A. Channel the power of – well – channels

Totally tabular

Tabs are like little magic windows in Microsoft Teams that give your team a dedicated space in a channel or chat. They’re like mini-rooms where you can access tools, data, and have conversations—all in one place. To add a Tab, click the ‘+’ at the top of your Teams workspace, choose from various options, and click ‘Save.’ You can now work with your tools and chat about them seamlessly.

Email embrace

At times, you might need to shift a crucial email conversation to Teams to involve the entire project team. It’s easy—just use the channel email address to send the email to a Teams channel. Once it’s there, everyone can join in by replying and kick off a discussion. It’s a game-changer for inclusive communication.

Tidiness is next to godliness

All your teams and channels aren’t equal. Some of them will become your go-to almost every time you open Teams. To keep things handy, just drag and drop your teams to arrange them in the order you like. Once you’re done, they stay in that order whenever you open Teams. And for added control, channels can be pinned to the top of the list.

Now, when it comes to your recent chats, we all know things can get a bit hectic, especially if your team uses them to talk to lots of people at once. To keep things organized, you have the option to name the group chat. This simple step makes it a breeze to locate in your chat list, ensuring you stay on top of your conversations.

Subscribe to my channel

Teams and channels aren’t all equally crucial. If you want to stay in the loop with specific projects or topics, set up a custom channel notification to ensure that new posts, new replies, @mentions, and relevant updates pop up in your activity feed or alert your device. Click on the ellipses next to the channel > more options > channel notifications to stay in the know, or turn off entirely to gain more focus!

The Rainbow Connection

Use Connectors to receive notifications from your favorite third-party apps directly in the channel of your choice. 

Give AttendanceBot a go to effortlessly keep everyone in the loop about team activities and notify channels about key upcoming events for members. AttendanceBot can help you precisely by giving you all the alert, announcement, and notification tools you need, right where you need them. When your team isn’t all in the office, alerts for upcoming OOO is a godsend, as are updates on who’s going to be wfo or wfh during the week.

B. Inbox Inventory

Save your work

It’s handy to have a way to save messages for later. Saved messages conveniently appear in your saved list, allowing easy access whenever you need to revisit them.

You can also bookmark a message or attachment to read later or quickly locate frequently used information. Simply click on the ellipsis (…) next to any post in a conversation, and choose ‘Save This Message’ to add it to your bookmarks. To access your bookmarks, click on your profile image and select ‘Saved.’ Your saved messages will be displayed on the left. If you want to remove a bookmark, just click on the saved icon.

Snooze away

Spot something but can’t deal with it now? No worries—mark it as unread to remind yourself to come back to it later. Simply click on the ellipses in the message, then in the pop-up window, hit “Mark as unread.” To check your unread messages, head to the activity feed or type “/unread” into the search box.

Focus In

Cut out the distractions and stay focused by setting your status to “Do not disturb.” This nifty move keeps pop-ups and other distractions at bay, letting you power through your work.

Filter Feeder

Your personal activity feed is your go-to for staying in the loop with the latest communications. Filtering by unread, @mentions, replies or five other options lets you distinguish your @mentions from the group messages. This way, you can hone in on the crucial conversations and avoid getting lost in the crowd.

C. Crystal Clear

Bring them into the conversation

When you’re working and there’s a need to inform someone or a specific group, @mentions come to the rescue. It’s a quick way to get their attention. Just type “@” and start typing the person or group’s name. Choose the right one from the drop-down, and they’ll be notified in Teams.

Raise the red flag

There are moments when you need to send a message that demands immediate attention. The kind of message that doesn’t stop alerting until it’s acknowledged. That’s where urgent messages come in. When you mark a message as urgent, the recipient gets notified every two minutes for 20 minutes. It’s a powerful (though a bit persistent) way to ensure a crucial message doesn’t go unnoticed. Just remember, use it wisely and sparingly for maximum impact.

A picture is worth a thousand words

Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Inject personality into your messages with emojis and GIFs. Beyond just adding a personal touch, reactions provide a quick and clutter-free way to respond to common situations within Teams. Whether it’s a thumbs up to show agreement, a checkmark for completion, or even an emoji prayer for expressing thanks, there’s a creative way to convey your thoughts.

Add some flavor

Avoid the dreaded accidental “Send” mishap when crafting your message masterpiece. Select “Format” in the compose box, this will expand the textbox into a rich text editor. Utilize the formatting buttons within to customize your text, add a subject line, edit reply permissions, and more. It’s the little things that make your messages stand out.

Found in translation

When you’re collaborating with a team that speaks different languages in Teams, no problem at all –you’ve got the translation feature at your fingertips. Easily translate messages, ensuring seamless communication even with diverse linguistic backgrounds. It’s the secret weapon for breaking down language barriers in teamwork.

Out of office and otherwise occupied

When you find yourself unable to respond during regular business hours, Teams has your back. Set your out-of-office status, and it will be displayed to your teammates. Not only that, but they’ll also receive a friendly reminder if they try to reach you through private chat or @mention, letting them know you’re currently out of the office. It’s a seamless way to keep everyone in the loop about your availability.

And here’s another power move for Teams users – take control of your status duration. No need to stick with the default 5 minutes before Teams switches you from Busy to Away. This way, you have the autonomy to decide how long your status lasts, ensuring it perfectly aligns with your work style. So, whether you’re temporarily away or fine-tuning your availability settings, Teams has the flexibility you need.

D. Explore Plugins

Standup.ly and Polly 

Gamify your team meetings and capture real-time feedback with Standup.ly and  Polly. These plugins add a layer of interactivity to your Teams experience, fostering engagement and participation.

HeyTaco & Karma

Nurture a positive team culture by acknowledging and rewarding each other with HeyTaco and Karma. These plugins introduce a fun and motivational element to your collaboration, boosting morale and team cohesion.

SwiftKanban & Perfony

Take your project management to the next level with SwiftKanban and Perfony integrations. These plugins seamlessly integrate with Teams, providing robust project tracking and management capabilities within your collaborative environment.

AttendanceBot

AttendanceBot is a popular Teams solution for time and time off tracking. Whether you’re interested in managing leave requests and approvals, improving calendar visibility, tracking timesheets or project work, or planning wfo and wfh for your hybrid office, AttendanceBot has a seamlessly option for Microsoft Teams.

The Wrap Up

Incorporating these expert tips into your Microsoft Teams usage will undoubtedly propel your organization into a new realm of collaboration and efficiency. It’s time to maximize the power of Teams and revolutionize the way your team works together. Happy collaborating!

The post 19 Expert Microsoft Teams Tips to Jumpstart Your Organization appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

A. Channel your inner organizer

Channels are a key Slack innovation, and the main way in which conversations are organized across people, departments, and projects. If you do nothing else, make sure you’re getting proper mileage from your channel!

1. Nail your naming

As your company expands and complexifies, so too will your channels multiply to cover past and present projects, initiatives, teams, and departments. To keep channels navigable and discoverable and they multiply, it’s crucial to create and maintain consistent channel naming conventions. This helps everyone adopt consistent sorting and saves weeks of guesswork when it comes to searching channels and channel content. 

The key is using clear prefixes to delineate types of channels and focus of content. Common prefixes include team-, dept-, proj-, sprint-, launch-, triage-, QA-, social-, announce-, and event-. Our own Slack includes real channels titled team-CS, proj-GPT, launch-testimonials, triage-bugs, social-2023-fun-stuff, and announce-upcoming-leave.

Before                                                                                            And After

2. Describe and define

Keep everyone on the same page and help jumpstart new hire onboarding by making sure every channel has a clear and detailed channel description. Beyond a mere label, these descriptions provide essential context, guidelines, and a sense of purpose, preventing confusion and miscommunication, especially in a crowded field of channels.

3. Make it Pin-teresting

Make sure team leaders regularly pin channel messages in channel details. By pinning crucial messages, you create a an easy-access reference to onboard new hires and new channels additions, while also keeping essential updates, guidance, and tactical or strategic discussions at top of mind for regular channel contributors.

4. Be programmer for a day

Work smarter in Slack by using the layman-friendly workflow builder to automate your daily tasks. Create a workflow for anything from channel form submissions, month end reminders, and weekly standups. The workflow builder doesn’t require any coding or engineering background to create or implement, and helps automate away little tasks like nudges and updates. While you can create direct workflows outside of channels, for example to send individuals recurring messages, workflows are most powerful in their channel context.

5. Light up keywords

Stay on top of critical info by using keyword notifications. Much like a google alert, keyword notifications allow you to surface and highlight important subject matters and message topics when they arise in channel discussion. To try these out, go to the preferences menu, then ‘My Keywords,’ and write in a list of words or phrases you want to be notified about when they come up in your channels (don’t forget to separate keywords or keyword pairs with a comma.)

B. Conquer your inbox

While there’s a million reasons Slack beats out email for internal communication, it doesn’t mean the inbox is extinct. Slay the dragon with these tips.

6. Dawn of the Unread

Instead of starting your day scrolling through missed messages channel by channel, try waking up to Unreads at the top of your left sidebar (you might need to adjust your sidebar preferences to “always show Unreads.”). Unreads allows you to browse (almost) all your missed messages without automatically “marking as read” so you can more easily browse, prioritize, and tackle one by one.

While it’s a great way to assess, focus, and build out your plan of attack, do keep in mind that messages in muted or archived channels won’t show up in Unreads, and neither will replies in Threads.

7. Save The Late

Every message or file can be saved for later to let Slack automatically sequence a to-do list. While “mark unread” is a classic and time tested way to make sure you revisit read messages, the 2.0 evolution for highly organized teams is the saved for later queue. By choosing to set a follow-up time or using the quick save for later tag, Slack automatically organizes items into three tabs in the ‘Later’ view:

1. In progress: here, you find your upcoming reminders and recently saved items. Organized by recency, this to-do list allows you to easily navigate to the original conversation, archive or complete a to-do, and create or edit the follow-up date and timing of follow-up reminder..
2. Archived: this serves as a less time-bound repository for messages you might need in the future. It’s a handy place for references or items without specific tasks.
3. Completed: when you’re done with a saved message or file, marking complete clears it from your to-do list and moves it to the completed queue. Everything saved for later and subsequently marked complete goes into this completed tab for historical reference.

As a final tip here, save for later is particularly helpful when browsing Threads to make sure that responses or to-dos that would normally be  marked as read are catalogued to revisit again later.

8. Talk to yourself

Direct messages aren’t just for team communication. Everyone has a DM with themself, which can be used in many ways but is particularly useful as a space to Slack yourself important information, which can then be pinned for quick access to notes, links, and reminders.

C. Clarify

“Those who know that they are profound strive for clarity. Those who would like to seem profound to the crowd strive for obscurity.” – Friedrich Nietzsche.

9. Rewrite the past

Mistakes happen, and if you’re like us they happen rather more frequently than you’d like. Responsible use of editing sent messages ensures that your communication remains clear and accurate. Whether new information has come to light, or you simply want to keep grammar at 100%, making use of message editing is a powerful way to promote clarity and precision across your team.

