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Smart Labour app at Gitex Technology Week 2016

Posted on 9/19/2016

Smart Labour app at Gitex Technology Week 2016 – Now, innovation is for everyone.

400 entrepreneurs and 250 investors and mentors from over 52 countries are here to take the next step in smart technology. Gitex Technology week is back!

Smart Labour – the UAE’s first mobile phone app aimed at blue-collar workers – participated in Gitex Technology Week to ensure that the biggest chunk of the United Arab Emirates’ workforce is a part of the national and global movement towards a smart life.

In line with the vision of Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the world’s third-largest technology exhibition provides the platform to showcase innovative services like Smart Labour.

So, what is Smart Labour?

Smart Labour is an app dedicated to the blue-collared workers in the UAE. By providing visual and engaging content that addresses the needs of a worker in the UAE, the app acts as a resource for low-skilled workers (that make up over 50 per cent of the country’s workforce) and creates a much-needed connection between employers and employees by providing solutions in labour management.

How does the app work?

Simply put, the app is a conduit between a blue-collared worker and the smart world. By bringing the benefits of technology into the lives of low-skilled workers, Smart Labour enhances the happiness and quality of life at the grassroots level of the UAE’s workforce. The app offers innovatively designed learning courses in English, Arabic, financial management and basic health and safety practices, where progress is linked with earning talk time and data. So, workers immediately receive the bonus of reconnecting with their families through telephone calls or video conferencing in their pursuit of personal and professional success.

How Smart Labour can change the face of the workforce …

• Unless you know how to communicate, your probability of climbing the ladder of success remains on the lower side. By increasing their exposure to English and Arabic, Smart Labour will help break down the communication barrier and open the doors for growth and success at the very basic level.
• Keeping a track of your finances can be a daunting task, no matter how academically qualified you are. With a serious responsibility towards their families back home, workers in the low-skilled section of employment are in an even greater need to learn basic tips and tricks for smart money management. Smart Labour has connected with social workers and experts with experience in teaching financial planning for low-skilled employees to provide short, engaging videos that teach them how to make the best use of their hard-earned money.
• A hard day’s of work can all be worth it when one comes back to a happy family. Smart Labour recognises the importance of staying connected with family, which is why the app is primarily based on offering rewards in the form of free talk time and data. A happy worker lays the foundation for a happy city.

“We have witnessed the need-gap and the problems miscommunication between an employer and the blue collared workers can cause. President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum have constantly worked towards making the UAE the best place in the world. Smart Labour is an attempt to add value to the lives of workers to move towards fulfilling their dreams. A majority of the expatriates are blue-collared workers and if they are in high spirits, then the dream is not far to achieve” – Abu Muadh, Founder, Smart Labour.

The app is available on major platforms (IOS, Android & Windows).

Possible impact of a reward based Smart learning platform to learn English & real life skills

Posted on 5/2/2016

Imagine a life where you essentially work from morning until night with no time for personal or professional growth.

Sounds terrible, doesn’t it? Imagine how the labourers, who actually live their lives this way, must feel.

Now, what can we, as a society, do to help them grow and be happier?

One thing that could cause them to grow professionally would be to offer them courses in various things. However, how would we motivate them to take these courses? After all, we need to remember that they work out in the heat for most of the day. They probably wouldn’t be interested in doing something more after that.

Well, what if we were to tie their learning into their social life? For example, imagine if each one of them was given a smart phone. They would be trained on how to use them. They would then take some courses using our Smart Labour App.

Once they finish a course, they would get rewarded - with free data and minutes. What do you think they would do with that? Obviously, they would use that to talk to their families and friends back home.

This way, their psychological wellbeing would vastly improve and they would be a lot happier. This would in turn make them more motivated to improve and change.

So, this would be the start of a wonderful – not vicious – circle for them. They would learn – and hence grow professionally - which would then cause them to be able to spend more time interacting with those whom they love, which in turn would cause them to grow on a personal level.

