Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software

It is Time to Digitize Your Spreadsheets

Say goodbye to antiquated time tracking and spreadsheets. Thanks to the power of ATSTimeWorkOnDemand, all data points are now at your fingertips, including; HR process, instant workflows, employee dashboards and more.

ATSTimeWorkOnDemand solution provides a suite of capabilities that make HR and payroll departments work easier and more efficient for everyone, across the organization. With a single tool to manage human resources, payroll and data tracking, organizations can eliminate third-party integrations, improve data accuracy, create a more engaging workforce experience, and make better-informed decisions to tightly align workforce performance with business performance.

Here are some of the benefits of ATSTimeWorkOnDemand HR Suite:

Reduce HR Administrative Costs
Empower employees and managers to securely accomplish common HR tasks, like changing addresses, making and/or updating shift schedules or viewing time-off balances, at any time.

Manage Compliance
ATSTimeWorkOnDemand is configured to adhere to collective bargaining agreements, flexible working time models and Canadian, US international holidays. With ATS Time and Attendance suite, you can fast track your workforce strategy by saving your team valuable time. The solution automates tedious tasks that overburden your people, and it will help you, gain greater insights to make more informed business decisions — and put yourself on a clear path to compliance.

Drive Deeper Workforce Engagement
Connect employees to their work with active goal setting. Recognize, review and reward achievements to increase engagement and productivity. By deploying ATSTimeWorkOnDemand, you can be confident that you and your team are making informed time and attendance decisions — in real time — to best meet your business needs.

Automation Time and Attendance Processes
ATSTimeWorkOnDemand will reduce manual — and error-prone — data entry and improve HR and payroll accuracy. Whether you use ATS Time Kiosk, hand geometry, Web Punch (for Android and iPhones) or facial recognition-these data collectors, will increase productivity and boost your business operations.

Reduce the Cost of Running Payroll and Increase Workforce Performance.
Run payroll in minutes without importing or manipulating third-party files, and post to your general ledger in real-time. ATS workflows enables you to access employee performance metrics built on — and updated by — ATS HR Suite.

Want to learn how our HR, payroll, and workforce management solutions can help you achieve a better work experience for all your people? Call; 866-294-2467. To download a demo, go to our website, www.atimesolutions.com

ATS Time Kiosk, Facial Recognition, Hand Geometry, HR, Payroll, Workflows

ATSTimeWorkOnDemand Suite Can Help Companies Accelerate Operational Goals

Whether you want to improve time and attendance tracking, automate scheduling or simplify management, ATS has a single solution to help with it all.

ATSTimeWorkOnDemand HCM suite helps organizations ensure timely and accurate financial data by integrating forecasting and budgeting, payroll calculation, and on-the-spot employee attendance-with one click. This simplifies the end-to-end workforce management process and increases accuracy. It also helps managers make more informed decisions by providing real-time access to production, sales and labour data. With ATSTimeWorkOnDemand organizations will have everything they need, all working seamlessly including:

A multi-generational application: That converges with AI to accelerate the pace of business, while adapting to ongoing changes and regulations while remaining compliant. With ATSTimeWorkOnDemand HCM suite, you —will eliminate paper timesheets with digital time clocking and save employees up to 30 minutes per month. ATSTimeWorkOnDemand application is accessible anytime, anywhere, and is — used by companies in every industry.

Labour and Payroll Calculations: ATS workforce calculation engine automates regular hours, overtime, and statutory holiday pay to help organizations minimize compliance risks. It reduces payroll errors and eliminates the need for manual reconciliations as approved hours seamlessly flow from ATSTimeWorkOnDemand to ATS Payroll suite for immediate processing.

Time Collection Options: Combined Biometric Iris and FaceScan, Web Punch, Interactive Voice Response System, Online Timesheets and Kiosk App with Facial Verification. ATSTimeWorkOnDemand best-in-class cloud-based application, is fully integrated helping you save time and prevent errors while single sign-on connects employees with the information they need across devices, locations, and services.

Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Metrics: ATS real-time dashboard enables managers to obtain daily insights into operational metrics including start and end time, labour, and forecasts and compare them to actuals. This visibility helps managers make data-informed decisions around workforce costs and profitability. With ATS Automation, the system creates real-time data based on previous valid decisions and similar successful work flows that have achieved the goal. In the future, rather than manually carrying out the process, the system will do it automatically.

Streamlining of Approvals: With ATSTimeWorkOnDemand, employees can review and request changes to their timesheets on a daily basis, catching errors before they reach payroll. The manager’s dashboard provides managers with real-time approval access and valuable insight into who’s requesting time-off or punching in and out, taking breaks, and working overtime.

ATS has packaged the experience gained from thousands of deployments into a set of leading practices that pave a clear path to success and are proven to deliver rapid business value. With ATS, you go live in a predictable timeframe — smart, stepped implementations begin with sales and span the entire customer lifecycle, so there’s continuity from sales to services to support.

To learn more, go to our website and download a demonstration. You can also reach a sales representative at (866) 294-2467.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Biometrics, FaceScan Time Clock, Forecasting and Budgeting, Interactive Voice Response System, Machine Learning, Online TimeSheets, Payroll, Web Punch

HR And Payroll Departments Have Finally Embraced Cloud HCM

HCM cloud software is dynamic, and in ever-changing industry, with expectations and demands from customers changing at a fast pace. HR and payroll departments are no different, they have had to deal with legacy software solutions for many years. And, while some have been slow to migrate to the cloud, most have because of covid-19 — and remote work— due in part, to a new generation of workers, who value work differently than their parents.

The adoption of Human Capital Management (HCM) solutions has had a significant impact on HR and business processes. Modern technologies and software platforms, like ATSTimeWorkOnDemand HCM have allowed HR and payroll professionals to simplify employee lifecycle management and focus on organizational goals rather than administrative tasks.

ATSTimeWorkOnDemand is a 100% TrueCloud based HCM platform, that offers a suite of modules and functionalities, under one roof. And since it’s Cloud-based, ATS offers unlimited scalability of operations, without any major infrastructure costs involved.

Here are some other reasons why companies are embracing ATSTimeWorkOnDemand HCM:

Time Collection for Accurate Data
COVID-19 has increased work from home options and, as more companies, become dispersed and mobile than ever, a traditional time clock many not be a viable solution. ATS offers a variety of options for employees to clock in including: kiosk, web, tablets and mobile phones. And, with embedded geofencing you can ensure employees only punch in from certain locations, when reporting to or signing out from work.

Improve HR Service Delivery
ATSTimeWorkOnDemand HCM provides a suite of capabilities that make HR service delivery easier and more efficient for everyone, across the organization. With a single tool to manage employee time, accrual benefits, payroll and financials, organizations can eliminate third-party integrations, improve data accuracy, create a more engaging workforce experience and make better-informed decisions to tightly align workforce performance with business performance.

Intuitive Analytical Tools
ATSTimeWorkOnDemand HCM is equipped with Machine learning (ML) a subset of AI that is narrowly focused on the learning and inherent interpretation of data. ATS artificial intelligence tool, recognizes patterns and make predictions through data collection— thus, removing manual entry and guess-work out of the equation.

Reduce the Cost of Running Payroll
With ATSTimeWorkOnDemand HCM, you run payroll in minutes and post to your general ledger in real-time, while at the same time gaining access to workforce analytics. Within the application, the process for, employees to request time off and managers to approve requests, is automated. Time-off balances are automatically updated once requests are approved, and companies can set controls to enforce policies so employees aren’t taking too much time off. ATSTimeWorkOnDemand HCM performance metrics, empower managers— and employees to update their profiles, manage their teams — and securely view their own HR-related information.

ATS HCM Suite
ATSTimeWorkOnDemand suite has been adopted by global leaders in manufacturing, retail & hospitality, government entities, healthcare and engineering and construction to optimize their workforce, maintain compliance risks, and improve employee engagement. ATSTimeWorkOnDemand HCM connects HR and payroll data, project planning, talent management, budgeting and forecasting and procurement processes, that empower your executive and operational teams to make smarter and faster business decisions.