10. Link and (Hy)Rule

Context is key to effective communication. By linking back to relevant Slack messages, you provide a seamless trail of information and context, saving everyone time and reducing the risk of misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Why make every reader search for context when you can give them single-click reference!

11. REACT

Communication isn’t just about words, and emotive reactions often carry more meaning and preciseness than any description. Using reactions liberally, and even creating your own custom reactions is a great way to inject personality and fun across the digital divide. And more than just the personal touch, reactions allow for more rapid communication of common responses that avoids the clutter of low-value thread replies and allows for quick-skimming within channels. Common reaction norms include thumbs up for “agree”, check mark for “complete”, eyes for “looking into it”, pray for “thanks”, and email for “reached out”. Feel free to get creative, as long as everyone is on board.

12. Huddle up

Rediscover casual office discussions with huddle audio or video. Since you can initiate a huddle channel or DM, they’re a great tool for instant sync ups that helps avoid dreaded calendar tag, unnecessary message crafting, and delayed collaboration. With everything from video to screen sharing to dedicated notes threads, huddles give you the core of video conferencing on a more immediate and convenient scale, so you can keep the momentum of discussions when you most need it.

D. Upfront and aboveboard

With communication, you frontload where you can, try to surface the right info at the right time, and create transparency for everything that falls through the cracks.

13. Schedule it

Plan your communication strategy with precision. Schedule messages to be delivered at optimal times, ensuring that your team receives information when it’s most relevant and impactful.

14. Be a status symbol

Let your team know what you’re up to and when you’re out of office by setting your status in Slack. It’s the quickest way to communicate availability, and if you’re interested in automating or further broadcasting statuses, consider plug-ins like AttendanceBot that automatically sync Slack status with leave and OOO calendars.

E. Explore the ecosystem

15. Plug it in!

As with AttendanceBot above, Slack has a rich ecosystem of tools to supercharge your effectiveness.

• Polly & Simple Poll: make group decisions a breeze with poll plugins like Polly and Simple Poll. Gather quick feedback, streamline decision-making processes, and ensure everyone’s voice is heard.
• HeyTaco & Karma: nurture a positive team culture with plugins like HeyTaco and Karma. Celebrate wins, recognize achievements, and foster camaraderie by incorporating these engaging and fun tools into your Slack experience.
• Workstreams.ai: elevate your project management capabilities with Workstreams.ai. This plugin enhances collaboration, streamlines workflows, and helps keep your team synchronized and productive.
• AttendanceBot: AttendanceBot is a robust Slack solution for time and time off tracking. Whether you’re interested in managing leave requests and approvals through Slack, timesheet and project tracking through Slack, or wfo planning and hybrid scheduling, AttendanceBot is a Slack-native option for Slack-heavy teams.

Conclusion

By incorporating these expert-tested tips into your Slack culture, you stand a chance of truly reinventing your workflow and invigorating team effectiveness. Unlike most tools which are critical for some roles and ancillary to others, investing in Slack best practices pays dividends across teams, roles, and departments and builds upon the very core of your business: people. Give these tips a try and see what’s possible with better communication, coordination, and collaboration!

The post 15 Expert Slack Tips from Pros appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

This guide demystifies the legalities surrounding doctor’s notes for work, covering everything from what employers can ask for, to how employees can protect their privacy. Whether you’re an employee wanting to avoid disciplinary action or an employer trying to comply with the law, we’ve got the answers to your questions right here.

What is a doctor’s note for work?

A doctor’s note for work is a medical document that confirms an employee’s medical condition and provides a recommendation for time off work or workplace accommodations. In some cases, a doctor’s note may also provide information on necessary restrictions or limitations for the employee’s work duties.

Find out about paid sick leave laws by state here. 

When is a doctor’s note required?

Employers may require a doctor’s note for work when an employee takes time off due to medical reasons, especially when the absence is prolonged. Employers may also require a doctor’s note if an employee requests workplace accommodations due to a medical condition. However, it is essential to note that employers cannot require employees to disclose their medical conditions or diagnoses.

Is it legal for employers to require doctor’s notes?

In general, it is legal for employers to require doctor’s notes for work. Employers have the right to ensure that their employees are healthy enough to perform their job duties and to avoid potential liability for workplace accidents or injuries. However, employers must follow the laws regarding employee privacy and medical information, which includes limiting the information they can request from a doctor’s note.

What information can an employer request from a doctor’s note?

Employers can only request information from a doctor’s note that is necessary to confirm an employee’s medical condition and the need for time off or workplace accommodations. Employers cannot request specific diagnoses, details of medical treatment, or any other personal medical information that is not relevant to the employee’s ability to perform their job duties.

Content of a doctor’s note

A doctor’s note is a medical document that confirms an employee’s medical condition and provides a recommendation for time off work or workplace accommodations. The contents of a doctor’s note for applying for sick leave may vary depending on the specific circumstances of the employee’s medical condition and the requirements of the employer. However, some common elements that may be included in a doctor’s note for sick leave are:

1. Identification of the patient: The note should include the employee’s name, date of birth, and any other relevant personal information.
2. Date of visit: The note should include the date the employee visited the doctor’s office.
3. Description of symptoms: The note should include a description of the symptoms that the employee is experiencing that require time off from work.
4. Expected time off: The note should include the expected amount of time that the employee will need to take off from work to recover from their medical condition.
5. Work restrictions: The note should include any work restrictions that the employee may have, such as limitations on lifting heavy objects or standing for long periods of time.
6. Signature of the physician: The note should be signed by the physician who treated the employee, and their contact information should be included for verification purposes.

What are the employee’s rights regarding doctor’s notes?

Employees have the right to privacy regarding their medical information. This means that employers cannot require employees to disclose their medical conditions or diagnoses to their supervisors or coworkers. Additionally, employers cannot discriminate against employees based on their medical conditions.

HIPPA regulations in terms of doctor’s note

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), doctors are required to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of their patients’ medical information. This applies to doctor’s notes for sick leave as well. The following are some key privacy laws under HIPAA for doctor’s notes:

Patient consent

A doctor cannot disclose a patient’s medical information without their consent. This means that a doctor cannot provide an employer with a doctor’s note for sick leave without the patient’s explicit consent.

Minimum necessary

Doctors must limit the amount of medical information disclosed in a doctor’s note to the minimum necessary to fulfill the purpose of the request. In the case of a doctor’s note for sick leave, this means that the note should only contain information relevant to the employee’s medical condition and the duration of their absence from work.

Protected Health Information (PHI)

HIPAA regulations protect a patient’s Protected Health Information (PHI), which includes any information that could identify the patient. PHI includes the patient’s name, medical history, and any other information that could be used to identify the patient.

Security measures

HIPAA requires doctors to use appropriate physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to protect PHI. This includes ensuring that authorized individuals store doctor’s notes securely and access them only when necessary.

Breach notification

If there is a breach of PHI, such as unauthorized access or disclosure of a doctor’s note, HIPAA requires doctors to notify the affected patient and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Can employers retaliate against employees for taking medical leave?

No, employers cannot retaliate against employees for taking medical leave. Employees have the right to take time off for medical reasons without fear of losing their job or facing other forms of retaliation. Additionally, employers cannot deny employees promotions, pay raises, or other benefits because of their medical conditions or use of medical leave.

FMLA protection regarding doctor’s notes

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that provides job protection and unpaid leave to eligible employees who need time off for their own serious health condition, to care for a family member with a serious health condition, or for the birth or adoption of a child. The FMLA also sets specific requirements for medical certification from healthcare providers, including doctor’s notes. Here are some key points regarding FMLA protection and doctor’s notes:

Certification requirements

To qualify for FMLA leave, an employee must provide medical certification from a healthcare provider to their employer. The certification must contain specific information about the employee’s health condition, including the date the condition began, the expected duration of the condition, and whether the employee is unable to perform their job functions due to the condition.

Timely certification

An employer may require an employee to provide certification within 15 calendar days after the employer’s request, or in some cases, even sooner. If an employee fails to provide timely certification, their FMLA leave may be denied.

Second and third opinions

If an employer doubts the validity of the certification provided by the employee’s healthcare provider, they may require a second opinion from a healthcare provider of their choice. If the opinions of the employee’s healthcare provider and the employer’s healthcare provider differ, the employer may require a third opinion from a mutually agreed-upon healthcare provider.

Confidentiality

The FMLA mandates that employers keep an employee’s medical certification and related information confidential and not disclose it to others. The employer may only share the information on a need-to-know basis with those directly involved in the employee’s FMLA leave, such as supervisors, managers, and HR personnel.

Job protection

The FMLA provides job protection for eligible employees who take leave for a serious health condition. This means that the employer must provide the employee with their same or an equivalent position upon their return from leave.

Conclusion

In summary, doctor’s notes for work are a vital aspect of ensuring that employees receive necessary time off or workplace accommodations for medical reasons. Employers have the right to require doctor’s notes but must follow the laws regarding employee privacy and medical information. Employees have the right to privacy regarding their medical information and cannot face retaliation for taking medical leave. By understanding these laws and rights, employees and employers can navigate doctor’s notes for work and ensure that they protect everyone’s rights.

The post Doctor’s Notes for Work: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

In this blog, we’ll explore the basics of time and a half, including how it is calculated for both hourly and salaried employees, as well as the laws and regulations that govern overtime pay. We’ll also discuss some of the pros and cons of offering it. While also providing some tips for both employers and employees to make the most of overtime.

What is Time and a Half?

Time and a half is a compensation rate that is typically paid to employees for working over 40 hours in a week. It means that for each hour worked over a certain number of hours in a week, the employee is paid their regular hourly wage plus an additional 50 percent of that wage.

For example, if an employee makes $20 per hour and works time and a half at a time-and-a-half rate, they would earn $30 per hour for each hour worked over the designated threshold.

Time and a half ensures that employees are compensated for the additional time and effort. It also helps to incentivize employees to work overtime when needed. While also discouraging employers from overworking their employees excessively without adequate compensation.

Who is Eligible for Time and a Half?

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in the United States, non-exempt employees who work more than 40 hours in a workweek are entitled to receive time and a half pay. This means that if an employee’s regular hourly rate is $10 per hour, they would be entitled to receive $15 per hour for every hour worked over 40 hours in a workweek.

However, it’s important to note that not all employees are entitled to time and a half pay. Exempt employees, such as executive, administrative, and professional employees, are generally not entitled to overtime under the FLSA. Additionally, some industries and professions may be exempt from time and a half pay requirements under certain circumstances.

It’s also important to note that some states may have their own time and a half laws that provide greater protections to employees than federal law. In these cases, employers must comply with the law that provides the greater benefit to the employee.

When is Time and a Half Paid?

Time and a half is typically paid to employees who work any time over the designated threshold. In the United States, the designated threshold is typically 40 hours per week.

What is the Monetary Impact of Time and a Half?

• For Employees: Time and a half allows employees to earn additional pay for working overtime, which can significantly increase their overall earnings. It also incentivizes employees to work time and a half when needed. While discouraging employers from overworking their employees excessively without adequate compensation.
• For Employers: Time and a half can increase an employer’s labor costs, as they must pay employees at a higher rate for overtime work. However, it can also help to increase productivity and avoid the costs associated with hiring additional employees.

