Even before the pandemic struck, remote work had been trending for some time now. However, the advent of COVID-19 has led businesses to look much more seriously into Work From Home (“WFH”) options.
With the CDC messaging and an increasing number of counties mandating physical business closures, more and more businesses are taking measures against “IRL” meetings or even suspending coming into the office at all.
For some, working from home is a regular occurrence. For others, the thought of working from home is more of a headache than a perk. Either way, having these 6 essential WFH tools in place can help ease your transition into managing a remote workforce during the COVID-19 outbreak.
1. Employee Self-Service
Is there a way for employees to access their pay stubs electronically? Currently, we have pay stubs delivered and we hand them out. But with all that is happening, I’m curious if there is a better way to do this…
If you’ve never heard of Employee Self-Service (ESS), prepare to meet your business’ new best friend as cities across the US prepare to “shelter in place”.
To combat the possibility of physical printing and distribution services potentially being disrupted, ESS provides an electronic portal for employees to view all of their past pay stubs, demographic information, W-2s, time off requests, and more.
Beyond this, it serves as a communication platform between employers and their employees. Modules for “Quick Links“, “Company Messages“, and “Workflows” allow HR managers to easily provide updates to employees, important links (e.g. to employee handbooks, medical benefits, company resources), and send tasks.
Right now, it is more important than ever for HR Managers to focus on their teams and streamline communication from the top down. And ESS is by far the easiest and most affordable way to achieve those objectives. Learn more
2. 100% Electronic Payroll
It might sound daunting, but imagine if the COVID-19 situation worsens and mail is delayed or employees can’t make it to the workplace to pick up their checks. Trust us, you don’t want to take that risk.
In many cases, simply adding direct deposit for employees can help you avoid this risk altogether. (As well as shipping fees!) Oh, and if your employees have Employee Self-Service, then they can even update their own direct deposit from their employee portals–so your HR department doesn’t have to!
However, if you employ workers who don’t have bank accounts, you can still achieve 100% direct deposit using pay cards. Your unbanked employees will be able to get paid via direct deposit just the same as those with bank accounts, giving them security and stability that drives loyalty.
As an SDP client, our FinTwist pay card solution is free to offer your employees. If you’re looking to learn more about this amazing tool to disaster-proof your payroll, simply click here to get in touch with a member of our team.
3. Remote Work Policy
Now that you have employees working from home, how do you set expectations? Well, look no further than your employee handbook! If WFH is new territory for your company, you may not have a Work From Home policy in place yet. (Or, maybe you do have one that just needs a quick refresher!)
The good news is this is easy to add. You can use SDP’s Work From Home Policy from our HR Support Center to instantly set the tone and lay out expectations for your team.
Simply have employees sign to acknowledge (psst, you can administer this from their Employee Self-Service portals if they’re already working remotely!) and add a copy to your employee handbook. (If you have your handbook linked in your Quick Links section, be sure to update this as well!)
4. HR Support That Goes With You
How do I deal with employees who have the Coronavirus, or who have been exposed to it? Do I have to notify other employees if an employee is diagnosed with COVID-19? What is the government doing to help? And can I require employees to work from home?
These are all critical concerns for employers as the business community navigates through the Coronavirus outbreak. However, with weeks and months ahead before things “get back to normal”, chances are these aren’t the only HR questions you’ll have before we make it through this pandemic.
Fortunately for you, all SDP clients receive complimentary access to our HR Support Center. Here, you’ll find not only eAlerts, policies, and updates pertaining to the Coronavirus, but also much more.
Log in today to access our full library of handbook policies, checklists, guides, job descriptions, and training to start using today. Need help logging in? Give us a call at (866) 946-2032 or email [email protected] and we’d be happy to get you started!
5. Financial Support for Employees
As the stock market is tanking, employee hours are cut, and mass layoffs are being made across the board, even the federal government has recognized that the American people will be hit hard financially by COVID-19.
While you may not be able to increase hours or give your employees a raise at this time, there are other actions you can take to provide financial support to your people as they Work From Home.
Making Paychecks Last
Smaller paychecks mean a harder time for employees to make funds last from payday until their bills are due. While it may be tempting to provide employees with advances due to these extenuating circumstances, there’s a better way.
Ask about Wages On Demand to learn how you can give your employees access to wages for their already-worked hours, 24/7/365–at no cost to you! This solution takes you out of the equation completely, so you don’t have to worry about the risks typically associated with giving advances. (Repayment, discrimination claims, etc.)
Short-Term Loans
Most of the time, a solution like Wages On Demand will do the trick to help employees cover their financial commitments. However, emergency situations arise that can’t be planned for (hello, Coronavirus outbreak!), and sometimes employees need a little extra help to get back on their feet.
Ask about our Financial Wellness Dashboard to give your employees access to free financial coaching, emergency short-term loans, and other resources. You guessed it, again at no cost to you!
Every Bit Counts
Last but not least, there are things you can do to bolster your employees’ paychecks–without that money coming from your own bank account! Ask about our Automated Pretax Spending solution to learn how you can increase your employee paychecks when they make FSA- and HSA-eligible expenses. (Psst, you’ll also save money in the process!)
With eligible expenses including prescriptions and copays, the current health crisis is the perfect time to add this free benefit for your team. Call (866) 946-2032 or request more information here to learn more.
6. Virtual New Hire Management
Just because the brick and mortar portion of your business may be closed, doesn’t mean everything else has come to a halt! And if remote work is an option for your team, then shifting to electronic new hire management will be absolutely essential for your HR and Recruiting team at this time.
New hires still need to go through onboarding. And with remote work becoming the norm, it’s critical to have a process in place so no steps are missed, documents are securely and electronically stored, and new hires’ first experience working for your business goes without a hitch.
Ask us how to add Paperless Onboarding to sync your new hire process with payroll in SDP Connect. You’ll minimize data entry and keep all your files and employee information in one place to make your HR Manager’s WFH dreams come true.
Let’s Talk!
Working from home poses its own unique challenges for the COVID-19 outbreak. However, with the help of these 6 essential tools, you can make a smooth transition to remote work while giving your team the support they so desperately need in this challenging time.
If you would like to implement any of the tools mentioned above, give us a call at (866) 946-2032 or let us know here. And don’t forget to follow us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for even more business tools and resources!
Photos by Polina Kovaleva from Pexels and SDP partners FinTwist, ZayZoon, FinFit, and ALICE