diff --git a/lib/validates_timeliness/orm/active_record.rb b/lib/validates_timeliness/orm/active_record.rb
index aa4d1bf..8220548 100644
--- a/lib/validates_timeliness/orm/active_record.rb
+++ b/lib/validates_timeliness/orm/active_record.rb
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ class ActiveRecord::Base
     end
 
     def timeliness_attribute_timezone_aware?(attr_name)
+      attr_name = attr_name.to_s
       create_time_zone_conversion_attribute?(attr_name, columns_hash[attr_name])
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/validates_timeliness/orm/active_record_spec.rb b/spec/validates_timeliness/orm/active_record_spec.rb
index e35946a..8d7485a 100644
--- a/spec/validates_timeliness/orm/active_record_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/validates_timeliness/orm/active_record_spec.rb
@@ -51,11 +51,12 @@ describe ValidatesTimeliness, 'ActiveRecord' do
 
       it 'should parse string as current timezone' do
         r = EmployeeWithParser.new
-        r.birth_datetime = '2010-01-01 12:00'
-        r.birth_datetime.zone == Time.zone.name
+        r.birth_datetime = '2010-06-01 12:00'
+        r.birth_datetime.utc_offset.should == 10.hours
       end
 
       after :all do
+        Time.zone = 'Australia/Melbourne'
         ValidatesTimeliness.use_plugin_parser = false
       end
     end