How can Employers Ensure Compliance with Time and a Half Regulations?

Employers must comply with all laws regarding time and a half pay to avoid legal issues or penalties. This includes:

• Properly classifying employees as exempt or non-exempt
• Accurately tracking employee hours worked
• Paying employees at the appropriate rate for time and a half hours worked.

Overall, overtime pay is an important aspect of employee compensation and helps to ensure that employees are fairly compensated for the additional time.

How to Calculate Time and a Half? 

For Salaried Employees

Calculating time and a half for salaried employees can be a bit more complex than for hourly employees. Salaried employees are typically paid a fixed amount regardless of the number of hours worked. Here are the general steps to calculate time and a half for salaried employees:

• Determine the employee’s regular rate of pay: To calculate the regular rate of pay for a salaried employee, divide their annual salary by the number of workweeks in a year. For example, if an employee’s annual salary is $50,000 and they work 52 weeks a year, their regular rate of pay is $961.54 per week.
• Calculate the hourly equivalent of the regular rate of pay: To calculate the hourly equivalent of the regular rate of pay, divide the weekly salary by the number of hours the employee is expected to work in a week. For example, if the employee is expected to work 40 hours per week, their hourly equivalent would be $24.04 per hour.
• Determine the time and a half rate: To calculate the time and a half rate for salaried employees, multiply the hourly equivalent of the regular rate of pay by 1.5. For example, if the hourly equivalent is $24.04 per hour, the time and a half rate would be $36.06 per hour.
• Calculate the time and a half pay: To calculate the overtime for a salaried employee, multiply the additional hours worked by the time and a half rate. For example, if an employee works 50 hours in a week, 10 of which are time and a half hours, their time and a half pay would be 10 x $36.06 = $360.60.

It’s important to note that this is a general method for calculating overtime pay for salaried employees. It may vary depending on the specific circumstances of the employee and their industry. Additionally, as mentioned earlier, some salaried employees may be exempt from time and a half pay requirements.

For Hourly Employees

Calculating time and a half for hourly employees is fairly straightforward. Here are the general steps to calculate time and a half for hourly employees:

• Determine the employee’s regular rate of pay: This is the hourly rate at which the employee is normally paid for their work.
• Determine the time and a half rate: To calculate the time and a half rate, multiply the employee’s regular rate of pay by 1.5. For example, if the employee’s regular rate of pay is $15 per hour, their time and a half rate would be $15 x 1.5 = $22.50 per hour.
• Calculate the time and a half pay: To calculate the time and a half pay for an hourly employee, multiply the number of time and a half hours worked by the time and a half rate. For example, if an employee works 45 hours in a week, 5 of which are time and a half hours, their time and a half pay would be 5 x $22.50 = $112.50.

Conclusion

In conclusion, time and a half is an important aspect of employment law. Whether you are an employee seeking to maximize your earning potential, or an employer looking to stay compliant with overtime laws and regulations, understanding overtime is essential.

Remember, it’s important for employers to ensure that they are properly calculating and paying time and a half to their eligible employees. Failure to do so can result in costly penalties and legal action. Likewise, employees should be aware of their rights when it comes to overtime pay and should not be afraid to speak up if they believe they are being underpaid.

The post What Is Time And A Half and Why does it Matter? appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

The best way to get everyone on the same page is by taking company discussions offsite to focus on what matters most—business. An executive retreat can help achieve this goal by giving the company a fresh perspective and providing opportunities for team building, leadership development, and strategic planning.

This article covers ways to plan an effective executive retreat so that employees return to work energized and ready to take on new challenges.

What is an Executive Retreat?

A business executive retreat is an excellent way for co-workers and team leaders to discuss ideas. A retreat can be a simple visit out of town for a day or two, or a week-long event at a conference center or resort.

These gatherings offer an opportunity for a team to bond over shared experiences, enjoy time off from their routine, and recharge batteries before returning to work. The retreat should be a relaxing and productive experience, allowing people to escape their day-to-day responsibilities. Company retreats are often held at hotels or resorts. However, they can also be organized at a cabin in the woods if the budget allows.

How Does an Executive Retreat Work?

The idea of a company retreat is not new. But, it has become more popular as companies try to increase productivity and innovation.

A typical agenda of a retreat includes:

• Planning for the future: Setting goals for the next year or quarter, identifying key priorities and strategies.

• Marketing strategy: Review marketing plans and budgets, working on product launches or other marketing initiatives.

• Customer retention: Identifying ways to retain customers and improve customer service.

• Team building: Identifying ways to better collaborate with colleagues.

What is the Importance of an Executive Retreat?

Executive retreats can help companies build a culture where people feel they’re part of something bigger than themselves. A strong culture attracts top talent and improves employee engagement and productivity.

Executive retreats are an essential part of the leadership development process. They allow the leaders to reflect, plan, and strategies with their team in a remote setting. Employees at executive retreats can discuss the future of their business and brand.

The benefits of executive retreats include:

• Training in leadership and communication skills

• Reviewing financial performance and plans

• Celebrating success in completing objectives set in previous retreats

• Allowing face-to-face discussions about important issues instead of communicating via email or phone calls

Tips for Planning the Perfect Executive Retreat

Involve the management

If possible, ensure every member of the management is involved in planning the executive retreat. This will keep everyone on board with the agenda and prepared for the event. If one or more members can’t participate, make sure they bring someone along who will be able to take their place during discussions or other activities. If you have a small team, try to include everyone in the retreat. Two or three members of every department can be included for larger teams. Ensure at least one member of their executive team is present for all key planning sessions so the group can stay focused on the company’s priorities.

Choose a theme and ideas

When planning any meeting, starting with a theme or idea is always useful. The theme will help the team focus their thoughts and ideas, and inspire them to create interesting activities and exercises. If one is unsure about the theme, consider asking the participants for suggestions. A theme can help streamline efforts on a goal, like improving collaboration between departments or increasing productivity. They can create a list of ideas that go along with their theme and include them in the invitation to attendees. One may also want to ask people to bring their ideas so they feel more invested.

Select the location

After deciding on a theme, choose the company offsite that matches it. For example, if the theme is Work-life Balance, perhaps one could choose a nature reserve where participants can hike during breaks. If the theme is Creativity, maybe an art gallery can be the venue where participants can imbibe artworks by local artists. If the theme is Communication, a radio station can be good for participants to learn about broadcast journalism. Choose a company offsite that offers plenty of activities to engage participants throughout the day. This can include conference rooms with whiteboards and projectors where groups can collaborate on projects, breakout sessions led by facilitators with exciting topics, and team-building activities such as hiking.

Plan network activities

Plan your activities around a theme. For example, if the theme is Teamwork, have each employee create their team name based on individual strengths and weaknesses. A great way to build relationships between employees is by allowing them time to bond. We recommend choosing activities designed for smaller groups, such as cooking or sports tournaments where people get opportunities to interact.

Prepare group games and icebreakers

One of the best ways to encourage teamwork and communication is to have fun together. Group games and icebreakers can help people get over their shyness or nervousness and start forming connections with each other. The games need not be too elaborate—simple activities like playing charades or guessing games can do the trick. It’s essential for employees to feel comfortable with one another so they can open up about their feelings and concerns about the organization. One way to do this is by playing games together. Games like charades or trivia bring together people from different departments who might not otherwise interact with one another regularly.

Create an informal schedule

Start by asking everyone what they want to get out of the retreat. Maybe some want to learn about a new project or brainstorm ideas around current challenges, or perhaps they want to relax and enjoy themselves. Create a schedule that includes work and play. This will ensure everyone comes away from the trip with something valuable. It can be tempting to plan all the events and activities. However, this can be counterproductive for a company retreat because it removes the flexibility the team needs to adapt as required during the event. Instead, lay out a general plan for what will happen during the day—breakfast, lunch, dinner—but leave plenty of time for unplanned activities like walks through nature or spontaneous discussions about common topics.

Keep logistics in mind

The venue is just one aspect of planning an executive retreat; there are many other details to consider. Is the space available for everyone? Will food and drinks be provided? Will anyone need accommodation? If so, what lodging do they require, and where should they stay? One thing that can make an executive retreat successful is ensuring everyone who needs to be there shows up at the right place at the right time (there’s nothing worse than having someone miss out on an activity because they got lost looking for the location).

Create an agenda

An agenda will help everyone be on the same page. Every session must have a common goal for participants to learn how to fit into the larger picture and how their work contributes to their organization’s ideology. Have a facilitator at the meeting who will keep everyone on track with the agenda. If the team has several managers or executives, consider having one person as a facilitator for each group rather than having one person take on this role alone. This will give each group leader time to focus on their own group’s needs instead of worrying about keeping everyone engaged in their discussions.

Keep the environment in mind

Consider the environment at the venue and how it will impact the retreat. If the plan is to travel or stay at a hotel, check the amenities before deciding where to hold the event. Do some research on local attractions, such as museums or restaurants, that could be fun for employees during downtime or after hours. Depending on where the company is located, some unique factors can affect the retreat planning process. For example, if the company is in a place with extreme weather conditions, one must ensure that attendees can stay warm and cozy while working all day long. If they’re outdoors, they should have access to hats or water bottles.

Provide childcare options

If the team is offering childcare at the retreat, they should ensure they have everything in place before they invite people. One must also consider how much time people need to spend with their children—some may not be able to take off as many days as others, so ensure everyone has a fair chance at attending.

There are several options available when it comes to providing childcare at the event:

• Daycare facilities on-site: This is the most expensive option but offers the best care and supervision. The management can find daycare facilities near the event if there are any nearby, or rent one for the duration of the retreat.
• Nannies: This is a more affordable option than daycare facilities but still offers good supervision and care. Nannies usually come with their transportation to pick up children from home, bring them to the event location, supervise them throughout the day and take them home again when it’s over.

Popular Places to Host Executive Retreats

Executive retreats can be planned any time during the year, and many places offer spaces for organizations to bring their team together under one roof. Whether it’s a one-day or a two-day event, there are many options available when planning executive retreats.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Co-working spaces – Co-working spaces are becoming increasingly popular among small businesses looking for affordable office space on a monthly basis. These spaces can provide everything you need for your executive retreat, including desks, printers, internet access, and meeting rooms.

2. Restaurants – Hosting at a restaurant offers several benefits for executive retreats, including privacy in private rooms, free Wi-Fi, and catering services that include breakfast buffets and lunches/dinners that can be customized based on your budget or dietary restrictions (vegetarian/vegan).

3. A beach house or condo rental – If your group wants sunshine, consider renting a condo in Florida or California. During the winter months when the rates are low and the weather is pleasant. Condo rentals often include private pools and hot tubs, perfect for relaxing after a long day of brainstorming.

4. Exclusive resorts – If you want something more luxurious than a hotel room, consider booking an exclusive resort for your team. Resorts typically have several different accommodations (including cabins and villas), private pools and gyms, golf courses, and spas on site. These locations are perfect for corporate retreats because they provide plenty of space for activities like hiking or swimming. While still offering amenities like restaurants and bars where people can go at night if they don’t want to take part in group activities all day long every day during their trip.

