Casual workers should see improvements in their payment experience
Ahead of the launch of Dashboard - the University's new system for booking and paying casual workers, we asked casual workers about their experience of the current claim and payment process.
This confirmed some problems which we hope will be solved when claims and payments start going through Dashboard in September:
| You said... | From September |
|---|---|
| Entering all my details (name, email, NI number, department etc) every time I submit a timesheet is tedious and slow | The Dashboard system provides an account where all this is stored, so submitting a timesheet will be much quicker with no need to enter your details repeatedly |
| As a student casual worker on a T4 visa I'm not comfortable with being treated differently to other casuals (eg booking in advance, extra checks) | With Dashboard all casual workers will be booked in advance, and the additional checks on hours worked will be performed automatically |
| It can take a long time to get paid, its not correct sometimes and deadlines for timesheet submission are really early each month | Increased payroll automation should mean a reduction in errors and, in time, that we can extend payroll deadlines |
| I've got no easy way of tracking my bookings and claims other than keeping my own spreadsheet record | Every worker will have a full personal account holding all casual worker bookings, personal details and timesheets |
| The hourly pay rates are confusing and I'm not sure what to choose on the timesheet | Each booking will state the job and hourly rate in advance - you don't need to enter it yourself on the timesheet. Hourly rates have also been simplified with the removal of multiplied rates. |
| I do more than two different types of casual work in the same day and the timesheet can't handle this. | Dashboard allows multiple different types of casual work during one day |
How will the new system work?
Once registered, it will be simple to accept invitations to work and to claim payment:
We will be inviting existing casual workers to register on the system during April and May.
After that period, the system will be open for registration to new workers, although we won't start accepting claims and making payments until September.