ATS has packaged the experience gained from thousands of deployments across the continent into a set of leading practices. These practices pave a clear path to success and are proven to deliver rapid return on investment (ROI) and get you live on ATS cloud applications in a predictable timeframe. Intelligent, stepped implementations begin with sales and span the entire customer lifecycle, so there’s continuity from sales to services to support.

To learn more, go to our website and download a demonstration. If you are interested in attending one of our bi-monthly webinars, register here. And, to speak to an account executive, call 866.294.2467.

Budgeting and Forecasting, HCM, HR, Machine Learning, Payroll, Project Planning, Talent Management, Time and Attendance, Workforce Analytics

Remote Work Is Becoming The Norm, But It Requires Trust

In the last two years, working at the kitchen table has become common and, for some parents, juggling virtual school while trying to hit work deadlines has also become a daily challenge. And, contrary to popular belief by some, COVID-19 did not start the remote work conversation, it simply blew the proverbial lid off something that had been bubbling beneath the surface.

In some sectors, such as IT and financial services, remote work has been popular for years, as it provides companies the freedom and flexibility to build products faster, hire the best talent in the world, and enjoy other benefits of the location-independent setup. However, in industries with hourly employees such as manufacturing, hospitality and retail, it’s almost impossible for some of these employees to perform these duties online.

If your company is considering a remote work option for some or all of your employees, here are five tips from Jackie Wiles in a recent article, Micromanaging Your Remote Workers? Own It, Then Fix It.

“Empower team members. Make sure team members all understand the impact and scope of what is expected of them, articulate how their activities are crucial to meeting enterprise goals and provide each with the resources they need to get the job done.
Focus on outcomes. Don’t waste time obsessing over the time the team dedicates to getting the job done or how they do it. What matters is that they get results in the agreed-upon time frame.
Be flexible. Give people the opportunity to work when, where and how they can be most creative and productive.
Plan for the worst case. This makes people feel trusted and confident in their ability to handle problems.
Do not blame. Blame instantly crushes self-esteem and spoils the bonds of trust with your employees. Focus on lessons learned from failures. Let your team come up with the answer of what to do better next time”.

Bottomline: Going fully or partially remote means companies need less workspace or none at all. They can maintain an office in a more affordable location, as well as employ workers from areas where the cost of living and salaries are more suitable for a company’s budget. However, you institute your remote work program, it should be built on trust, with that, it could become a failure.

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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. ATS cloud services offer rapid deployment, support services, software updates, and enhancements; and consulting and training services.

Why Do Some Companies Refuse To Hire Older Workers?

There’s anecdotal evidence that some companies believe, that if they hire older workers, it could stunt their company’s growth. This practice is pervasive especially, in the tech world where it has become synonymous with youth. However, technology is never created nor consumed exclusively by young people.

Here are 5 reasons, from an article by Maryalene LaPonsie, that will make you rethink your company’s hiring policy when it comes to older workers:

“1. Older workers have experience
An obvious benefit of older workers is the experience and skills they bring to a job. “You’ve got someone who can solve your problem today,” says Kerry Hannon, an AARP jobs expert and author of “Getting the Job You Want After 50 For Dummies.”

Hannon, 55, says employers may have legitimate concerns about older workers being behind the curve when it comes to technology, but those skills can be taught. On the other hand, no amount of training can give a younger worker the wisdom gained through 20 or 30 years spent in the field.

2. Older workers have confidence
Perhaps as a by-product of all that experience, older workers are often more confident than their younger counterparts. Hochkins says the firm that hired her at age 52 did so after several failed attempts to have younger workers do the same job, a job that required convincing CEOs and executives to get on board with a particular initiative. “They had also hired some 20-somethings, but they weren’t having much luck because they didn’t have the finesse needed to get the job done,” she explains.

