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Working from home during the pandemic and having to teleconference all day with your boss and/or colleagues can be challenging —especially for some employees, who little to no experience working remotely and, may not be comfortable with it.

HR professionals and managers can also encourage employees to go outside for a walk to get a mental break during the day. If you are looking for some alternatives to a daily walk around your neighbourhood, here are 5 tips (from fastcompany.com) to free online exercise classes:

  • Core Power Yoga. Sixteen hour-long yoga classes, plus four meditations, on its website.
  • Echelon and Peloton. Both apps offer a wide variety of live and on-demand classes (yoga, dance, core, Pilates) in addition to the in-home Spin classes they’re known for. Both apps are free for 90 days.
  • Barre3 and The Bar Method. The ballet-meets-yoga-meets-Pilates classes are free for 15 days.
  • Daily Burn and Gold’s Gym. Miss gym classes? Try a 60-day free trial of the Daily Burn’s sleek at-home classes, with a variety of specialties such as postnatal. Or hit the 600 audio and video classes on the Gold’s Amp app, which is free until May 31.
  • Planet Fitness. Planet Fitness has a free daily class at 7 p.m. ET on its Facebook Live page.

Bottomline: According to some recent research, regular physical activity can help optimize our health and well-being during the coronavirus pandemic. Anything that can help us all cope with COVID-19 is better than nothing.

About ATS
ATS offers a broad portfolio of time and attendance solutions that streamlines the collection, calculation, and reporting of employee hours for workforce management and eliminates the manual tasks of payroll preparation, increasing efficiency and reducing errors in corporate payroll departments.

Thousands of organizations across North, Central and South America and Europe- including more than half of the Fortune 500 – use ATS TimeWork OnDemand, Workforce Planning, Employee Scheduling HR and payroll solutions to manage their workforce.

In addition, ATS provides modular analytic solutions that includes; workforce planning, benefits management, employee self-service, business intelligence, human resources, payroll, and advanced analytics based on a robust cloud computing platform for information and data needs. It also offers design, rapid deployment, support services, software updates, and enhancements; and consulting and training services.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many companies to adopt remote work arrangements, in workplaces and industries where this was feasible. It now appears, that this trend will continue well into 2021.  And, while this was taking place HR leaders had to deal with job cuts, rehiring and managing employee morale. In short, no small task.

According to the recent article in HR Dive by Topia titled, 3 challenges HR leaders face in 2021 those challenges include:

‘Hidden’ remote work risk – The great thing about the remote work model is work can get done from anywhere. The challenging thing about the remote model is the same – work can be done from anywhere. With so many employees working from “home” your employees can be working in another city, state, or country without you knowing it. This opens up businesses and employees to tax and permanent establishment risk. While many jurisdictions have given a pass for this in 2020, it is likely that they will start enforcing it again in 2021.

Business travel compliance – One of the first forms of employee movement to come back in 2021 will be business travel. In the US this will mean getting on top of state-to-state payroll withholding. In Europe, there’s the more complex challenge of the A1 and Posted Workers Directive to tackle. With COVID-19 shutting down most cross-border business travel, complying with these rules was not a top priority for most companies. We can expect that in 2021, as the virus gets under control and organizations start deploying employees across borders, countries will be looking to enforce this rule and others to ensure they are getting the appropriate tax contributions.

Employee demands for new working models – There is a lot of discussion around how work will get done in a post-pandemic world. Some businesses have moved aggressively to embrace remote work. Some organizations have gotten rid of corporate campuses or made working remote the de-facto practice. We’re likely to see more nuanced approaches and policies moving forward. These include fully remote work, flexible work, extending vacation with remote work in their holiday location, etc. Organizations will need the right frameworks and tools to manage new and complex types of employees vs the traditional in-person/office and fully remote employee.

In conclusion, 2020 may have been one of the most challenging times for many companies on a global scale. And, while there have been opportunities too, HR leaders continue to be tasked with adapting to an ever-changing, regulatory labour and payroll compliance, as it relates to the Covid-19 pandemic.

