Many human services organizations are already well-aware of the challenges of managing a somewhat dispersed workforce. These challenges were amplified this year as more organizations became even further distributed. And, as many organizations found, having the right technology in place is essential for effectively managing an increasingly remote workforce.
But if your organization is only getting by with the strategies you have in place, it’s time to reconsider the tools you have in place. Whatever the future holds for your organization, we know that it will likely be different from the pre-pandemic workplace – and now is the time to set yourself up for long-term success by enabling your dispersed employees with the technology they need.
You might be thinking about video conferencing software, email providers, and similar communication tools, but a more important piece of the puzzle to get right is time and attendance. Not only are there important compliance implications for time and attendance – especially for human services organizations – but accurate timekeeping provides essential data for informing your resource allocation strategy.
Modern & Mobile Time and Attendance Tools
When everyone’s in the same place and working the same hours, time and attendance is easily handled with a simple timeclock. But timeclocks are quickly becoming a thing of the past, alongside record players, floppy disks, and dot matrix printers. Today, there are better solutions out there than expensive hardware that’s ill-equipped to handle the needs of human services organizations. If you have front-line workers, employees working at various sites, residential facilities, program locations, and other complexities, you already know that a timeclock is not sufficient. Layer onto that part-time employees, employees who split their time between different positions, and other complex scenarios, and finding time and attendance software that is as modern and mobile as your workforce is absolutely essential.
At ContinuumCloud, our unified HCM and Payroll software, e3, is intentionally designed to meet the needs of human services organizations, including those with dispersed and remote workforces. You can say goodbye to your ancient timeclock system with our cloud-based system that means the software is always available, no matter where your workers may be. And, our e3 mobile app makes it quick and easy for employees to track their time, access their employee file, and view the organizational chart at a glance.
Mobile Timesheets
With workers clocking in from various locations and working non-standard hours, mobile timesheets are a must-have to ensure accuracy. When we’re working on the go, we don’t always have a desktop or laptop that’s easily accessible. However, just about everyone has a phone on hand. Being able to clock in and out as well as submit timesheets through a phone app is important for accurate timekeeping. With a phone, employees can conveniently log their time in real time, rather than scrambling to find a computer – or worse, planning to log their time later on and creating a compliance issue in the process.
Geofencing and IP Addresses
With employees being able to log time right from their phone, it’s important to have parameters in place as well. This can be accomplished through geofencing and IP address restrictions that are set by the manager. A geofence is a geographical boundary around an approved worksite. When an employee clocks in using their phone, they must be within the boundary for the punch to be captured. Additionally, regardless of whether a geofence exists, the phone’s location at the time of the punch can be recorded with a map visual for all punches made via the phone app.
Similarly, for office workers, clocking in can be restricted by IP address. Having the flexibility to set the parameters that make the most sense for each employee enables them to easily clock in and out without wasting time, worrying about remembering their time later on, or distracting them from their important tasks at hand. For your leadership team, this also translates to accurate timekeeping and compliance with wage and hour regulations.
Automated Labor Allocations
Automating labor allocations is another important piece of the puzzle for human services organizations. When you have employees consistently working across departments, programs, or other organizational dimensions, timekeeping can quickly become a challenge again. However, consistent allocations can be automated, and less consistent ones can easily be managed by the employee as well. If an employee always splits their time 50/50 between two different programs, those allocations can be calculated automatically. For those working across departments, perhaps on an as-needed basis, they can easily transfer punches to accurately record their time. All of this data, captured in the timekeeping process, can then be automatically calculated and applied to payroll, ensuring each employee is paid accurately and on time – while providing you with the data you need to track program efficiency and strategically allocate resources to keep your organization running smoothly.
See Our Solution in Action
It’s one thing to talk about all of these e3 features, but it’s another thing to see it in action. If you’d like an inside look at the e3 mobile app, you can take an interactive tour here. Or, get in touch with a solutions consultant today.
