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

July 29th, 2021 | Posted by ATS in Benefit Accruals | Contactless Time Clocks | Digital | Employee Productivity | Employee Self Service | Google | HR | Leave Management | Office | Productivity | SmartPhones | Talent Management | Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software | Time and Attendance Canada - (Comments Off on 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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

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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.

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3 Tips to Help Your Company Embrace a BYOD at Work

September 26th, 2018 | Posted by ATS in Employee Productivity | HR | SmartPhones | Time and Attendance Canada | Time and Attendance Toronto - (Comments Off on 3 Tips to Help Your Company Embrace a BYOD at Work)

Bring your own device (BYOD) concept, has been gaining in popularity for several years and some companies have implemented them with varying degrees of success within their organizations. If your company is considering implementing it, make sure you understand both the pros and cons that come along with it.

3 Tips to Help Your Company Embrace a BYOD at Work

Here are three tips from Jane Harper’s article titled Creating an Effective Cell Phones at Work Policy

“Employee cell phone policy must be consistent: Policies are more prone to collapse when a group of employees are living above them or observing a different version of it. You don’t want to bring in misunderstandings, resentment among team members or be accused of unfair treatment – enemies of productivity. Keeping the policy consistent regardless of sexual orientation, race, age, level, etc, is what makes it effective.

Specify the smart devices employees can use: Is there no need for some smart devices to be allowed? Your policy will be ineffective if it restricts only cell phones. That means employees can bring in personal tablets or similar smart devices to still create the problem you are trying to avoid by limiting cell phones. The policy should categorically state the personal technology permitted during the time of restriction.

Consider safety, security, and privacy: While creating an employee cell phone policy, there is a need to consider safety, security, and privacy. Presenting your policy as a means to only stop employees from work time theft or to only maintain productivity level is not totally ideal. Employees should understand the dangers of using devices while operating machinery or driving. It should be clear that downloading infected attachments on their personal devices could shut down the entire office if passed into to the office network”.

Bring your own device concept (BYOD) will not work for all companies. Because, while the costs will likely be borne by the employee, in such a situation, what happens when that employee leaves the company? It’s obvious that the company the will want the data, and if there is no policy that was drafted to deal with this, it could end up being a bad break-up between employer and employee.

Keep current with ATS:

To learn more, register for one of our weekly webinars, or download brochures or a pre-recorded demonstration. To speak to a representative, call; 866.294.2468.

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What Does 21st Century Workforce Management Solution Look Like?

July 11th, 2018 | Posted by ATS in Artificial Intelligence | ATS TimeWork OnDemand | Cloud Computing | Employee Scheduling | Payroll | SmartPhones | Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software | Time and Attendance Canada | Time and Attendance Toronto - (Comments Off on What Does 21st Century Workforce Management Solution Look Like?)

Today’s smartphones are probably far more superior and advanced, than desktop computers of 17 years ago. Technology, including cloud computing, has removed the barriers of time and distance, with lightning speed.

What Does 21st Century Workforce Management Solution Look Like?

Automation has also helped increase the accuracy in the workplace as roles that require physical and mental concentration have a lower likelihood of human error. This however, has not eradicated the need for human engagement to scrutinize the results of automated business processes. However, automating something like employee time and attendance will significantly reduce the amount of routine work so resources can be allocated to perform other important tasks within the organization.

ATS Workforce Management Solution encompasses all the trappings of a Human Capital Management suite with embedded analytics, easy-to-use management dashboards-that are designed to help companies reduce administrative tasks, and remain compliant.

So, what are the benefits? We’ll keep it simple. With ATS Workforce Management Solution, your company will have the ability to:

  • Improve insight into what’s driving your human capital costs and optimize employee scheduling.
  • Gain access to analytics and reporting to review and measure.
  • Streamline your processes and lower your total cost of ownership with a unified system.

To learn why so many companies choose ATS Workforce Management Solution, you can download a demonstration or register for one of our bi-monthly webcasts. And, to speak to a representative call; 866.294-2467.