To learn more about ATS and/or to download a demo of our cloud-computing HCM solution, go to our website. To reach us by phone, call: 866.294.2467.

If you are considering a time and attendance for your business, chances are you are being bombarded with an array of choices. As you consider your options, one of the more fundamental decisions you will need to make is whether to select a hosted solution (that’s based in the cloud) or one that’s installed locally on your company’s Server.

Here are 5 areas to consider when deciding between a cloud-based or on-premise time and attendance solution:

Accessibility
Today, more than ever, more employees are working remotely, and need to access information quickly. The advantage of a solution like ATSTimeWorkOnDemand, is that it’s a better choice for accessibility and, one of the biggest selling points for a cloud-based solution. And, while some on-premise solutions, can be accessed through VPN services, they can be limited and not ideal for up-to-the minute reporting capabilities.

Cost of Ownership
ATSTimeWorkOnDemand Cloud solution costs much less upfront than an on-premise solution. The set up and run times for ATSTimeWorkOnDemand are also much quicker to deploy than an on-premise system —because you can start using the service right away once subscription is paid. When using an on-premise system and its time for an upgrade, your company’s IT must then redeploy the system across the various users’ computers and re-implement various customizations and integrations that your business installed on your previous software.

System Performance
ATS cloud-based time and attendance solution provides real-time data that can be accessed via the Internet 365 days of the year 24/7. That means your employees can see accurate information on laptops, smartphones, and tablet devices—all without extra setup fees or ongoing costs. ATSTimeWorkOnDemand Cloud delivers better performance than on-premise solutions.  ATS software architecture is designed from the ground up for maximum network performance, which means, better availability than a traditional, on-site software solution and, also offers optimized performance that can adapt to your organizational needs.

Updates and Enhancements
ATSTimeWorkOnDemand is continually receives updates so you can be sure you are always using the latest, most advanced version of the application. In contrast, while an on-premise software can be customized, those customizations are tied to your current software deployment and are not easy to re-implement with future versions, thus leaving your company with an outdated software.

Software Maintenance
Using ATSTimeWorkOnDemand solution means you do not have to worry about updating or maintaining hardware or software, because ATS will handle that for you. Spending less time and money on maintenance and updates means you can allocate those resources elsewhere. However, when using an on-premise solution, your company responsible for maintaining the hardware and software, as well as backups, storage and recovery. This typically requires an IT staff, which can be difficult for smaller companies to manage with a limited budget.

Bottomline: Which one is better? That will depend on your unique business needs—but more and more businesses are shifting to cloud-based software because of the upfront cost savings, accessibility, reliability and convenience it offers.

To learn more about deploying a cloud-based time and attendance solution you can reach us at: 866. 294.2467. To download a demonstration, go to our website.

The concept behind cloud computing is actually quite simple in that it lets you access applications over the Internet, without having to buy, install or manage your own servers. Case, in point, to retrieve your company’s payroll and time attendance records, all you need is an Internet connection and your favourite browser.

Companies of all sizes in a range of industries, across Canada and the US, are utilizing ATSTimeWorkOnDemand cloud-based software, platforms, to streamline processes, lower IT complexity, gain better visibility, and reduce costs. ATS machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers’ businesses into intelligent enterprises. ATS helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition.

Here are 5 benefits to ATSTimeWorkOnDemand and the next iteration of cloud computing:

Easy upgrades without the headaches: With ATSTimeWorkOnDemand, you are regularly and transparently being upgraded to receive the latest innovations and benefits. These upgrades combine the elasticity and utility of the cloud with the control, security, and performance that responds consistently — to ongoing application demands.

Deployment with expediency: Your organization can be up and running with ATSTimeWorkOnDemand HCM applications, with one or multi-site locations within a few months. Upgrades and maintenance administration take place in the cloud and are managed by ATS, so your organization does not have to spend weekends supervising new version upgrades.