3. Older workers provide reliable service
In 2014, the Society for Human Resource Management asked HR professionals what they considered the top advantages of older workers. Experience was No. 1 on the list at 77 percent, followed closely by maturity/professionalism and a stronger work ethic – traits chosen by 71 percent and 70 percent, respectively, of 1,913 survey respondents.

4. Older workers are loyal
Workers older than age 50 may be more loyal. This may be particularly true for new hires who are grateful for the job. “In general, older workers love their jobs more than younger ones,” Hannon says. A 2013 study by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found 9 in 10 workers older than age 50 are somewhat or very satisfied with their jobs. Meanwhile, according to the 2014 Conference Board Job Satisfaction survey, only 3 in 10 workers younger than age 25 could say the same.

5. Older workers can save money
An experienced worker can hit the ground running and be effective immediately. They also may have advanced critical-thinking skills that can help them make good decisions quickly. Hochkins notes she saved one company $5 million in inventory costs, and she questions whether a less experienced worker would have been able to identify where changes within the organization could be made.”

Bottomline: When business executives are hesitant about hiring an older worker should consider the 5 reasons above. Having an age-diverse workforce makes sense for most companies. Hiring older workers, means you won’t have to deal with the costs of high turnover in a more youthful workforce vs. the benefits and experience mature workers will bring to your company.

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.

Society for Human Resource Management, Workforce

5 Things That Changed The Future Of Work During The Pandemic

Hybrid, remote work and employee well-being, are amoung the three things, that took centre stage during the height of the pandemic. However, they are not new phenoniums and had been bubbling beneath the surface while we were all rushing around before COVID-19. And, while we inch our way back to business as we know it, redefining norms requires us to answer questions that often cannot be resolved on our own. In short, we will not be going back to the way things were. We are living in the new normal.

Here are 5 things that gained traction since the pandemic:

Mental Health and Social Well-Being:
A recent survey revealed that younger workers placed a heavy emphasis on mental health and well-being and will not work for a company who does not take it seriously. That’s a stark difference from the previous generation. The pandemic and ensuing lockdowns added pressure on employees, and tested their wellbeing and private lives. The trend towards more purpose-driven jobs and companies was well underway before Covid, with millennials in particular known for prioritising purpose over pay cheques.

The Rise in Remote Work
COVID-19 forced employees and businesses to shift to working remotely using multiple platforms, such as Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, Google Hangouts and Skype. The transition to working from home can reduce infrastructure costs by leasing smaller workspaces, and coordinating a workforce across multiple time zones to maximize daily workflow. Moreover, the benefits of work-from-home can be attractive for some employees and may, include increased schedule flexibility and reduced strains with family. And, while this is a preferred option for some employees-others in healthcare, warehousing and logistics, retail and some other industries don’t have the luxury of working from home.

Labour Shortage:
Companies have been grappling with labour shortages for most of 2021. And while, some have argued, that the pandemic relief doled-out by governments were the real reason for labour shortages, the persistent labour shortage, tells a different story. After being laid-off or furloughed, many employees have decided they do not want to go back to the way things were. In fact, employees are seeking more flexibility, more happiness and rethinking what work means to them and how they are valued. Employers on the other-hand are trying to adapt by offering hiring (cash being one of them) incentives. But will this be enough and a little too late? Only time will tell.

Our Workplaces will Look Different:
With less people coming into the office regularly, companies will likely re-evaluate their real estate needs. Hiring perks like; beer Fridays, office gyms, dry cleaning pickups, ping pong tables and free snacks have likely lost some of their luster, since many people have been spending more time in their home offices and have fully embraced the concept. Also, when workers are not in the office to actually enjoy them, companies will be forced to re-evaluate these incentives and work culture.

Pandemic-Inspired Union Efforts
Labour turmoil has followed the course of the pandemic. Some grocery, warehousing, meat packers, gig and other low-paid workers deemed “essential” during the pandemic lacked access to employer benefits, like paid sick leave or compensation for working under hazardous conditions. And, this some say, has amplified the public support for unions even more. The pandemic has put a spotlight on workers’ rights issues and accelerated an organizing movement that’s been slowly building in recent years — and with the pandemic, it just reached a breaking point.