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5 Tips For Selecting The Right Time And Attendance Partner

December 13th, 2016 | Posted by Apex Time Solutions in Payroll | SmartPhones | Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software | Time and Attendance Canada | Workforce Analytics | Workforce Management Software - (Comments Off on 5 Tips For Selecting The Right Time And Attendance Partner)

You’ve just about had it with that antiquated time and attendance solution that’s producing unreliable reports and driving everyone, from: the HR manager, CFO and CEO up the walls. So, what’s the solution? Move to something else. Using a software solution that’s not working for your company, can detrimental to its financial health. The selection of a new system also comes with its own set of challenge which will include: the Internet search, selecting an internal project lead, the demos… and the list goes on.

So how should you go about selecting a new time and attendance solution? Here are 5 tips:

1) Document your business requirements
Before scouring the Internet and evaluating prospective vendors, you should identify your requirements and underline potential “showstoppers”. It’s very easy to get enamored with fancy software features and lose sight of your requirements. For example, how easy is the product going to be for users? Can the solution interface to your current ERP, HR and Payroll software? Is the solution robust and flexible enough to grow with your business? Make a comprehensive list and divided them into categories to include; functionality, vendor experience, deployment timelines, age of product, yearly updates etc. And, don’t forget to choose a time and attendance solution, that has employee self-service capabilities. After all, who wants to manage employee vacation and other personal time off (PTO) requests with spreadsheets?

5 Tips For Selecting The Right Time And Attendance Partner

2) Adaptability to regulatory rules in your jurisdiction
Workforce compliance and regulations differs depending on the jurisdiction in which your company operates, and so, your time and attendance solution should readily adapt. If you are in manufacturing, healthcare or transportation industry, you may have compliance requirements that are specific to your industry. And, since your company has to adhere to those requirements, so should your time and attendance.

3) Embrace the world of analytics
Analytics and Big Data should be included in your list of requirements. Translation, your time and attendance system has to be in lockstep with the realities of the way in which today’s businesses operate and should-encompass, The Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and real-time analytic reporting. These types of capabilities have become critical business components that 21st century time and attendance solutions must possess.

4) Forget what the ‘Jones’ are using
It is very easy to assume that what your competitors are using will work for your organization because you want to keep up with them. Your focus should be on your company’s business requirements, instead of installing the same features as your competitors. How do you know they are happy with the flashy “bells and whistles” they paid for? When deciding to make a change, do it for the benefit of your organization.

5) Don’t rush the implementation and invest in training
When implemented properly and, if updates are maintained on a yearly basis the shelf life of a good time and attendance should exceed 7 years. So, why not take time to make sure it is implemented properly. Unrealistic expectations can leave everyone frustrated. For example, if your project is conservatively slated to be completed in seven weeks, add an additional 2-3 weeks to it. Some companies will overlook the importance of training in enabling the success of implementation. Training should be delivered in stages. At first, project leaders (HR, Payroll and Finance) should be trained during different stages of the implementation. It should follow a methodical approach which maps the company’s way of doing business, using your data. The second and third phase (if applicable) of training should be rolled out and populated to the rest of the users ahead of the system “going live.”

Finally, when it comes to comparing time and attendance options, make sure you are comparing apples to apples. If you only focus on the price and not the actual functionality, you will likely get what you pay for. Also keep in mind the cost of doing nothing can also be detrimental to your business operations as well.

In conclusion, growing companies like yours need a robust time and attendance solution that works, well. Your workforce management solution needs to be user-friendly, flexible, and powerful. As you grow, your business demands a wider range of capabilities—without adding unnecessary maintenance, deployment time, and cost.

ATS provides a variety of implementation and business process improvement services. Our business and consulting arm employs highly skilled and tenured employees, with unmatched experience in the world of workforce management that spans every vertical industry.

To learn more, go to our website, where you can download pre-recorded demonstrations or register for one of our monthly webinars.

 

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Why Is Smartphone Tap and Pay Struggling To Gain Steam?