Anytime, Anywhere on any Platform: ATSTimeWorkOnDemand is “always on,” making it easy to grow your business and support remote employees and locations, and which means your people can access the app any time, day or night 24/7 from any browser on desktop or mobile device.

Streamlined Payroll, HR and Time Tracking Process: ATS contactless and biometric data collectors allows employees to clock in/out with embedded workflow approvals — allowing HR, to set rules for single-record or batch time-sheet approvals for time-off requests.

Availability and Optimized Performance: ATSTimeWorkOnDemand software architecture was designed from the ground up for robust network performance, thus delivering, better application-level availability than conventional, on-premise solutions. ATSTimeWorkOnDemand HCM App adjusts to a company’s performance needs and assigning server cycles and automatically adjusting to spikes in your business.

Bottomline: ATSTimeWorkOnDemand lets you focus on your business rather than on your software. You don’t have to use valuable IT resources to keep business systems on life support. And, given the vital role that IT plays in today’s business environment ATSTimeWorkOnDemand cloud computing application continues to change the way that companies operate.

To learn more or to download a demonstration, go to our website. And, to reach us by phone, call: 866.294.2467.

COVID-19 has taught the business world, that business strategies and plans should not be set in stone and instead they should adopt agility as the preferred business model. This means, HR professionals, in addition to their current workload, have to ensure the wellbeing of their workforce during the pandemic and help navigate the new normal.

As your employees return to work, companies must prioritize their well-being while adopting strategies— to meet the needs of the current working environment to keep operations running smoothly. ATSTimeWorkOnDemand Workforce Management Suite helps you create, and embody, a culture of caring while increasing productivity.

And, regardless of what your company’s “new normal” looks like, a safe and productive return to work—that includes pre-and-post-shift screenings, contactless time and attendance, and contact tracing—can safeguard your employees and give you the best opportunity to thrive in these unprecedented times.

ATSTimeWorkforce Management Suite will help you with:

Optimize Scheduling and Manage Absenteeism
Create a few what-if scenarios to determine when to re-open based on social distancing guidelines, and demand requirements.

Make use of updated federal, provincial and local payroll and labour compliance— within ATSTimeWorkOnDemand to give employees the freedom to manage personal responsibilities— while meeting their work obligations, through leave management.

Contactless Data Capture
To minimize risks associated with shared data collectors, ATSTimeWorkOnDemand Suite supports multiple contactless time clocks clocking, including; proximity, face and IRIS Scan and mobile technology.

Managing Remote Work
The current pandemic has forced many employees to work from home and companies across the world have transitioned their employees to work virtually to support physical distancing efforts. With ATS Employee Self-Service options, employees can request time-off and punch in/out from a mobile device or PC.

The world has changed, with the current pandemic and it’s going to keep changing. ATSTimeWorkOnDemand helps your workforce adapt, evolve, and win by working more effectively within it. Spend less time focused on tasks and more time focused on strategy. Turn data into smarter decision making, and use modern technology to create experiences your employees will love.

About ATS
ATS offers a broad portfolio of time and attendance solutions that streamlines the collection, calculation, and reporting of employee hours for workforce management and eliminates the manual tasks of payroll preparation, increasing efficiency and reducing errors in corporate payroll departments.

Thousands of organizations across North, Central and South America and Europe- including more than half of the Fortune 500 – use ATS TimeWork OnDemand, Workforce Planning, Employee Scheduling HR and payroll solutions to manage their workforce.

In addition, ATS provides modular analytic solutions that includes; workforce planning, benefits management, employee self-service, business intelligence, human resources, payroll, and advanced analytics based on a robust cloud computing platform for information and data needs. It also offers design, rapid deployment, support services, software updates, and enhancements; and consulting and training services.

