Since the Coronavirus pandemic began in early March, we are starting to adjust to the new norm of working. We are now talking about the impact it is having on businesses and their workforce. The conversation has shifted to COVID impact and COVID recovery. The world before COVID 19 is entirely different from our world now. A lot of operational payroll restrictions have emanated due to the Pandemic. As an effect, many businesses recognise that the structure and process of their Payroll and HR need enhancing.
Payroll has been put through the test during COVID 19
Over the last few months, there has been a lot of new learnings. We now can see that the mature IT system that utilizes slow, archaic, and inefficient HR and Payroll systems are insufficient and no longer suitable for the job.
Over the course of a few weeks, we saw entire workforces across multiple sectors now working remotely. For businesses, big and small, this has been incredibly challenging from an operational point of view and in terms of managing employees.
Work from Home:
Win v Lose
Very quickly, it became clear that businesses that had their Payroll/HR Systems “In cloud computing” were able to fast track and move seamlessly to working from home. Business cohesion happened overnight. However, businesses and companies with a lot of conventional payroll systems/hardware had impossible obstacles and delays to the effectiveness of their business cohesion and business plans.
Payroll Cohesion and Compliance Dangers Through the Pandemic
Many businesses were in huge trouble. They had left themselves open to risks by not being able to use and access HR/Payroll systems securely from employees’ homes. Basically, the result of not having their employees equipped with laptops or adequate internet access.
Further on from IT problems, systems, and ways of working directly connected to HR/Payroll and critical to management were uncovered as inadequate and inefficient, placing the entire payroll function in jeopardy.
COVID 19 has Highlighted a Strong Case for Businesses to Outsource Payroll
Businesses that remain with in-house payroll processes and systems have been seriously impacted in contrast to the business and companies that outsource their Payroll function.
Some businesses are not equipped to manage the Payroll remotely and found it particularly challenging to be compliant with their payment calendars. On the other hand, they were unqualified to respond in time to the continual regulatory changes the Government was issuing due to the Pandemic.
Big Gains to Outsourcing Payroll
Businesses that show adaptability, resilience, and flexibility are those that decided to outsource the payroll function. Aside from creating more time for business owners, managers, accounts, or HR teams from a tedious transactional task, but makes sure the payroll function runs smoothly, efficiently, and accurately, regardless. Reporting is fulfilled. Regulatory alterations implemented; the list is endless. To add, outsourcing payroll is a cloud-based solution and adaptable to change. If the business changes, so too do the payroll provider, re-scaling according to the business needs.
The Reason to Outsource Your Payroll
This Pandemic has seen so many businesses, companies, and retailers been tested to the extreme limits. Businesses were involved in ensuring that their workforce big and small (including multi-country) were working safely from their homes.
This involved a systematic approach to dealing with the transition of business processes, systems, and process changes, but also ensuring the mental health and social well-being of the workforce was at the forefront. Not all employees are acceptable to work from home, even under normal circumstances. Temporary solutions need to be put in place.
An essential element that continues to be so important to work from home model is keeping the incentive and performance of the workforce up at a time that is so unparalleled.
Working from Home – the Future has Arrived
This is a time of forced change, and a lesson learned to believe in our employees and trust them because only as a team working together can we get through this.
COVID 19 has shown us that PEOPLE can work extremely efficiently and diligently from home. The Guardian look at the problems as well as opportunities of working from home.
This Pandemic is extremely hard on a lot of employees. It causes stressful circumstances for parents working and juggling childcare, but employers are now seeing a loyal workforce continue to perform. What will come out of this will be business and companies seeking to return this loyalty by identifying and structuring new flexible working policies and reviewing systems so that employees can work from home, paving the way to a better work-life balance.
There are a few operational and capital cost-saving measures from a remote workforce. Something all businesses are going to have to include and manage in the Future.
A flexible workforce has been on the cards for some time now – something that was predicted to start in a few years’ time. But for many companies, organisations, and businesses, this flexible model of working will be happening a lot sooner and relatively straight forward.
As we move through COVID 19 and towards this new way of working, our new normal – HR and Payroll will be involved in the careful management of the Future of work that arrived sooner than we thought.