Wrapping Up

Executive retreats are essential for business leaders. They allow time away from work with colleagues and peers to discuss, share and create ideas that can be implemented back at the office. They also allow networking with executives from different companies and industries and building relationships with them.

Executive retreats allow business leaders to reflect on their goals and the future direction of their company or organization. This can be done through brainstorming sessions and workshops. In addition, they may also help the leaders identify areas where they need additional training or support to achieve their goals.

Finally, executive retreats allow the team to take a step back from their daily routine.

The post A Comprehensive Guide to Executive Retreats appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

In this blog, we’ll discuss what offboarding is and provide tips for developing an effective offboarding process. Whether you’re an HR professional, manager, or business owner, this blog will provide valuable insights into how to handle the offboarding process professionally and efficiently.

What is Offboarding? 

Offboarding is the process of managing an employee’s departure from a company. It encompasses taking necessary steps and procedures to ensure that the departing employee leaves the company in a professional and respectful manner. Offboarding typically involves tasks such as returning company property, completing any outstanding work, providing feedback, and revoking the employee’s access to company systems.

The goal of offboarding is to ensure a smooth transition for both the employee and the company and to protect the company’s interests. It also provides an opportunity for the organization to gather feedback from departing employees to identify areas for improvement.

To learn more about the offboarding process read our Comprehensive Guide to Employee Offboarding. 

7 Tips for an Effective Offboarding

Start Planning Early

It’s essential to communicate effectively with the departing employee and their team. Starting the offboarding process early allows ample time for communication to take place. This includes notifying the team of the employee’s departure, arranging farewell gatherings, and ensuring that any questions or concerns are addressed.

More importantly, an employee’s last day is normally reserved for farewell parties, tearful goodbyes, and gifts. This is why the offboarding process should start well before the employee’s last day. 

Starting the offboarding process early allows HR and managers to plan effectively for the employee’s departure. They can make sure that everything is in place to ensure a smooth transition and that all necessary paperwork, such as exit interviews and final pay, is completed on time. 

Overall, starting the offboarding process early allows for a more organized, efficient, and positive departure for both the employee and the organization. It ensures that all necessary steps are taken to protect the company’s interests and maintain good relationships with departing employees.

Communicate Clearly

Make sure that you communicate clearly with the exiting employee about what is expected of them during the offboarding process. This includes returning any company property, completing the necessary paperwork, and informing their team about their departure. If they have a client-facing role, they also need to create a plan of action for notifying their clients and managing handoffs. 

Human Resources needs to make sure that the exiting employee feels comfortable and confident while also protecting the interests of the company. 

Conduct an Exit Interview

Most employees eventually quit. Some may do so because of personal issues, things at work, or because they have found more growth opportunities. But finding out if there was a way to prevent attrition is one of the key aspects for HR professionals. In order to do that, an exit management process that includes an exit interview is crucial. 

An exit interview is a great way to gather feedback from departing employees. This can help you identify areas for improvement and make changes to ensure that future employees have a better experience. 

Exit interviews are an essential tool for organizations to gather feedback from departing employees, identify areas for improvement, and take steps to retain valuable employees. By conducting exit interviews effectively, the organization can maintain positive relationships with departing employees and protect its interests.

Take exit interviews with a pinch of salt. Not all employees may be entirely truthful. This may be due to bad experiences with management or just an overall assumption that nothing will ever change. But wherever possible, HR professionals should create actionable takeaways from exit interviews and implement them. 

Have a Plan in Place for Knowledge Transfer (Tribal or Otherwise) 

We live in fast-paced times. The employees do not have to stay at a place for decades to build up a knowledge base. Even an employee who has worked at the organization for a couple of years creates a unique bank of critical information that is important for the growth of the business.

It is important to get a hold of this knowledge before the employee moves on from the organization. The employee’s expertise can encompass the relationships they fostered within and outside the organization, the training provided to their replacement, and the roadmaps of the projects they leave behind.

Make sure that there is a plan in place for transferring the exiting employee’s knowledge to other team members. This will help ensure that critical information is not lost when the employee leaves.

Protect your Organization

Make sure that you have a plan in place to protect your organization’s interests. This may include revoking access to company systems, retrieving any company property, and ensuring that the exiting employee does not take any confidential information with them.

Remind the exiting employee of any confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements they signed during their employment and emphasize that they are still obligated to abide by these agreements even after they leave.

The company should update its internal documentation, such as contact lists, org charts, and workflows, to reflect the departing employee’s departure. This ensures that other employees have up-to-date information about who to contact and what to do in the employee’s absence.

Offer Support and Stress-Free Exit

Leaving a job can be a stressful time for employees. Some employees being offboarded will not leave by their own choice. For this who don’t have a choice, make sure that the business offers support. This can include assistance with job searches and resume writing. 

For those who have consciously made the decision to leave, be sure to provide an easy exit where they have a positive impression of the company. Be sure that the doors of the company are always open and they can always come back as boomerang employees. 

When a former employee rejoins the company, it is clear that they enjoyed working at this one better than the competition. In that case, current employees may be more likely to question their own reasons for looking to shift which can actually improve employee retention.

Celebrate their Contributions

Take the time to celebrate the exiting employee’s contributions to the organization. This can help ensure that they leave on a positive note and encourage them to speak positively about the organization in the future. Some ways to celebrate their contributions are: 

• Host a farewell party: The company can host a farewell party to celebrate the employee’s achievements and contributions. The party can include speeches, presentations, and gifts to show appreciation. 
• Write a letter of appreciation: The company can write a letter of appreciation for the employee, highlighting their achievements and contributions to the organization. 
• Share achievements on social media: The company can share the employee’s achievements on social media, such as LinkedIn. This can also help the employee build their personal brand while also showcasing the company culture. 
• Provide a positive reference: The company can designate a team member to act as a reference for the exiting employee. Providing a positive reference to the employee can be helpful in their future job search. 

Conclusion

It is important for companies to have an effective offboarding process in place; to ensure a smooth transition for the employee and to protect the company’s interests. 

In this blog, we have discussed seven tips for an effective offboarding process. Companies can ensure that the offboarding process is efficient, professional, and respectful to both the employee and the organization. 

What if you could use a tool to streamline offboarding?

AttendanceBot can manage the offboarding process of employees from a company. It can automate and streamline routine tasks such as checklist creation, updating the org chart, exit interviews and company-wide notifications.

The post 7 Tips for an Effective Offboarding appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

In this blog, we will explore the concept of asynchronous working in more detail, including its benefits and challenges, best practices for effective asynchronous collaboration, and tools and techniques for managing remote teams. Whether you are a team leader, a remote worker, or just curious about new ways of working, this blog will provide valuable insights and practical tips for making asynchronous working work for you.

What is Asynchronous Working? 

Asynchronous working, also known as asynchronous collaboration, is a way of working in which team members work on the same project or task at different times, without being required to be online or working simultaneously.

In asynchronous working, team members have the freedom to work on their own schedules and pace, and to communicate with each other using different tools, such as email, instant messaging, or project management software. The focus is on results rather than on the hours worked, and on the flexibility and autonomy of team members.

Asynchronous working can be particularly useful for remote teams, distributed teams, or teams with different time zones. It can help team members avoid burnout, improve work-life balance, and increase productivity by allowing them to focus on their tasks without interruptions or distractions.

What is the Difference Between Working Asynchronously and Synchronously?

The key difference between asynchronous and synchronous work is the way team members collaborate and communicate with each other.

In asynchronous work, team members work on the same project or task at different times, without being required to be online or working simultaneously. They communicate through different channels, such as email, messaging apps, or shared documents, and are not expected to provide immediate feedback or responses. Asynchronous work allows team members to work on their own schedules and at their own pace, providing more flexibility and autonomy.

In synchronous work, team members work together in real time, sharing the same time and space. They communicate through different channels, such as video calls, instant messaging, or phone calls, and are expected to provide immediate feedback and responses. Synchronous work requires team members to coordinate their schedules and work together in real time, providing more opportunities for collaboration and interaction.

Both asynchronous and synchronous work have their advantages and disadvantages, depending on the nature of the project, the team’s preferences and work style, and the available tools and resources. 

Why Work Asynchronously? 

Flexibility

Asynchronous working allows team members to work on their own schedules and pace, providing more flexibility and work-life balance. This can reduce stress, improve mental health, and increase job satisfaction.

Productivity

Asynchronous working can increase productivity by reducing interruptions and distractions, allowing team members to focus on their tasks without interruptions.

Collaboration

Asynchronous working can promote collaboration by allowing team members to share ideas and feedback at their own pace, without being constrained by time zones or schedules.

Accessibility

Asynchronous working can make work more accessible to people with different needs and abilities, such as those with disabilities, caregivers, or people living in remote areas.

Cost Savings

Asynchronous working can reduce costs associated with office space, commuting, and other expenses related to traditional office-based work.

Environmental Impact

Asynchronous working can reduce the carbon footprint associated with commuting and office-based work, contributing to environmental sustainability.

When is Working Asynchronously Ideal? 

Remote Teams

When team members are located in different time zones or work from different locations, asynchronous working can help team members collaborate more effectively.

Flexible Work Arrangements

Asynchronous working can help employees who work flexible hours or have different schedules. This allows them to complete their work without being tied to specific hours or a physical location.

Complex Projects

For complex projects that require input from multiple team members, asynchronous working can be useful. This allows team members to work at their own pace and contribute to the project when it’s convenient for them.

Collaborative Projects

Asynchronous working can be useful for collaborative projects that require input from multiple team members. This allows each team member to work on their part of the project and communicate their progress to the team.

Creative Work

For creative work, asynchronous working can be useful as it allows team members to work when they are most productive. This can lead to better quality work and more innovative ideas.

In general, asynchronous working can be useful in any situation where team members need to collaborate on a project but cannot work at the same time or in the same physical location. It can provide more flexibility and work-life balance, while also promoting productivity and collaboration.

Tips to Foster a Culture of Working Asynchronously

• Define clear communication channels: Asynchronous working requires a structured and organized communication plan. Define clear communication channels and tools that the team will use to communicate with each other. This can be email, messaging platforms like Slack, or project management tools like Trello.
• Set expectations: Clearly define expectations for response times, availability, and deadlines. Make sure that everyone is aware of their roles and responsibilities, and establish guidelines for how team members can get in touch with each other in case of emergencies.
• Prioritize documentation: Since team members are not working in the same physical location, it’s important to document everything. This includes project plans, progress reports, and meeting minutes. By documenting everything, team members can stay informed and up-to-date, even if they are not working at the same time.
• Respect time zones: When working asynchronously, it’s important to respect time zones. Make sure that deadlines and meetings are scheduled at a time that is convenient for all team members. Be aware of time differences and plan accordingly.
• Use collaborative tools: Collaborative tools can help team members work more efficiently and effectively. For example, project management tools like Trello can be used to organize tasks and track progress, while video conferencing tools like Zoom can be used to hold virtual meetings.
• Provide feedback: It’s important to provide feedback on a regular basis. This helps team members stay on track and improve their work. Make sure that feedback is specific, actionable, and respectful.
• Foster a positive team culture: Working asynchronously can be isolating, so it’s important to foster a positive team culture. Encourage team members to share their experiences and provide support to each other.

