AgTimer is a mobile application for the recording and scheduling of employees hours. It is specifically designed to meet the needs of the agricultural sector. The agricultural work place is very fluid, with start and end times of employees work shifts dependent on outside factors such as weather, animal health, etc. Not withstanding that employers have a legal obligation to record employees hours, employees in the agricultural sector tend to be paid on an hourly basis. This administration tends to be done retrospectively and it would be reasonable to suggest that it is inaccurate. Both of these factors have cost implications.
The product will be targeted specifically at the agricultural sector.
Under statutory obligations of Irish Employment Law, all employers are obliged by statute to keep time sheets. Such time sheets must record both time worked and rest times. The Organisation of Working Time (Records) Regulations 2001 requires all employers to keep detailed records of start and finishing times, hours worked each day and each week and leave granted to employees. This legislation is part of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. The employer must keep these records for 3 years.
Where there is no method of electronically recording hours worked by employees (that is, a clock-in system), the employer must record the days and hours worked each week using form OWT1 or in a form substantially similar to this.
Under Section 8 of the Act, an inspector from the Workplace Relations Commission has the power to get full access to these records.
Employers who fail to keep records under these Regulations are guilty of an offence and are liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €1,900.