Bottomline:
So, what does this all mean going forward? No one really knows. In reality, it will likely mean more of the same: We to continue to mask up, get vaccinated, and stay isolated if sick and be adaptable. And, it will likely not be the normal we want, but it may be a normal we can contend with. We may go to the office a few days a week and/or we will work from home. Finally, we will stay home when we are sick.

Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, Skype, WebEx, Work-from-home, Zoom

What’s Causing Employees to Resign from Their Jobs in Droves?

The phrase “The Great Resignation was coined by Texas A&M University Professor Anthony C. Klotz coined back in 2020. Now this term is widely used to describe the challenges many businesses, both small and large face with the max exodus of employees. Some experts have anecdotally, opined employees chose to stay home and collect stimulus covid-19 panademic cheques. However, recent surveys, suggest the real reasons, is because many people have decided to make a major shift in their life and focus on what matters most to them during the pandemic. Some of these reasons for quitting their jobs include: family, children education, and work-life balance. In other words, most people decided to leave their old jobs and look for new jobs that align with their new identity and life goals.

In a recent blog Sophia Lee at Blue Board lays out some of the reasons why so many employees have decided to quit their jobs.

1. Employee burnout rates are through the roof.

Employee burnout is a long-term reaction to stress that usually comes with mental, emotional, and physical side effects. While 42% of employees were already experiencing burnout before the pandemic, that number skyrocketed to 72% a few months into lockdown—largely due to increased anxiety, heavier workloads, and people taking less time off.

But many employers still aren’t addressing employee burnout in their retention strategies. One in five workers believes their employer doesn’t care about their work-life balance. And they’ve had enough. They’re quitting in droves, looking for companies that care about their wellbeing. Others are staying put—but at a cost to organizations. The lost productivity of an actively disengaged employee is equal to 18% of their annual salary. This means a company of 10,000 employees with an average salary of $50,000 each will lose $60.3 million a year due to employee burnout.

2. Companies aren’t providing the flexibility employees need.

When COVID-19 sent so many people home, employees realized how powerful (and possible) it is to be able to decide where, how, and when they work. Which is why nine in ten employees continue to demand flexibility from their jobs.

Too many organizations have dismissed this shift, and expect people to quietly return to the office. But this will likely result in significant turnover, as 54% of employees are considering leaving their job in this new normal if they’re not afforded some form of flexibility in where and when they work.

3. Manager training continues to fall short.

Managers have the most influence on an employee’s job satisfaction, wellbeing, and likelihood to stay at a company. In fact, 57% of employees have left at least one company because of their boss. But being a manager isn’t intuitive. It requires an entirely different set of skills than being an individual contributor, which is why training programs are essential.

In these uncertain times, managers are playing an especially critical role in supporting their employees. Or, at least, they should be. But due to a lack of effective training, many managers aren’t giving employees what they need, causing them to burn out and look for new jobs.

Managers themselves are frustrated by the lack of support from their employers. They’ve been asked to take on significantly more responsibility without being given additional tools, resources, or guidance. The employee retention numbers reflect the frustration: as of December 2020, the resignation rate for managers was nearly 12% higher than the previous year.

About ATS

The Great Resignation, Well Being, Work-Life-Balance

Human Capital Management (HCM) Explained In 7 Steps

Human Capital Management (HCM) Explained In 7 Steps

According to webopedia.com “Human Capital Management (HCM) software is a digital repository of human resources applications pertaining to employees and applicants. HCM software brings all company paperwork and forms into a centralized platform, usually cloud-based, so that HR personnel can access employee data and manage job candidates. HCM software, like other HR platforms, typically includes employee management, talent acquisition, and limited employee self-service features”.

