Hay Group uses swine flu screens to monitor absence

Hay Group’s human capital management (HCM) system has been customised with swine flu screens to effectively manage the impact of the illness on staff absence levels.

The global management consultancy launched the HCM system from COA Solutions for the management of its 320 UK staff in March.

In preparation for the potential impact of swine flu, using the configuration capabilities of the system, Hay Group created swine flu screens within the absence field.

These screens record when an employee first started having symptoms, if and when they were properly diagnosed with having the virus, when their absence started and the length of absence. The screens also help to monitor quarantine periods.

Alison May, HR manager, operations for Hay Group, said: “The system’s flexibility has allowed us to quickly and easily introduce swine flu screens so that we can keep accurate records of staff absence as a direct result of this virus.

“With this information to hand, we can determine if and when swine flu is having a real impact on the business and respond appropriately to minimise disruption.”

COA Solutions’ HCM system also enables Hay Group to more accurately record staff information, automate various administration tasks and provide reports for analysis purposes.

Using the system’s self-service functionality, authorised line managers at Hay Group can access employee information in real-time, such as salary band information, number of days absent and holiday dates.

May said: “Our previous system was not flexible enough to meet all our needs which led to an unnecessary duplication of effort.

“We needed a single, integrated system that we were able to customise in order to provide us with instant accessibility to all HR information and allow us to respond quickly to change.”

Future plans include rolling out the self-service functionality to other teams, such as facilities and absence coordinators, to assist them in managing the employee data for which they are responsible.