December 4th, 2013 | Posted by Apex Time Solutions in Employee Time Tracking Software | SmartPhones | Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software | Time and Attendance Solution | Workforce Management Software - (Comments Off on Why Is Smartphone Tap and Pay Struggling To Gain Steam?)

Some technology pundits have rightly lamented that tap and pay with credit cards never gained widespread adoption, so why does the industry want to institute the same with the smart phones? There have been many articles written about the success of this venture in some jurisdictions. However, the missing element in all of this is a simple set of instructions that shows how this works. For example, would the general public be open to the technology if they knew answers to the following?

  • Exactly how does tap and pay work on a smartphone?
  • What are the advantages of using my phone to pay for items?
  • Does one have to download an app for this to work?
  • After the app is downloaded, what are the next steps in this process?
  • Is the app the same for all smart phones?
  • Do I need to contact my bank before or after I download the app?
  • Is this method faster than swiping with my credit card?

Now these might sound like mundane questions but they are the type of questions consumers will need answers to. This technology will be quickly adopted by the tech savvy minded consumers albeit, with some questions. The other side of that equation will be the types of consumers that have questions like: security, ease-of use and will be very slow to use the product unless, their concerns are addressed.

In an article titled  Tap-and-Pay Phone Tech Isn’t Worth the Hassle by Mark Hachman on CIO.com the author cites some of the challenges that the industry is facing with user adoption. Does this mean that smart phone tap and pay will never gain widespread adoption? No, it just means the industry has to do a much better job at using a simplistic approach to sell a service that has the appearance of being too complex.

As purveyors of technology in the time and attendance solution space, ATS understands that having state of the art software means nothing, if it’s not easy to use.

To learn more about ATS call us at 1.866.294.2467. You can also view our workforce management software on our website or join the conversation on LinkedIn or Twitter.

 

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Thinking About Deploying A Time and Attendance Solution? Decision Makers Should Be Involved

November 21st, 2013 | Posted by Apex Time Solutions in Employee Time and Attendance | SmartPhones | Tablet PC | Time and Attendance System | Workforce Management Software - (Comments Off on Thinking About Deploying A Time and Attendance Solution? Decision Makers Should Be Involved)

The goal of purchasing an employee time management solution should focus on a return on investment (ROI) and its tools in streamlining manual business processes. When these projects involve multiple sites and in excess of 25 managers who will require training, key decision makers should make every effort be front and centre of the process. Why? Because these large projects require the attention of stakeholders in the early stages to augment misunderstandings that may occur as the process unfolds. The reason for decision makers to be present during the early stages, is to address the strategic objectives of the company as it relates to a workforce management solution.

Here are three questions that should be addressed:

What are the business challenges?
Some companies miss this point and instead focus on the price of the solution. Of course price is important. However, by focusing on a variety of quotes from several vendors, while choosing to ignore how the product will meet your organizational requirements is a red flag for disaster. In short, one of the most important questions an organization should ask itself is, will the product  we are considering which has the best price match our requirements? If you cannot answer this question, then go back and make sure match your requirements against the functionality of the product.

Is the solution easy to use?
While there are some similarities in the way time and attendance systems, calculate employee time  they do not operate the same. Time and attendance systems will work better at certain companies depending how the organization plans to use the solution. If producing a simple report yields endless pages of paper, chances are departmental managers will get frustrated and won’t use the system. Before purchasing any employee time management solution, make sure you get a flavour of the application through a demonstration. The focus of the demonstration should highlight the vendors’ understanding of your company’s requirements and how said system, will improve your business process and is easy for all users to master.

Will the solution grow with your business?
If the solution you are about to purchase is not scalable it’s likely not the right solution for your company. For example, can the solution work on smartphones and tablet PCs and can it be accessed from anywhere and at anytime? When choosing your solution, find out if it will support changing platforms for the next 5-7 years and beyond, otherwise you are likely throwing money out the window.

Conclusion: your time and attendance system should be viewed as a long term investment and companies, should do all they can, to ensure that the solution matches their requirements.

To download a demonstration or to learn more, go to our website.

Thinking about deploying a time and attendance solution-Decisoin makers should be involved

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