Essentially, Human Capital Management (HCM) is an all-encompassing application that helps organizations eradicate paper-based systems. Today’s modern HCM solutions, like ATSTimeWorkOnDemand encompasses; Time and Attendance, Machine Learning and Workforce Planning and, many of the above- mentioned modules of a human capital management solution.

Here are 7 benefits of a human capital management (HCM) solution by Mary Girsch-Bock in a recent article for CPA Practice Advisor:

“Time and attendance: To pay employees properly, you’ll need a system that employees will quickly adapt to that will track time worked properly.
Payroll: Of course payroll plays an important role in HCM. Paying employees correctly and on time is part of a good management strategy.
Talent management: If you have hundreds or thousands of employees to manage, it’s easy to overlook some of them. Using talent management resources can help to retain your good employees while also pinpointing those that may need some additional assistance.
Training: Training and talent management go together. To be successful, employees need to be properly trained. Human capital management makes it easy to manage all levels of employee training from initial orientation to management training.
Benefits: If you offer benefits to your employees, you need a way to manage them properly. HCM makes it simple to offer the benefits that your employees desire, and once offered, makes it simple to manage them properly.
Reporting: Is your business doing a good job managing its employees? The best way to find out is to have access to various reports and analytics that can point out successes as well as areas that may need more attention.
Compliance: Much of HR and payroll requires some level of compliance. Using an automated system where all employee-related tasks are centralized can help keep your firm or business compliant”.

To learn about ATS Human Capital Management (HCM) or to attend one of our bi-weekly webinars, go to our website. And, to reach an account executive by phone, call: 866.294.2467.

About ATS

HR, Human Capital Management (HCM), Machine Learning, Payroll, Workforce Planning

3 Wellness Tips To Help You Become A Better Leader

The particular stressors brought on by COVID-19 can exacerbate the chronic stress many employees are already experiencing. And, most company executives recognize that addressing workplace stress, the direct and indirect cause of many health problems- must be part of any strategy to improve employee health and reduce health care cost.

Study after study has revealed that employees sometimes take on the character traits of their leaders, be they positive or negative. In an article by Suzanne Lucas titled, How Wellness Enhances Your Emotional Intelligence: When you’re in a good place, you’re a better manager.

Here are some excerpts from this article which offers 3 tips for managers:

“You’re a better leader when you’re not tired

More than a third of American employees aren’t getting enough sleep. Tiredness can cause a whole host of problems, including long-term physical health problems. But it also makes us less capable of thinking about what others need.

Some of the symptoms of tiredness are

Slowed reflexes and responses
Impaired decision-making and judgment
Moodiness, such as irritability
Reduced ability to pay attention to the situation at hand
Low motivation

You can see how tiredness makes it difficult to control your emotions, navigate relationships with others, and be a good example to your employees. Cabanero says make sleep a priority if you want to be a good leader.

2. If you’re unhappy with yourself, you’re unhappy with others

Wellness includes focusing on what you need–often called self-care. This is not selfishness, but rather recognizing that you have needs. That may be through exercise, meditation, or eating a healthy diet. Giving yourself what you need to feel centered helps you be happy with yourself.

People who are happy and content with themselves will be more open to the needs of their employees, according to Cabanero. This makes perfect sense. If you’re frustrated with your own life, can you take the time to think about others’ needs?

People make mistakes all the time. Responding to them with patience and understanding is a sign of emotional intelligence. Taking mistakes personally is a huge problem and undermines your leadership.

3.Wellness programs only work when leaders set the example

As a health coach, Cabanero wants to see everyone healthy and on the right path, but companies have only limited influence on their employees. Having a leader demonstrate the need to take care of oneself can make a huge difference. HR expert Brenda Neckvatal, author of Best Practices in Human Resources: How to Claw Your Way From Want-to-Be to VP, agrees. “You can’t have a proper wellness program if the leadership doesn’t participate,” she says.

Having leadership actually demonstrate wellness in their own lives also demonstrates emotional intelligence. You can’t lead people if you’re unwilling to walk on the same path. That means focusing on your own health as well as theirs. If your goal in investing in a business wellness program is only to lower health insurance costs, your employees will see through it. If, on the other hand, you engage yourself, your employees will see the results as you become a better manager. That’s a winning wellness plan”.

