spaces this disruption opens up.

While changing your business offering every few months likely isn’t feasible, being able to adapt to changing economic conditions, customer preferences, and consumer habits can keep you relevant even as everything around us feels unfamiliar.

Having employees who can work across multiple areas of your business, or who have the skills to exploit new opportunities, will keep you ready to react to changes.

Got a Gen Z on the payroll who knows all the latest social media platforms? Ask them where else you could be advertising. Launching a new website? Ask a promising employee to clue themselves up on virtual assistants and manage that side of the platform.

By investing in your employees, you’ll also show that you value them and make them more likely to stick around.

Dive into the data

Tech start-ups in particular are famed for using data to drive decisions. And in today’s digital world, you can track, record, and analyse almost every aspect of your business.

Is your floorplan efficient? Motion tracking can tell you.

Are your employees stealing time from you? A time clock system can get on top of that.

Delve into your own performance, your customers’ behaviour, the market you’re targeting, and much more.


Follow all these tips and your business can incorporate the best of agile start-up culture to keep you relevant in an ever-changing world.

Findmyshift lets you create and share staff schedules anywhere, any time in any web browser.

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Stress management for small business owners and managers https://www.findmyshift.com/au/stress-management-for-small-business-owners-and-managers https://www.findmyshift.com/au/stress-management-for-small-business-owners-and-managers Wed, 20 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT support@findmyshift.com (Findmyshift) Running a small business can be stressful at any time of year, but especially over the winter months. Read our top tips to stay calm and healthy over the busy periods by taking charge of your stress and managing it, instead of letting it rule you.

Our tip tops to stay calm and healthy over the winter

This can be a stressful time of year for managers and owners at small businesses.

Sure, Black Friday is behind us and we’re almost through with the Christmas shopping rush.

But the January sales are looming ahead, and we’ve got a long way to go yet before we’re not commuting to and from work in the dark.

Add in the negative effects winter weather can have and it’s no wonder stress levels are high.

In fact, 80% of small business owners report symptoms of poor mental health.

So what can those in charge of small businesses do to keep their blood pressure at a healthy level? Read on to find out.

Recognise the issue

It’s very hard to solve a problem if you’re not aware it exists! Watching out for the signs of stress and poor mental health can make it easier to recognise when you’re in need of some self love.

Inability to focus, anxiety, and trouble sleeping are among the top symptoms that you may be struggling. 42% of small business owners also experience burnout. If you notice these signs, it may be time to put these tips into action.

Identify your stressors

Even if you have noticed that you’re stressed, it isn’t always as straightforward as you’d expect to work out exactly what is causing you to feel this way.

Business owners and managers need to wear so many hats that sometimes it’s simply the juggling of roles that is stressful.

On other occasions, it may be a specific task, issue, or even a troublesome employee that is causing all the drama. Working out what has got you wound up is an important step in doing something about it.

Some of the most common causes of stress are managing staff, admin, the company’s overall success, compliance, and expenses. However, there are many other valid reasons as well, and as each business is different, your circumstances may be uniquely stressful.

Prioritise your tasks

Your to-do list can feel never ending. And if you approach everything on your plate without a plan, or jump between tasks without thought, you may struggle to make progress. The result? Stress!

Instead, make a list of everything you need to do, and order them by importance and urgency. Complete the highest priority, time critical jobs first and then move onto the rest.

Don’t focus on the length of the list—that itself can be stressful—but simply on the task at hand.

Say no

Prioritising may mean letting go of some tasks that aren’t as urgent or important. This can be difficult.

Learning to say no to people isn’t an easy lesson for many. As the owner or manager of a small business, it’s common to feel like you need to keep everyone happy.

The truth is that you can’t! Conflict and compromise are sometimes unavoidable, and though these can be stressful as well, negotiating them well can often lead to better outcomes.

Say no to the non-essentials and you’ll end up achieving more with the tasks you do decide to take on.

Find and celebrate the wins

Even though you’re looking to focus on the most important aspects of your business, it can help your mood and mindset to get a quick win every now and then. Make a point of celebrating your accomplishments and you’ll find your motivation to tackle more.

Even keeping a list of all the things you’ve achieved to get to where you are today can be a great reminder to keep on your desk and show you how far you’ve come.

Take charge of your time

Being stretched too thin can be stressful. You may often have clients, employers, vendors, and others wanting your attention. But you will also know the times of day when you are feeling at your best and most productive.

You don’t need to be available to everyone all the time. Make yourself a schedule that blocks out time for you to work uninterrupted.

You could even add this as a shift on your rota so that your employees can refer to it. After all, your staff always have access to the up-to-date schedule with Findmyshift.


Findmyshift lets you create and share staff schedules anywhere, any time in any web browser.

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