As parts of Canada and the US begins the process of a slow reopening, social- distancing and workplace hygiene remains top of mind for employers and employees alike.  And, if some of your employees continue to work from home, you can make use of employee self-service and online web punch options, which means, you likely don’t have to think about workplace logistics for this cohort. But what about the employees who have to report to work because of the nature of your industry? Whether its food manufacturing, retail, or grocery, you probably have some way of recording their time. And, if you don’t, here are 3 ways to record employees time while they are on the job, that is both safe and contactless:

RFID/Keyfobs: ATS time clocks supports RFID and Smart Card/key fob reader options.  RFID, Smart cards and key fobs, do not require contact, and chances are some or all your employees already use these types of cards. 

FaceScan and IRIS Recognition Data Collectors: Due, in large part to the ongoing pandemic, more companies are requesting touchless data collectors. And, when combined with ATSTimeWorkOnDemand, innovative time and attendance app, these data collectors — pave the way for a new era of powerful employee time-tracking data that helps control labour costs and improve workforce productivity.

Proximity: ATS Proximity time clocks have an embedded sensor which reads the badge to quickly record employee arrival times, breaks, lunches, overtime and departure times. ATS proximity cards are “contactless” and is read when held within two inches of the time clock sensor. Alternatively, proximity wristbands offer another approach, this wearable method has the potential to ensure almost no contact between employees and time clocks.

Mobile and web time clocks: With ATSTimeWorkOnDemand application, employees can punch in/out from a personal device or terminal thus, eliminating hygiene concerns of a shared time clock. ATS mobile and web time clock options, delivers an engaging experience that drives user adoption across the workforce. Managers can initiate mass approvals, manage exceptions, and get approval alerts on mobile devices from anywhere 24/7.

Magnetic stripe or Barcode: Magnetic and Barcode cards: allow employees to swipe to clock in and out, without directly touching the time clock. ATS State-Of-The-Art Time Clocks are equipped with a large 7” touchscreen with and full color LCD Screen. It delivers a superior user experience and fast user adoption and has a straightforward user interface, that provides self-service view into any employee’s work-related information.

Bottomline: ATS contactless time clocks was designed with you and you and your payroll costs, in mind. ATSTimeWorkOnDemand offers complete automation and full visibility –with innovative and functionality that translates to faster employee deployment, less wasted time, and increased productivity.

To learn more, go to our website, where you can download a demo or brochures. To reach us by phone, call 866.294.2467.

’Tis the season for moving holiday parties online or just cancelling it, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some HR professionals who have the pulse of their company and, has likely made the decision is to go ahead — with a virtual holiday party to show appreciation to your employees after what we’ve all had to endured this year.

If your company is looking for some tips on how to pull off a virtual office holiday during the current pandemic here is an article titled, 5 Creative Ways to Host an Amazing Office Holiday Party on Zoom by Dave Kerpen.

1. Use Cameo for personalized shout-outs and live celebrity entertainment-Cameo is a tool that allows people to book shout-outs from celebrities, ranging from A-list actors like Mandy Moore to rock stars to reality TV has-beens. Is your team based in one city and into sports? Book a local popular professional athlete. Is your team primarily older? Book a TV star from a classic show like The Brady Brunch. Cameo even has a reality-TV star turned author and entrepreneur. And you can now book live appearances from your favorite celebrities–so they can stop by during your holiday party to say hi. There’s truly something for everyone.

2. Host a magic act or improv comedy troupe. 
Zoom is tough for “typical” party entertainment like bands and DJ’s, because people probably aren’t going to want to dance alone at home. But entertainment such as magicians and improv comedy can work really well in a virtual setting, since they’re interactive at their core. Guests won’t just be entertained–they’ll be part of the entertainment! Pro-tip: Give the magician or comedians you book insider info prior to the event to make their acts even funnier. 

3. Host a game show, with prizes!
Bring in an MC (or handpick the most outgoing, charismatic person at your office to MC) for your own version of a game show. You can do Family Feud with two teams competing, Kahoot with everyone answering trivia questions, or your own version of The Newlywed Game, where contestants go to a breakout room to try to predict what their colleagues will say when asked predetermined questions. With prizes for winning contestants and a “host” with a big personality, a game show can be a huge hit. 