This in turn would lead to two more things:

• Firstly, the labourers themselves would be able to move on to better jobs in the future due to their professional development. This in turn would make them even happier.
• Secondly, the society in turn would be a happier one. How so? Well, on one hand, the labourers would be happier. Also, the people who helped them, would feel great pleasure and happiness at seeing these changes and realizing that they were a big part of it.

7 Payroll Items to Check Off Your List Before the Year Ends

Posted on 4/22/2016

1. Prepare for performance reviews

This one’s first on the list because it’s the most immediate priority. Employee performance reviews are often given at the end of the year and have a big impact on an employee’s future performance manipulating factors like motivation, engagement, and morale.

Don’t leave this one to the last minute to ensure a quality review that will really give employees a complete picture of what they do well and what needs improvement. It will truly affect the direction employees take moving forward. Plus, it will help determine and prepare for raises early on.

Begin analyzing performance data now to accurately assess individual performance. It is recommended to automate performance management with a software that collects data by tracking task and goal completion throughout the year for a painless process.

Related: 5 Steps to Better Performance Reviews

2. Check on benefits

Since the passing of the Affordable Healthcare Act, many startups and small businesses opted not to offer employee health insurance benefits. The new healthcare program provides discounts for workers whose employers don’t offer benefits, so many thought it wise to cut out that expense.

However, healthcare or insurance benefits might prove to be a valuable benefit for some startups to offer, depending on the needs of the employees. A startup can even offer a stipend to cover an employee’s individual discounted plan as part of a salary. In either case, now is the time to research benefit options as healthcare and insurance continue to evolve.

3. Research new perks to offer

Startups and small businesses often have the benefit of offering perks larger organizations cannot due to volume of employees or structure. Consider offering employees unique perks in place of traditional benefits. Examples of perks can include fitness memberships, discount cards, office additions such as new break room features, free catered meals, and more.

Begin researching options now so the new perks can be decided upon and unveiled as a surprise at the beginning of the new year. Perks can even be low-cost. Perks like award programs and work from home days are often appreciated more than money.

4. Pull financial statements

It can be easier for small businesses to track and report spending throughout the year, but at the end of the year, it’s time to collect everything and look at the big picture. Again, this is an area that can be automated with software.

A few things to determine are the company’s net worth and credit score to see overall financial health for budget planning. Also, look at last year’s budget. Did it stay on track? What are some areas that need adjustment?

Check credit cards to ensure interest levels aren’t too high and any options for interest reduction. Also, check the balance of any credit card benefits like cash back or travel points to use for next year.

5. Organize extra expenses and reimbursements

Collect all receipts from business-related purchases from employees. Categorize them and file them in a place where they will be easily accessible for tax time. Use a software to scan receipts into a digital document storage platform. When it comes time to determine write-offs, all receipts will be organized in digital form for easy access.

6. Determine tax write-offs

Small businesses are often eligible for several tax deductions owners often miss. Contact a tax professional early to discuss business-related expenses like transportation, entertainment, meals, educational courses and office supplies.

Startups also have the advantage of writing off expenses that got their business off the ground. As long as the business was making sales at the time, it counts. Businesses can deduct up to $5,000 the first year.

If the majority of the year’s tax write-offs are documented now, it will require less effort to add the rest during tax time.

7. Plan distribution of important forms

Ensure employees receive important forms on time by collecting and planning distribution early. Perform an audit on employee files to organize existing forms and see if any additional are need for the file.

Keep track of important tax due dates. For example, fourth quarter payroll reports need to be filed the last day in January. Be sure to have all forms on hand and collect them a week to two weeks before they need to be filed to keep things stress-free.

The world is getting Smarter & what about Smart labour

Posted on 8/17/2015

The world is getting smarter. More women are educated now than ever before.

The world is getting smarter. Two year olds can now use iPhones.

The world is getting smarter. The spread of the Internet and smart phones are proof of that.

The world is getting smarter….yet the labourers who build our empires don’t seem to be showing any signs of intellectual growth.

Ten years ago, one could see them toiling away in the sun. Today, one can see the exact same thing. It seems while the “world” has gotten smarter, it has forgotten to take these labourers on its great journey.