Utility companies face major challenges in today’s market. Industry deregulation, mergers and acquisitions, and increased competition placed many organizations at a crossroads. Businesses are choosing whether to deliver, produce, or do both. In addition, some industry segments like nuclear energy must comply with Fitness for Duty requirements (10 C.F.R. Part 26). To help save money and time, EmpCenter for Utilities helps optimize schedules, reduce costs, and ensure compliance with government regulations.

One of the most common issues for utility companies is the importance of tracking all costs to reflect detailed and accurate operating expenses.  In most markets, state regulators approve customer rates, which are based on the company’s operating costs.  EmpCenter for Utilities automates and streamlines the process for collecting labor costs associated to all aspects of the company including operating unit, department, work order, etc.  EmpCenter for Utilities supports as much labor distribution information as necessary for your company.

Another key issue is regulation, including those required to manage fatigue in the nuclear power industry. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) rules governing fatigue management were updated in March of 2008 and include provisions for the following:

• Work hours scheduling
  
• Work hour limits & break requirements
• Periodic performance-based assessments
• Training
• Self-declaration when unfit for duty
• Behavioral observations by supervisors
• Fatigue assessments
• Annual reporting requirements

Meeting the Requirements for Utility Organizations

EmpCenter for Utilities manages the unique requirements of specific areas within a utilities organization. Here is a list of the specific departments the system supports.

• Finance
• Field Crews
• Work Order Tracking
• Management
• Fleet Maintenance Management
• Human Resources
• Payroll

Finance

Cost Tracking: Allocates labor expenses to the appropriate state, operating unit, department, etc., to ensure accuracy

Budget Management: Maintains detailed budget reporting to verify operating costs for state regulators to approved rates

Field Crews

Flexible Time Recording: Supports multiple time recording methods, from an online web clock, mobile PDA, or high volume crew entry screens

Labor Tracking: Provides real-time data on hours and minutes worked by an employee to avoid overtime expenses

Union Contract Compliance: Supports different pay rates, complex overtime and shift rules, and benefit accrual calculations, along with overtime equalization reporting

FLSA Compliance: Automatically compute overtime payments based on business rules, ensuring FLSA compliance

Work Order Tracking

Flexible Time Recording: Allocate work order hours to specific activity codes to ensure accurate timekeeping

Labor Budget Management: Manage time and costs associated to specific work orders, providing better budget information

Work Order Systems Integration: Synchronizes all labor associated to specific work orders in the system to ensure accuracy, eliminate redundant data entry, and manage fixed assets

Management

Workflow: Automatic notification to approve timesheets significantly reduces time, allowing the manager to focus on his/her job

Absence & Tardy Tracking: Alerts managers in real-time when staff is absent or tardy, ensuring the appropriate resources are available to the public

Workforce Alerts: Automatically alerts management to exceptions, when labor thresholds are met, or when specified events occur so action can be taken immediately

Fleet Maintenance Management

Maintenance: Tracks mileage per vehicle to ensure timely maintenance service

Activity Based Costing: Allocates expenses for each vehicle by associating vehicle usage to the driver’s time and labor distribution

Human Resources

Labor Law Compliance: Ensure compliance with the FLSA and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Paid Time-Off (PTO) Tracking: Automates the tracking and recording of all absences and tardy events

Payroll

Time Recording: Accurately collect hours worked, via a badge reader or web clock, to ensure accurate pay

Payroll Calculations: Automatically calculates hours worked and overtime for payroll

Policy & Rule Management: Automatically calculates all premiums and other premium pay based on rules configured in the system

Payroll System Integration: Synchronizes all time information with district payroll system, saving vast amounts of time

Nuclear Regulatory Commission 10 C.F.R. Part 26

Work Hour Controls for Risk Workers: Manage compliance for employees in High-Risk Maintenance, Operations, Emergency Response Chemistry & Health Physics, Fire Brigade, Security Force, and individuals who direct risk-significant maintenance and operations

Work Hour Limits: Ensure employees are limited to no more than 16 hours in any 24-hour period, 72 hours in any 7-day period, and 26 hours in any 48-hour period

Break Requirements: Manage minimum break time of 10-hours between periods and limit waivers     

Day-off Requirements: Administer days off  according to state regulations and regulated employee type

Plant Outage - Day Off Requirements: Administer day-off requirements for plant outage. Examples include: 1 day off in any 7 days (maintenance workers); 3 days off in each non-overlapping 15-day block (operations, HP, chemistry, and fire brigade); and, 4 days off in each non-overlapping 15-day block (security)