Frequently Asked Questions on Working Asynchronously

What is Asynchronous Communication?

Asynchronous communication refers to a method of communication where there is a time delay between sending and receiving messages. This can include email, messaging platforms, project management tools, and other forms of digital communication.

What are the Benefits of Asynchronous Communication?

Asynchronous communication allows team members to work at their own pace, without being tied to specific hours or a physical location. It also promotes transparency and accountability. As team members are required to clearly communicate their progress and findings to their colleagues. Additionally, it can improve work-life balance and reduce stress.

Can Asynchronous Communication replace Synchronous Communication?

Asynchronous communication is not meant to replace synchronous communication entirely. Instead, it should be used in conjunction with synchronous communication to provide greater flexibility and work-life balance. Synchronous communication is still important for real-time collaboration and building relationships with team members.

What are the Challenges of Asynchronous Communication?

The main challenge of asynchronous communication is the potential for miscommunication or misunderstandings. This can be mitigated by establishing clear communication channels and guidelines, providing regular feedback, and prioritizing documentation.

How to Collaborate while Working Asynchronously? 

To ensure effective collaboration with asynchronous working, it’s important to establish clear communication channels and guidelines, prioritize documentation, provide regular feedback, and foster a positive team culture. Collaborative tools can also be useful for tracking progress and ensuring that everyone is on the same page.

Conclusion to Working Asynchronously 

As remote work and distributed teams continue to grow, asynchronous working is becoming increasingly relevant and important for modern organizations. By embracing this way of working, companies can improve their competitiveness, attract and retain top talent, and foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and flexibility.

The post The Comprehensive Guide to Working Asynchronously appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

In this blog, we’ll introduce you to 11 Slack games that you can use to engage your remote employees.

The Emoji Screening

The Emoji Screening is a simple game that challenges players to decode a TV show/movie described only in emojis. To play this game, simply create a #channel called “The Emoji Screening” where the quiz master drops the emoji puzzle and the first team/person to get the answer right wins. 

The quizmaster can use the Slack app Emojify to create the puzzles. 

An interesting example is:   = Pixar’s Up

Go forth and get those emojis decoded! 

Gif on Gif on Gif 

I don’t know about you but I know that there is an Office GIF to match any situation in my life. 

This game is sure to engage all the talented GIF-ers in your team. It’s quite similar to the engaging Cards Against Humanity. 

To play: 

• Simply install the Giphy app in Slack
• Create a designated channel for the game
• The quizmaster will post prompts 
• Participants have to respond to the thread with relevant GIFs 
• Once everyone has thrown their hat in the right, everyone votes on which GIF is the funniest 
• After all the votes are cast, the GIF with the most votes wins
• Some interesting prompts can be: 
  • Mondays got me like ______ 
  • ________ really gets me going 
  • The year is 2050. The President is _______
  • My lunch plan is ______
  • What never fails to liven up a boring workday? 

Guess Who? 

The traditional way is to stick a card to your head and ask questions to your partner to guess who the person is. In this Slack variation, we take it a step further and make it a bit harder. 

• Create a designated Slack channel for the game
• The quizmaster changes with each question and the person starting the game uses the Word Generator. Set the game to “Individuals” and choose any Category. Generate a New Word for Guess Who. 
• If you aren’t sure about who the person is, pull up the Wikipedia page and get ready. 
• Every participant is allowed to ask 2 questions, the person who first guesses the person you picked wins.
• If you are just too lazy to go down the Word Generator route, just pick any random celebrity, historical figure, or celluloid character. But be honest and stick to one! 

Remote Scavenger Hunt 

A game with a simple but extremely interesting premise. The game master creates a list of 10 items found in most homes. After creating a designated Slack channel for the game, they need to add the items one at a time as separate threads. 

The person who takes a picture of the item first and sends it to the thread wins a point. The person who wins the most points wins the game. 

You Should Know This- Trivia Game 

Not everyone is good at trivia games. Who knows what was Albus Dumbledore’s full name? Trivia questions can be random and often hard to answer if you don’t know the context. 

What if we created a trivia game that your department or organization should know the answers to? 

You can keep the questions department/function specific or questions related to the industry your business functions in. It depends on who is available to play on Slack. 

For instance, if you were to play this within the marketing team of a B2B business. Questions like: 

• A rel=canonical tag can be used to point search engines to a particular page when tackling these issues.
• True or false: Including search intent in reporting is helpful in understanding users’ behavior and thought processes.
• What does the directive “disallow” mean?
• True or false: Minifying your CSS, HTML, and JavaScript files can increase your load time.

This game is a great way to get excited about upskilling opportunities and the winner/loser of the game should probably get a free upskilling class of their choice. 

Two Truths and a Lie: Management Edition 

Managers have to share three statements about themselves, two of which are true and one is a lie. Other employees have to guess which statement is a lie. 

It is a great way to break the ice between regular employees and upper management. 

Rock-Paper-Scissors (or even better, Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock) 

Remember the hours we spent playing rock-paper-scissors as kids? Your remote team can play a few rounds of that on Slack too! 

Once you install the Rock-Paper-Scissors app on your team, launch it with the slash command “/rps @mention” to play with an opponent of your choice. If you don’t want to play a public channel, you can also play in direct message by just texting “/rps” to your work bestie. 

And if you’re a Big Bang Theory fan who just loves everything Sheldon came up with, you’ll be happy to know that there is an extension to this game! 

Type “/rpsls” to play rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock, instead of just the boring rock-paper-scissors. 

Tick Tack Toe

An old school classic that never gets boring. Install the Slack bot for tick-tac-toe to play a game on Slack. 

Just type “/ttt @mention” on any public channel to challenge a co-worker to a fun game. You can also direct message a simple “/ttt” to start a game in private. 

The game is not time-bound so either run a quick 5 minute game in rapid succession or play asynchronously with your remote team located anywhere in the world. 

Polly

If you’re company is in the serious business of employee engagement, why limit yourselves to piecemeal apps? Polly is a suite of of social team-building games designed for Slack. 

So what are some games you can play with Polly? 

• Trivia: Get your entire team to compete over trivia questions with a single theme of the quizmaster’s choice. 
• Hot Takes: This feature lets you run a random Hot Take poll, that is fun but not controversial. Let your hair down with a quick debate to get the blood flowing. 
• Surveys: Get feedback from your remote team using Pulse Surveys to see how they’re doing and ask for their opinions on important matters, in real-time.

Codenames 

We saved the best for last. 

Play the game you love natively in Slack, whether it takes minutes or days to complete a game, it’s right there waiting for you in the platform you’re already using! 

To start playing, simply type “/codenames” and invite your teammates to join their respective teams. Veteran players can jump right in and enjoy their favourite gameplay format, while newcomers can visit the Codenames website for step-by-step instructions and more.

Looking to spice things up? Try out the growing list of alternative game themes such as “/codenames harry potter” and “/codenames game of thrones” to take your gaming experience to the next level. Get ready to have fun and bond with your coworkers like never before!

Conclusion

In conclusion, Slack games are a fun and engaging way to foster teamwork, improve communication, and boost morale in the workplace. Whether it’s playing virtual charades, hosting a trivia night, or even just sharing memes, Slack games offer a break from the daily grind of work and provide an opportunity for coworkers to connect on a more personal level.

But it’s important to remember that not everyone may be comfortable participating in Slack games, so it’s important to create a culture of inclusivity and respect in the workplace. Additionally, it’s important to not let Slack games become a distraction from actual work tasks.

The post 11 Slack Games to Engage Remote Employees appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

What is an Org Chart? 

An organizational chart (also known as an org chart) is a visual representation of a company’s structure that shows the roles and reporting relationships of employees within the organization. It is an important tool for businesses, as it helps employees understand their roles and responsibilities, and it can also help managers make decisions about hiring, promotions, and departmental reorganization. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about org charts.

What are the Different Types of Org Charts? 

Hierarchical Org Chart

A hierarchical org chart is the most traditional type of org chart. It shows the company’s reporting structure, with the CEO or president at the top, followed by the executive team, managers, and employees. Each employee is represented by a box, with lines connecting the boxes to show the reporting relationships.

Matrix Org Chart

A matrix org chart is used in organizations where employees report to more than one manager or team. It shows both the functional reporting structure (to who employees report for their day-to-day work) and the project reporting structure (to who employees report for specific projects). This allows for more collaboration across different departments and better coordination of resources.

While matrix org charts are flexible and can show how work is actually done in the organization, they can be overly complex.

Flat Org Chart

In a flat org chart, there are few levels of management between employees and executives. This structure is often used in startups or smaller companies where decision-making needs to be more flexible.

Flat org charts promote collaboration and can be more efficient than hierarchical org charts. But they can be difficult to manage as the organization grows.

Divisional Org Chart

In a divisional org chart, the company is organized into different divisions or departments based on product lines, regions, or markets. Each division has its own set of functions and management structure.

Team-Based Org Chart

In a team-based org chart, the organization is structured around teams that are responsible for specific projects or functions. This structure allows for more collaboration and cross-functional communication.

Circular Org Chart

In a circular org chart, there is no clear top or bottom level of management. Instead, all employees have an equal say in decision-making, and leadership is shared among the team.

Cross-Functional Org Chart

In a cross-functional org chart, employees are grouped by function, but they also work together on cross-functional teams. This structure allows for more collaboration and a focus on achieving shared goals.

How to Create an Org Chart? 

Determine the Purpose

The first step in creating an org chart is to determine its purpose. Consider the audience and the information they need to see when using org charts to communicate the organizational structure.

Identify the Key Positions

Identify the key positions within the organization, including managers, executives, and staff. You can also group positions by department or function.

Determine the Hierarchy

Once you have identified the key positions, you need to determine their hierarchy. This means deciding who reports to whom and the chain of command.

Choose a Format

There are several different formats you can use for an org chart, including hierarchical, matrix, flat, team-based, and divisional. Choose a format that best fits your organization’s structure.

Use Shapes and Colors

Use shapes and colors to differentiate between positions, departments, or levels of management. This can help make the org chart easier to read and understand.

Include Key Information

Each position on the org chart should include key information such as the job title, name of the person in the role, and any direct reports.

Update the Chart Regularly

The organization should update the org chart to reflect any structural changes as it evolves.

Share the Chart

Org charts are useful tools for communicating the organizational structure to employees, stakeholders, and customers. Share the chart in a way that is easily accessible and understandable.

Use Org Chart Software

Consider using org chart software to create your org chart. This can save time and make it easier to update the chart as the organization changes.

Tips for Creating an Effective Org Chart

Here are some tips for creating an org chart that is effective and easy to understand:

• Keep it simple: Don’t include too much information or too many levels of management.
• Use standard shapes (rectangles for employees, diamonds for managers, etc.) and colors (green for departments, blue for executives, etc.) to make the chart easy to understand.
• Including photos of employees can make the chart more engaging and help employees put names to faces.
• Update it regularly: The organization should update the org charts regularly to reflect changes in its structure.

