On 1 May 2011, the so-called “Wage and Social Dumping Prevention Act” came into effect in Austria. Its purpose is to guarantee commensurate remuneration for employees and fair competition for companies. For companies in the building industry, this means that more documentation than ever needs to be kept on hand for every employee. Personnel data acquisition has become more complicated. “Since May, developers and general contractors need not only register precisely which employees from which companies are working on their construction projects. They must also keep records in German with which the authorities can check the wages of workers employed in the event of an inspection. This applies not only to their own personnel, but also to those working for sub-contractors,” explains Dipl.-Ing. Manuel Irrschik, Managing Director of Ishap.
Keeping track in the data jungle
Ishap develops mobile documentation and archiving software and systems for companies in the building industry. The products IshapCARD and IshapBAU make it possible to register the details of every employee quickly and straightforwardly, and manage this data in a simple manner. For example, pictures can be taken with a smart phone of both the worker and his/her documents, and stored in the system. A photo ID card for the construction site can be printed out there and then. The software then automatically informs the responsible parties which documents must be recorded for every worker – depending on nationality. If necessary documents are missing or the validity of any of them expires in the near future, this is reported by the system. Hence, site managers and foremen can keep track in the data jungle and ensure that all the necessary information is available in a matter of clicks in the event of an inspection.
Trailblazer in Austria
ALPINE is the first company in the country to employ this system on all its Austrian construction projects and has herewith taken on a role as trailblazer in the field of personnel and wage documentation. “The benefits for us are clear: Now we can register the details of every worker quickly and then archive the necessary documentation securely,” explains Engelbert Schwank, Commercial Branch Manager of the region Building Construction East. “Official inspections are therefore speeded up, because all the data and documents for the respective construction project are available immediately on site. This is very important to us as a major contractor.” The Ishap system is beeing installed across the board in Upper Austria, Salzburg, Carinthia and Styria, with Tyrol and Vorarlberg to follow.
“Hence, we have reacted early and rapidly to the documentation obligation,” underlines ALPINE CEO Dr Jörn Wisser.“We are well aware of the social responsibility of a company to ensure fair and transparent conditions of employment and payment. Moreover, we want to lead the way in the building sector, one of the largest employers of all, with a good example.”