Bottomline: Taking care of ourselves and each other—including our loved ones, friends, and coworkers—should be the first order of business right now. As leaders look to both near-term and long-term solutions to support their workforce during the COVID-19 outbreak, well-being should remain a focal point. leaders who are proactive, considerate, and flexible will be better positioned to weather this storm and to emerge post-pandemic with a resilient workforce.

Apex Time Solutions (ATS) is the global leader in delivering workforce management solutions in the cloud. Thousands of organizations that spans Canada, South America, US and Europe— including Fortune 500® — companies use ATS TimeWork OnDemand to control payroll costs, minimize compliance risk, and improve productivity.

To learn more, call 866.294.2467 or go to our website to download a demonstration or register for one of our webinars.

COVID-19. Wellness, Emotional Intelligence, Healthcare, Human Resources (HR)

Why are Some Employees Feeling Anxious About Returning to the Office?

Before COVID-19 the way we work have been defined by predictable patterns involving who is doing the work, where it occurs and when it happens. And, while technological advancements, have impacted some of these norms, the pandemic upended it altogether and, accelerated the arrival of new ways of working. Many employees who initially felt anxiety about working from home, have come to embrace it after 15 months of lockdown.

Today, as many employers start to unveil their post-pandemic plans for a return-to the office, they are getting pushback from some employees, who are keen to retain their work from home privileges. But is this indicative of a more widespread resistance among workers who do not want to revert to pre-pandemic patterns or is it something else? It is possible, that employees, after working remotely for so many months, feel they can be productive at home – and that the reasons their employers want them back in-office does not add up.

While there are several factors at play, as to why, some employees, are pushing back about returning to the office — below are 3 reasons for the possible hesitancy by some workers.

Lockdown fatigue is real- COVID-19 has been debilitating for all of us and we’re tired of lockdowns. The constant anxiety of living and working through a pandemic has left many of us feeling low in energy, and the thought of driving and working in an office alongside others-in and of itself, is exhausting.
Office work doesn’t allow for a healthy work-life-balance-Lockdown has been isolating and although we have craved the company of coworkers, we have also been able to separate work and leisure time. We have been able to exercise, read and spend time with our loved ones without feeling guilty because we were late getting home for dinner, after the commute from the office.
Going back to pre-pandemic work is the cause of our anxiety- In addition to wearing face masks, we would be following social distancing guidelines and staring at stickers telling us how to behave correctly and politely, while on the subway or standing in a crowded elevator. This is an added layer of anxiety to an already stressful time, that not everyone is looking forward to.

Bottomline: It’s still early to say what the post-pandemic work environment will look like, and not all employers are scheduling employees back to the office. In fact, some are doing it in stages, while others are delaying a return to the office for some staff. Many employers are still being lenient with policies as the virus lingers, vaccinations continue to roll out and childcare situations remain erratic.

You might like:

Are Companies Going to Embrace A Hybrid Workforce Post COVID-19?

5 Tips To Stay Fit And Retain Your Sanity While Working From Home

Are HR Leaders Ready For The Future Of Work?

Covid-19, Fatigue, Mental Health, Pandemic, Telecommuting, Well-Being, Working-from-home

It is Time to Digitize Your Spreadsheets

ATSTimeWorkOnDemand Suite Can Help Companies Accelerate Operational Goals

HR And Payroll Departments Have Finally Embraced Cloud HCM

Remote Work Is Becoming The Norm, But It Requires Trust

Why Do Some Companies Refuse To Hire Older Workers?

5 Things That Changed The Future Of Work During The Pandemic

What’s Causing Employees to Resign from Their Jobs in Droves?

Human Capital Management (HCM) Explained In 7 Steps

3 Wellness Tips To Help You Become A Better Leader

Why are Some Employees Feeling Anxious About Returning to the Office?

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