Reasons Why HRs Love Org Charts

Clear Work Responsibilities 

One of the primary functions of an org chart is to allocate work responsibilities. This allows HR to use the org chart for job descriptions in the hiring process and even appraisals. 

Clarify Work Relationships

An important function of the org chart is to clarify the roles and reporting relationships between levels. In complex organizations where a single executive may be reporting to multiple managers, an org chart can be an invaluable tool.

An Information Repository 

Org charts don’t just need to be designations within hierarchies, they can also include information about the responsibilities of each role. With additional information, the org chart may not be as scannable but it can provide key information to new hires being onboarded and even established employees who are looking to navigate a new department. 

What Can’t People Find or Add to an Org Chart?

Easily Gets Out of Date

With attrition organizational charts can get out of date quickly, more so in larger companies. Which is why using an org chart software is key to keep a fully functional org chart up to date. 

Informal Relationships 

An org chart only shows formal relationships in a business. But what about a line manager who is really good friends with the VP of HR and can be a force of change despite not having direct authority? These informal social relationships are missing from an org chart. And these are a vital part of every business and can be a key component of effective communication. 

Management Style

An org chart only shows who can exercise authority over others, not how they do so. Management styles can make or break the productivity and profitability of a business. But unfortunately, an org chart is not able to express management styles in any form. 

Conclusion to Org Charts

In conclusion, organizational charts are a crucial tool for understanding the structure and hierarchy of an organization. They provide a visual representation of departments, teams, and reporting lines, making it easier to identify roles, responsibilities, and communication pathways.

With employee management software like AttendanceBot, businesses can create org charts that are up to date with any organizational changes.

The post The Comprehensive Guide to Org Charts appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

For an IT or software company, a tech stack typically means the programming languages they use to develop a website or app.

Watch the YouTube Video to get a better idea of what a technology stack means: Tech stacks (Explained for recruiters in IT)

A company cannot function with a single application or tool. The business requirements could be managed better by building tech stacks. However, before building a tech stack, companies must audit the stack that they are currently using.

Why Audit an Existing Technology Stack? 

Companies must consider auditing their existing tech stacks due to following reasons:

• Centralizing data: Using multiple apps for similar tasks would lead to unnecessary wastage of resources and time. It would also be difficult for companies to maintain the data sourced from various applications and tools. Therefore, they might think of ways of centralizing the data by using a multi-purpose app that can handle multiple tasks. 

• Manage time and efficiency: The existing applications and tools might be inefficient in saving time for employees. Or else they might not bring in operational efficiency. For example, an attendance monitoring software that needs manual data entry will not only waste time but might also create inconsistent and inaccurate data. Businesses can replace the existing application with an attendance tracking system that fetches data from punch cards or biometric scanners to manage these aspects. 

• Saving money: Saving money is essential, especially for small and medium-sized businesses that cannot afford to spend a major portion of their capital on operations and data management. In this case, the companies might replace their existing technology stack with simpler tools and affordable and easy-to-use applications. 

As businesses grow, they might no longer need the same software and applications. Therefore, they can decide to switch to apps that align with their business strategies. Due to product changes, previously used apps or tools may no longer be needed. It might be the ideal time for businesses to invest in new technologies and tools. But first, they must audit their existing toolkits and apps to find the technologies that are still relevant to the business. 

How to Conduct a Tech Stack Audit?

Companies should analyze the relationship between an app and the business processes instead of only auditing the apps. To make the required changes, they need to take feedback and inputs from each stakeholder of the business. The opinions of clients, employees, team managers, and daily app users matter as these people will be connected with the apps at different levels. 

For example, a company that sells its products via a website can think of integrating a new portal to bring in work efficiency and better data control. Apart from taking views of the operations, sales, and support team, the website developer should also review existing customers who will be using the website in the future to place orders. 

Questions to Ask while Conducting a Tech Stack Audit

The following questions can help them identify the effectiveness and role of their current tech stack:

• Which are the processes that need apps or software solutions to function smoothly?

• Which apps are used explicitly by certain teams to complete their daily tasks?

• Are there any apps that serve multiple purposes? If yes, which purpose do they fulfill?

• What impact do the apps have on the business? Are the apps closely related to customer experience and employees?

• How often is an app used for business operations or administration? Is it used daily or only sometimes?

• How much investment is required to revamp the existing technology stack?

• Can apps that serve multiple purposes be integrated to reduce operational costs?

Who does the Tech Stack Audit?

Usually, a company will assign the auditing task to professionals in their HR team. While creating a list of such questions and answering them, they must store the data carefully in a spreadsheet or document. As new aspects related to an app are unveiled, they can keep adding new columns to the sheet. 

Copies of the original sheet can be created and passed on to all the teams for input. Once the sheets are filled and sent back, the professionals must analyze them and record them in a final or original sheet. It is recommended that the data of all the apps be saved in one sheet as it will help them create a concrete audit report in the end. 

The apps that have the most business aspects or are related to most employees can be retained or restructured as per new business needs. HR professionals might want to create pie or bar graphs to present the data’s implications visually. These graphs could be integrated into the audit report to provide meaningful insights to the company’s leadership. 

Also, recommendations for new apps or technologies can be made to revamp or remodel the existing technology stack. Once the leadership goes through the audit report, they may approve the recommendations or might ask for a new audit report by marking any inconsistencies in the existing one. 

How to Add new Tools to the Tech Stack?

Analyzing the technologies on which a tech stack is built

Each company needs a unique tech stack for conducting its business. Usually, the development team decides the apps or tools to be integrated into the processes. However, while shortlisting the tools, analyzing the technologies on which they are built is necessary.

Different technologies are required to build a website and mobile apps. Similarly, the operating system on which the tools are to be implemented can determine the kind of technology needed to build it. As technology stack examples, we can see that Android apps can be built using Kotlin, and iOS apps can be built from Swift. Therefore, companies must carefully understand the difference between mobile and web tech stacks before building or shortlisting them. 

It is also essential to choose a reliable technology that supports multiple platforms. Before developing an app, the developers must determine the front-end and back-end technologies. If a new tool or application is to be designed from scratch, it must be tested before being implemented. 

For instance, if an e-commerce app is designed, its ability to handle multiple users at a time should be tested before launching it. 

Categorizing tools as per the departments

Before adding new apps or tools to the existing technical stack, it is wise to categorize them as per their functions. Each organization has multiple departments like marketing, advertising, sales, e-commerce, customer support, etc. Each of these departments might have a tech stack of its own.

Therefore, while adding new tools or apps to the existing technology stack, one must focus on adding tech stacks for each department according to their requirements.

For example, a marketing tech stack could require lead generation tools, email marketing solutions, CMS (Content Management System), ASO tool, scalable web hosting, and SEO tools. Similarly, developer stacks would include programming stacks, front-end tech stacks, back-end tech stacks, IT stacks, coding stacks, etc.

An e-commerce stack would need payment processing software, an inventory management system, an online catalog application, and other tools. 

Brainstorming ideas

Before adding new tools in a particular process, the companies must engage with the immediate users to learn whether they have some ideas. If they do not have ideas, extensive research must be carried out to find tools and apps that the process needs. 

A comparison must be made on their features, pricing, and other details. If a free trial option is available, it should be tested for usefulness. 

Creating a budget estimate for the new tools

After analyzing the departments’ requirements and identifying the gaps, it is time to add new tools or applications. The companies must hire an expert to estimate the tools’ budget. If some old tools are replaced with new ones for cost-cutting, they should also be included in the overall budget planning. A separate budget could be created for each team by taking the input of the team leaders and managers. 

SMBs, i.e., small and medium-sized businesses, might not have enough budget to integrate new tools. However, they can benefit from the free, open-source community that offers many tools and applications. The developers wanting to contribute to the technological revolution have created tons of free technologies and tools that can be leveraged to build new products. 

The developer team can use open source software to build an application stack or developers stack. Taking assistance from open source platforms will enable small businesses to cut down on the cost of implementing new technologies or tools. Eventually, it will give them the required technical support to compete with the best companies or industry giants. 

Implementing new tools as pilot projects

The team managers will decide which tools to keep based on the budget constraints. Once all the teams finalize the tools, they must be implemented as pilot projects. It will not only help them to understand the new tools but will also help them to determine whether they add any value to the process or not. 

Measuring the business impact of tools

Once the pilot periods of the tools are over, their performance must be evaluated. For instance, if a new sales application was implemented, its performance in terms of percentage growth of sales after implementation should be measured.

If a new payroll app was installed, did it reduce the payroll processing time or improve operational efficiency?

Similar questions for each tool or application can be asked to measure their performance precisely. Team managers would have their suggestions and feedback regarding the performance of these tools. 

Inputs should be taken from employees and users who use the tools regularly. If a specific tool or application would fit in a particular process and fetch the desired results over the long term, it should be incorporated immediately. 

Preparing for the future

Some companies do not believe in hiring or purchasing existing technology. They trust their experts to create new and robust solutions to meet their ends. However, creating new technology from scratch can be a challenging task. The developers should not only consider the current requirements but also be able to scale. It could be challenging to make changes or add services to the applications as the company expands vertically or horizontally. Therefore, all the possibilities should be considered while designing a new application or tool. 

Also, building multiple tools and apps to create a comprehensive tech stack will need time and resources. Companies usually rely on trusted apps and platforms due to the same reasons. 

Conclusion 

These were some ways to ensure that the best tools are integrated into a tech stack. Small businesses usually run on a single tech stack, but they may incorporate additional stacks as their business scales. If they don’t have a dedicated team of developers at their disposal, they can outsource this. Budget constraints can be set after creating a detailed plan for adding new tools to the tech stack. Also, creating a plan for adding tech stacks without taking input from the end users is not a good idea.

B2B companies should take suggestions from their clients before making any significant change in their existing technology stack. Finally, everyone using the new tools and technologies should be accounted for and, if required, be trained to handle them.

The post How to Choose Your Tech Stack? appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

Although federal holidays are traditionally only granted to federal employees, private businesses also provide time off for some of them. When making the leave calendar for the year, HR departments refer to the federal holiday calendar for that year (here is the federal holiday calendar for 2021) to determine which holidays need to be granted and on what day they fall.

In this blog, we’ll take you through what a federal holiday is, whether businesses must grant them, and the federal holidays for 2023.

What are Federal Holidays?

Federal law (5 U.S.C. 6103) observes 10 public holidays recognized by the federal government. On these days, federal employees receive paid time off. While Congress only has the authority to designate these as holidays for federal institutions, many private businesses and states also grant these as paid time off for their employees. 

The List of US Federal Holidays in 2023

Here is a guide to federal holidays for 2023 in the United States:

• New Year’s Day: Sunday, January 1, 2023 (observed on Monday, January 2)
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 16, 2023
• Presidents’ Day: Monday, February 20, 2023
• Memorial Day: Monday, May 29, 2023
• Independence Day: Tuesday, July 4, 2023
• Labor Day: Monday, September 4, 2023
• Columbus Day: Monday, October 9, 2023
• Veterans Day: Saturday, November 11, 2023 (observed on Friday, November 10)
• Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 23, 2023
• Christmas Day: Monday, December 25, 2023

Can there be Additional Federal Holidays? 