4. Use breakout rooms smartly.
At your offline holiday parties of old, 50 people didn’t gather together to have one conversation so they shouldn’t for your online holiday party, either. Instead, use Zoom’s Breakout Rooms feature to set up groups of 10 to 15 people per “room.” One room might be the ugly sweater contest while another is Christmas carol karaoke, a third is a craft activity, a fourth is your Secret Santa gift exchange, and a fifth is casual conversation. Then, rotate rooms every 15 minutes. A company with 200 employees can still have everyone engaged at once in 20 different Zoom breakout rooms! 

5. Try a wine or cocktail tasting.
Shipping alcohol across state lines is next to impossible, but if your employees are mostly based in one state, you can send people wine or scotch samples and host a tasting during your party. You can even have an expert on hand to walk everyone through the story behind each wine. The nice thing is, food and beverage is usually a huge expense for offline holiday parties, so this can be done virtually and still save money. 

Finally, be mindful that your remote employees have family members or roommates in the same or sometimes worst circumstances during the pandemic and as a result, may find it hard— that their significant other, has to be on another virtual call after hours.

About ATS
ATS offers a broad portfolio of time and attendance solutions that streamlines the collection, calculation, and reporting of employee hours for workforce management and eliminates the manual tasks of payroll preparation, increasing efficiency and reducing errors in corporate payroll departments.

Thousands of organizations across North, Central and South America and Europe- including more than half of the Fortune 500 – use ATS TimeWork OnDemand, Workforce Planning, Employee Scheduling HR and payroll solutions to manage their workforce.

In addition, ATS provides modular analytic solutions that includes; workforce planning, benefits management, employee self-service, business intelligence, human resources, payroll, and advanced analytics based on a robust cloud computing platform for information and data needs. It also offers design, rapid deployment, support services, software updates, and enhancements; and consulting and training services.

Your company is all about growth and, the time and attendance software you choose to deploy, should be too. With ATS, your company will scale effortlessly on a product that’s delivered proven results for Canadian companies over a decade and counting.

ATS Time & Attendance, is the choice for many midsize businesses to run and integrate their payroll, HR and ERP applications in the cloud. Companies turn to ATS Time & Attendance to help cut their IT costs, reduce payroll costs and improve productivity.

So, why should you run your business in the cloud with ATS Time & Attendance?

  • Up-to-date: Automated upgrades deliver the latest innovations
  • Integrated: Payroll, HR, CRM, ERP, CRM and HCM suite cuts cycle times and errors
  • Visibility: Real-time dashboards and analytics that eradicates spreadsheets
  • Global: Multi-site intelligence scales as you grow
  • Efficient: Up-to-the-minute cloud delivery eliminates on-premise IT costs
  • Anywhere 24/7: Browser and mobile access lets you access from anywhere
  • Scalable: Configure to your company’s requirements with confidence

ATS Time and Attendance in the cloud utilizes emerging technologies and powerful predictive analytics to control costs and risks- manage increasingly complex transactions, and make better business decisions. When you deploy ATS Time & Attendance in the cloud you will:

Save time
ATS Time & Attendance is intuitive on-screen tips help you complete your payroll and HR tasks quickly and accurately.

Achieve piece of mind
ATS Time & Attendance complies with complex, ever-changing payroll regulations, collective bargaining agreements, municipal state and federal regulations.

Gain access to the software from anywhere
You can drive innovation, profitability, and growth, while making accurate, data-driven decisions. And, with anywhere access to your software you can run payroll at the office or on-the-road.

To learn more, go to our website and download a demonstration. To reach an account executive, call; 866.294.2467.

Whether your company is in food production, healthcare or manufacturingCOVID-19 has forced us all to rethink how we live our everyday lives while keeping ourselves and others safe. Face masks have emerged as a simple and effective strategy for reducing the virus’s threat.  And, for employers, having the right tools to detect whether an employee has a fever and/or is wearing a mask, before the start of a shift, is now the new norm.