While some factions advocate for the recognition of additional federal holidays, the government currently recognizes only these 10 federally recognized holidays. But states may observe additional holidays not listed here, so be sure to look at state holidays observed by the states your business functions in for a complete picture. 

What is the Significance of Each Federal Holiday? 

The significance of each of these observances has a long and colorful history. The Congressional Research Service goes into great detail about the history of each of these 10 federal holidays. 

But if we were to summarize the importance of each of these days: 

• New Year’s Day: Celebrates the beginning of the Gregorian calendar year.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Honors the life and legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who worked to end racial segregation and discrimination.
• Presidents’ Day: Originally established to celebrate the birthday of George Washington, it has been expanded to honor all past U.S. presidents.
• Memorial Day: Honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.
• Independence Day: Celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, which declared the 13 American colonies independent from Great Britain.
• Labor Day: Celebrates the contributions and achievements of American workers.
• Columbus Day: Commemorates the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Americas in 1492.
• Veterans Day: Honors all American veterans, who have served in the U.S. military.
• Thanksgiving Day: Celebrates the harvest and blessings of the past year and gives thanks for them.
• Christmas Day: Celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.

Are all Businesses Closed on Federal Holidays? 

No, not all businesses and organizations close on federal holidays. Private businesses and organizations can choose whether or not to close on federal holidays, and state and local governments may observe different holidays.

Do Federal Holidays Always Fall on the Same Day Each Year?

The reason why the federal holidays of 2023 are different from the federal holidays of the previous years is that there are two kinds of federal holidays:

• Fixed Federal Holidays: These are the federal holidays that fall on the same date every year. For example, people always observe Christmas Day on December 25.
• Floating Federal Holidays: These are the federal holidays that fall on the same day and month each year. For example, people always observe MLK Day on the third Monday of every January.

Are Federal Holidays Paid Time Off? 

Federal employees always receive paid time off for federal holidays. Private companies wishing to give time off to employees on these days should also grant paid time off. 

What Happens When a Federal Holiday falls on a Weekend?  

If a federal holiday falls on a Saturday, federal employees usually observe the holiday on the preceding Friday. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, federal employees usually observe the holiday on the following Monday.

Private businesses may choose to keep the dates fixed, irrespective of whether it falls on a weekend. 

Proposed Federal Holidays

Over the years, bipartisan support has been lacking for quite a few proposed federal holidays, causing them to fail:

• Susan B. Anthony Day: The holiday was proposed by Carolyn Maloney in H.R. 655 on February 11, 2011.
• Cesar Chavez Day: The holiday was proposed by Representative Joe Baca in H.R. 76 and was further endorsed by President Barack Obama.
• Malcolm X Day: The holiday was proposed in H.R. 323 in 1993 and 1994 by Congressman Charles Rangel.
• Flag Day: Proposed to be a federal holidays several times but failed. It finally became a national observance when President Harry Truman signed it into law.
• Native Americans’ Day: The holiday was petitioned for and introduced in Congress multiple times but was unsuccessful. 
• Election Day / Democracy Day: Multiple movements for this holiday to be official have occurred, but have failed. Many states have made it a public holiday instead. 
• Rosa Parks Day: Proposed as part of HR 5111 on September 3, 2021.

It’s important to note that the process of establishing a new federal holiday is a complex one that typically involves a legislative process, which can take several years or longer to complete. The approval of both houses of Congress and the signature of the President are necessary to pass any proposed federal holiday into law.

The post The List of Federal Holidays in 2023 for Businesses appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

If you are in HR, you may want to know a little more about this as it concerns employees’ well-being. In this article, we will talk about the benefits of Summer Friday, their different schedules, and how you can implement them in your workplace. 

What Are Summer Fridays?

Summer Fridays are flexible work schedules that companies adopt during summer. Employers give employees additional time off during the summer typically between Memorial Day and Labor Day. 

An important point to remember is that Summer Fridays may not be suitable for all businesses. Some industries such as food and retail have a major chunk of their business kicking off at the weekend. Therefore, implementing Summer Fridays means losing on profit and customers. 

Companies structure Summer Fridays differently from each other depending upon the nature of work. However, the main idea remains the same, that is to not cut the employees’ paid time off. Summer Fridays are meant to give paid time off to employees in addition to their set paid leaves for sickness and vacation. 

Let’s have a look at the different schedules of Summer Fridays. 

What Are the Different Schedules of Summer Fridays?

Summer Fridays are a type of incentive to retain employees. They make a workplace fun and inviting. There are several ways to make your workplace more attractive to new hires and current employees. Have a look at the options below and see which one suits your business the best.

Every Summer Fridays Off 

This is the most generous of all the options. According to this policy, employees get an entire Friday off throughout the summer. The office is closed and everyone returns to work on Monday. As mentioned before, this is additional paid time off and has no impact on the standard paid time off leaves assigned to employees. 

This is a great way of adding some sunshine to the working week. This is already getting me excited. How about you?

Every Other Summer Fridays Off 

As the name suggests, employees get every alternate Friday off during the summer. This means that every employee gets two Fridays off. 

This kind of schedule works best for businesses that cannot shut down their operations completely such as logistics, customer services, and hospitals.  

So basically, with this work schedule, half of the employees will always be in the office on summer Fridays to respond to calls and go about their daily business activities. 

Half-Day Summer Fridays 

In this version, employees come to the office at their usual time in the morning and leave around lunchtime. With this schedule, employees get to work on important tasks and make some progress. Companies also benefit since they get some work done while also letting the employees off early. 

This kind of work schedule lets employees start their weekends a little earlier. Interesting isn’t it?

Extra Hours During the Week for Summer Fridays Off 

Under this schedule, employees have to work extra hours every day from Monday to Tuesday to get Friday off. This means that employees clock in at their usual time and clock out an hour or so later. 

Some companies follow this schedule throughout the year and not just in summers. 

Pro Tip: Make clock in and clock out simple for your employees with AttendanceBot. Keep track of their schedules with just a few clicks. 

Flexible Summer Hours  

This type offers employees some flexibility to decide when and how they want to apply their summer hours. Unlike many employees, some might prefer Monday or Wednesday off instead of Friday. 

Benefits of Offering Summer Fridays

Apart from getting to enjoy more vitamin D, there are mutual benefits of implementing a Summer Friday policy in your workplace. Employees benefit from it and what is more important than having happy and healthy employees. 

Increases Employee Morale 

Summer Fridays are like a no-strings-attached perk that leaves a substantial impact on an employee’s morale. It is no doubt impractical to give entire summers off but you can surely make your employees feel valued if you give them some version of Summer Fridays off. It also shows that you want employees to make the best of the summer with their families and friends. 

So what impact does it have? It makes employees feel valued and appreciated. They return to work rested and rejuvenated. Isn’t it what every employer wants?

Keeps Employees Happy and Healthy 

Gone are the times when employees were expected to work like machines. Employers now want their employees to work smarter. One reason for this is that employers are now more invested in employees’ physical and mental well-being. 

Bombarding employees with tons of tasks and pressing deadlines will eventually cause burnout. The pandemic has already impacted our mental well-being to a great extent. So why not give them a long weekend to top up their Vitamin D levels? 

A deficiency of Vitamin D leads to depression, exhaustion, fatigue, mood swings, and much more. These are productivity killers. A slightly longer weekend than usual reduces stress and allows employees to resume work feeling relaxed and happy. 

Promotes Team Building 

Summer Fridays emit ‘last day of school’ vibes where everyone is ready to push through the gates as soon as the bell rings. Everyone is looking forward to the long weekend and having a good time. 

It builds a feeling of camaraderie among employees who help each other get done with tasks and start the weekend right. 

Makes Employees More Productive 

When employees know that they have a day off, they make an effort to manage their time well and avoid distractions. They are motivated to use their time more efficiently and work with increased productivity. 

Retains and Attracts the Best Talent 

Thanks to the pandemic, employees now prefer flexible schedules. And Summer Fridays offer just that. 

Offering summer Fridays keeps workplace loyalty and happiness intact. Your most talented and high-performing employees are likely to stay with the company. This is because flexibility is an incredible incentive. 

Similarly, a progressive summer holiday will help you attract top talent. As mentioned before, employees prefer to work with flexibility whether from the office or home. The pandemic has changed people’s lives and routines and employees want to work with companies that take this into consideration. 

Decreases Operational Costs

All Fridays off throughout the summer mean that you can save on operational costs such as electricity and other administrative expenses. 

Reduces Time-off Requests 

Summer is that time of the month that nobody wants to lose out on. As it approaches, employees request time off so that they can go on vacations to soak up the sun with their friends and families. 

Offer Summer Fridays and see a decrease in time-off requests. When employees have a long weekend or an early start to the weekend, they are less likely to take a day off. 

Leaves Workload Unaffected 

Working for fewer hours or one day less doesn’t mean lower output. In fact, it is the opposite. Working for more than 50 hours a week causes mental stress and a dip in productivity. 

And let’s be honest. Who really is in the mood of working on a Friday as soon as it’s lunchtime?

Work dynamics have changed and now it’s all about working with efficiency. It is better to work smarter than harder because no one wants to burn out. 

Reduces Stress 

Having a four-day workweek means less financial burden for working parents. This means with Summer Fridays off, parents can save up on the money that would have gone into arranging for child care over the summer holidays. 

Also, spending quality time with family reduces stress and encourages equitable work-life integration. Nobody would want to leave an employer who recognizes the importance of family time and allows employees to do so. 

Steps to Implement Summer Friday in Your Workplace

If you have made up your mind about offering Summer Fridays in your workplace, the steps below will help you with smooth execution. 

Carry Out a Survey to Gauge Employee Interest

You must find how employees feel about Summer Fridays before creating a policy. Roll out a survey in your workplace and see if employees really want Summer Fridays. This Is because there is a possibility that employees may not be happy about the idea of working extra hours to get one day off. 

Make the Summer Fridays Document Available to All Employees

If your employees are good with the idea of having Summer Fridays, start outlining a policy. Ensure that the policy document is available to all employees should any questions arise. 

Conduct a Meeting to Discuss the Summer Fridays Policy

Once your policy is in place, hold a meeting to discuss it. Just rolling out the document and expecting employees to go through it themselves is unlikely. A meeting will give you a chance to gauge employees’ reactions and answer questions they may have. You can follow the steps below to communicate the new policy:

• Send an email notifying employees
• Add to the employee handbook 
• Explain expectations in the team meetings

Set up a System to Monitor Employees

Adapting to a change takes time. Similarly, employees might find it challenging to get used to the new policy. In that case, make sure to monitor your staff and see if they are adjusting well. 

Keep in mind that Summer Fridays are meant to help employees relax and enjoy time with families. But, if employees start stressing about how to finish off work before Thursday, then there really is no point, is it? Give the necessary support to your employees for a smooth transition. 