We recently introduced the ATS Fever and Mask Detection Time Clock. If your employees have returned to the office and you want to make sure everyone is safe, here are three benefits to using ATS contactless time clocks:

Contactless Punching In/Out
Provides an innovative method of punching in at the clock by allowing employees to identify themselves through facial verification, helping to eliminate buddy punching.

Touch-Free
ATS Face Recognition provides temperature readings without needing additional human interaction and support various read technologies including–barcode, RFID, magstripe, and proximity – and can be connected via Wi-Fi or Power Over Ethernet (POE).

Social Distancing and Contact Tracing
Social distancing and contact tracing are part of the new normal. With ATS Face Mask Detection Time Clock you can give your employees a more modern and visual experience with this innovative device – an alternative to traditional paper-time punch clocks.

With up-to-the-minute results, CFOs, HR and Payroll leaders can create a policy for failed temperature checks through ATSTimeWorkOnDemand. ATS Face Mask and Temperature Detection Time Clock send results to a cloud management portal software so your organization can see on-screen results from any location.

Other features include:

  • High definition camera for contactless facial recognition
  • Infrared sensor for real-time temperature detection
  • Facial detection with or without face masks and alerts if a mask is being worn incorrectly
  • Anonymous thermal scanning and temperature detection for visitors
  • Recognition speed of less than 0.1 seconds per face
  • Ability to manage up to 30,000 facial templates-optional
  • Touch-free clock functionality with voice commands

    To explore our range of workforce management HCM solutions go to our website and download a demo. And to reach one of our account executives, call: 866.294.2467.

Since the early days of COVID­-19 pandemic several industries like grocery and retail jobs were deemed essential services while some others were furloughed or moved online. As some businesses slowly reopen it can be nerve-racking to head back into the office, while a global pandemic is still looming over everyone’s head.

Here are some useful tips, companies can take to help their employees adjust to the new conditions, and also ease their fears, as they slowly reopen:

Temperature Check Time Clocks
Some of ATS customers have migrated to a contactless and temperature check biometric time clocks. These data collectors offer an automatic, touch-free tool for accurate employee temperature screening. And, with real-time results, Payroll and HR leaders can create a policy for failed temperature checks to ensure a safe environment and a consistent experience for all employees at the point of entry to the workspace. 

Pandemic Pay/Shift Differential
The high volume of shutdowns caused by the global corona virus pandemic has triggered organizations to consider salary continuance options to help employees through this difficult time and to retain their talent. While some industries, like grocery, healthcare and retail chains have eliminated pandemic pay, others have added shift differential to bolster employees pay. Whichever option you choose, ATSTimeWorkOnDemand will ease the burden for HR by seamlessly applying these pay codes through our software configuration.

Working from Home and Managing Childcare
The shut down of schools in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, had many parents working from home with their children-managing professional priorities, while helping their kids with school work. Some of ATS customers have made use of online timesheets and project tracking solutions for these remote workers.

Leave Management
While some parents are able to stay home with their kids, others are not so fortunate, and without access to childcare, like some of their colleagues, will likely find themselves in a stressful situation. HR can encourage these parents to request time-off by making use of existing vacation time they have accrued. This simple act, could alleviate some of the stress, these employees are trying to manage. And, don’t forget the employees who do not have children, they could also benefit from taking time-off, to deal with the stress of COVID-19.

ATS Workforce Planning
With COVID-19 showing no signs of abating, companies can make use of ATS Workforce Planning for employees who want some flexible options as they manage work and at life at home. ATS Workforce Planning gives managers a real-time schedule that changes with the organization’s needs. With ATS Workforce Planning managers gain immediate insight into how many staff members to schedule at any given time and optimizes planning breaks, setting vacations, adding time for training and addressing unplanned absences.

Bottomline; maintaining compliance, keeping track of employment agreements, and internal policies during these trying times can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.  ATSTimeWorkOnDemand HCM suite is a comprehensive workforce management application with a— future-ready platform that addresses the unique requirements of a company. In short, we have got your covered.

To learn more, you can download a demonstration of our product or to reach us by phone, call: 866.294.2467.