Play With Summer Fridays Alternate Schedules 

Finally, leave some room for change. If you feel that an entire Friday off is not working well for your business, try other alternatives. You can still avoid employee burnout with half Fridays off. 

Consider all the alternatives and make the necessary changes quickly. 

Are You Ready to Offer Summer Friday to Your Employees?

Summer Fridays are a unique employee perk and they are rapidly gaining popularity. You can continue to implement strategies to boost employee morale and retention but give this one a try as well. 

After all, we all want to work with people who show up happily at work. It is all about the positive vibes and Summer Fridays embody that. 

The post Offer Additional Time Off With Summer Fridays appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

That’s where a disciplinary policy comes into play.

Disciplinary actions are the result of non-compliance with acceptable behavior in the workplace. The purpose of any disciplinary action is always to amend rather than punish. The onus falls upon managers or supervisors to handle workplace misconduct through disciplinary actions and keep HR in the loop.

In today’s workplace, flexibility and freedom are celebrated, but with freedom comes responsibility. Every organization needs a structure to address behavior that doesn’t align with its values or policies. When employees fail to meet those expectations, disciplinary action becomes crucial—not as a form of punishment, but as a tool for improvement. 

As any form of misconduct or rule violation can have long-term implications for the company, continue reading to understand the disciplinary action policy in greater detail. In this guide, we’ll dive into the ins and outs of a well-crafted disciplinary policy and explore how it can protect your company while helping employees get back on track.

What is Disciplinary Action?

Any action taken by the employer to correct an employee’s behavior is a disciplinary action. 

In every workplace, there are rules and regulations to maintain discipline and decorum. If the employee’s behavior violates a policy that directly or indirectly impacts the organization, it can be grounds for disciplinary action.

But how can the punishment match the crime? That’s where HR comes in. HR must create a disciplinary action policy to standardize the disciplinary action procedure and handle concerns in a clear and defined way.

Before moving to the implementation of the disciplinary policy, let us understand what all one should include.

Disciplinary Action Policy

Every disciplinary policy action sample must consist of the following six components:

1. Policy Overview: An explanation of the steps that must follow of employee misconduct or performance issues.
2. At-will Employment: The section must reiterate that employees at the company work at-will and can face termination at any time, for any reason.
3. Steps in the Employee Disciplinary Action: Here, the policy will outline the steps to address the employee actions. Managers must document each step and keep the employee informed about the progress of the disciplinary action. Managers must consult with HR before making any final decision.
4. Explanation of the Steps: The section will have a detailed description of how to take disciplinary action against an employee. There will be an intimation that disciplinary action may begin from any step depending upon the severity of the issue. For instance, employee tardiness may require the managers to give a verbal warning first and then a written one. However, serious offenses may require strict actions of suspension or termination.
5. Right to Appeal: The section will have a statement and the steps regarding the decision to appeal if any employee feels they are subject to unfair treatment. Employees can raise their concerns to HR or upper management.
6. Legal Protections: The disciplinary action policy should conclude with a statement that offers companies legal protection. A fair and just disciplinary action policy is essential to honor the legal aspects of the disciplinary process. Above all, ensure that every perspective is covered with absolute clarity to come up with a comprehensive disciplinary action policy.

In conclusion, the six components are essential to standardize procedures in the wake of incidents violating the company rulebook.

You may also want to read: 10 Must-Have Policies in Your Employee Company Handbook

Importance Of a Disciplinary Action Policy

A disciplinary action policy informs the employees about the guidelines to maintain workplace discipline. It also mentions the consequences that an employee may face if they fail to adhere to the listed guidelines. 

Here’s a broader look at its importance:

• Ensure employee’s work and behavior are consistent with the employer’s expectations
• Pre-empt any legal repercussions associated with the termination of any employee
• Highlight commitment towards fair employment practices
• Standardize the disciplinary procedure for common rule violations
• Provide a strong and fair grievance redressal mechanism for employees to report incidents
• Let employees appeal any disciplinary actions and complaints 
• Help employees improve their performance

Types of Disciplinary Actions

Employer disciplinary systems act as a watchdog when there is a violation of rules or regulations. Subsequently, these systems ensure that the company takes proper remedial measures to handle employee misconduct, rule violation, or poor performance. There are three main types of discipline at the employer’s disposal: progressive discipline, performance improvement plan, reassignment, or suspension.

Progressive Discipline

It is the series of corrective measures that progresses in a defined manner to let employees improve their job performance or comply with company policies. Taking this approach ensures that the company does face legal repercussions for employee handling.

Let us delve deep into the different steps under progressive discipline:

Meeting

The first instance of rule violation results in a formal meeting between the employee and the manager. Here, the manager will understand the charges against the employee and suggest corrective measures.

Verbal Warning

If there is no improvement in the employee’s conduct or performance, the manager will issue a firm verbal warning and notify HR. The manager must explain the need for their action to the employee and also provide a framework that the employee can work upon.

Written Warning

A formal written warning is the next step of the disciplinary action policy. In the letter or email to the employee, the manager should describe the issue, outline the expectations from the employee to fix the problem, and further consequences if the employee does not follow the action plan.

After receiving the written warning, the employee must acknowledge it. In addition, the manager can issue multiple written warnings before taking the next step.

Final Warning

In this step, the manager will state all the instances they warned the employee and the suggested corrective actions that the employee didn’t follow. The manager must also convey that a termination follows if there is no improvement.

Suspension/Probation

Before termination, HR can force a disciplinary suspension or probation on the employee. HR should always make sure to notify the employee in writing about such steps.

This instance basically acts as a last chance for the employee to improve their behavior. In addition, employers can choose to cut the employee’s salary due to loss of work.

Termination

This is the final step after giving the employee every chance to correct their mistakes. The manager will arrange a face-to-face meeting with the employee and review all the documented actions, warnings, and notes.

Along with the review, the manager will explain that the issue persisted, and therefore, it’s resulting in termination.

You may also want to read: The Comprehensive Guide to Employee Relations

Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)

A more rehabilitative approach to deal with indiscipline is PIP and training. Companies can correct performance issues by putting employees in the PIP. Subsequently, the manager can set qualitative and quantitative milestones in the PIP action plan to monitor the progress. They will also have a backup plan in case the employee misses the targets. 

Even an employee in PIP can face termination if there is no improvement. In the words of Adil Ashraf, the HR head at MotionCue, “The best disciplinary action could be to hold a one-on-one meeting with the employee to address each problem on a more personal level.”

Reassignment or Suspension

When there is a conflict or grave behavioral issues, companies can either reassign or temporarily suspend the employee. In most cases, reassigning is a rehabilitative approach that is meant to retrain. However, the suspension is a punitive approach to ensure that the employee meets a specified goal to be eligible for reinstatement.

The goal of any disciplinary action is to underline the importance of discipline in the workplace. 

Employee Disciplinary Action Form

HR must ensure there is a proper format to document disciplinary actions over time. 

The documentation of every interaction with employees is critical to support the employer’s actions. Both manager and employee must duly sign the form. There is a perception among employees that if they do not sign, they disagree with the disciplinary actions. In those instances, write “employee refused to sign” in the employee’s signature space. 

HR must share one copy of the form with the employee and maintain another in the employee’s official file in the HR department.

Here is an example of an employee disciplinary action form:

Source

After discussing the best ways to discipline employees, let us now check some disciplinary action examples.

Disciplinary Action Examples

Opening a disciplinary proceeding against an employee must be a defined sequence of actions. The documentation of each step is essential from a legal perspective. 

Here are some disciplinary action examples to give you an idea about what warrants disciplinary actions.

Source

Source

What Types Of Employee Behavior Qualifies For Disciplinary Actions?

Companies censure a wide range of behavioral issues to maintain discipline in the workplace. Irrespective of how obvious it may seem, it is advisable to outline every unacceptable behavior in the company’s rulebook to keep employees informed. 

Below are behavior concerns that may warrant disciplinary actions:

• Poor job performance
• Misconduct
• Sexual harassment or assault
• Threats or acts of violence
• Fraudulent activities such as misappropriation of funds
• Discrimination
• Attendance Issues such as Chronic Absenteeism
• Theft
• Alcohol consumption while on duty
• Any action that may endanger the safety of colleagues
• Reporting for work under the influence of drugs
• Dress code violations

HR must ensure management adheres to the guidelines at all times, and managers must act upon any rule violation to maintain a safe workplace environment. Depending on management style, companies can have a zero-tolerance policy, or opt for something like a 3-strike rule. 

Now, we will explore how to communicate the employee disciplinary action plan to the whole organization.

How To Communicate an Employee Disciplinary Action Plan?

Employers must lay out their expectations from their employees clearly to maintain transparency and effectiveness. 

Here are a few methods to outline the expectations from the employees:

• Job Description: One of the most effective ways to highlight a company’s intolerance against indiscipline is through the job description during hiring. Thus, candidates will know the expectations beforehand and decide if they can match them.
• Company’s Brand: If a company has established itself as a brand, employees can understand the work culture and overall environment through word-of-mouth, company policy, and even the company blog.
• Employee Handbook: Companies must have a handbook to help new hires learn more about the organization. It should contain the mission, vision, core values, HR policies, and employee rights and obligations. A day-to-day code of conduct must also be a part of it to keep employees in the loop about exactly what is expected from them.
• Training: Employees should undergo anti-harassment, anti-discrimination, and workplace conflict resolution training to cope with complex situations. Legal cases may be filed in the case of harassment and discrimination. Therefore, it is highly advisable to give employees the right training to prevent these situations.
• Performance Review Cycle: The annual review cycle is can be a task for both managers and employees. Since it is difficult to remember everything good and bad over such a long period, a shorter performance review cycle can be adopted. In addition, managers must increase the frequency of one-on-ones with the employees to monitor their behavior, track performance, and provide feedback.

You may also want to read: The Comprehensive Guide to Conflict Resolution

The Role Of HR in Discipline

The responsibility of HR and upper management is to maintain a workplace environment where employees feel appreciated and remain productive. 

To begin with, HR can talk about the company’s guidelines and how it operates in the new-hire onboarding process. They must refer to the company handbook that includes guidelines for the workplace.

Also, the communication channel between employees, HR, and leadership must always remain open. Generally, HR formulates the disciplinary action policy of the company and assist in their documentation and appeals. 

Key Takeaways For HR

• HR must help develop the disciplinary action policy of the company
• Everyone from management to HR must understand that the goal of any disciplinary action is to improve rather than punish
• HR must work closely with the leadership team to ensure the work culture is positive and productive
• When there is any rule violation, HR must ensure that the manager is taking proper corrective measures and informing the employee. 
• HR has to document the disciplinary actions at every step. 
• Disciplinary actions become inevitable when a company’s reputation is at stake
• Every corrective step must be exhausted before deciding to terminate the employee

Needless to say, a disciplinary action policy needs to be robust to function properly. HR must go out of it’s way to amend the policy from time to time to make sure that all types of situations are covered.

Are you facing issues while creating or implementing a disciplinary action policy? Reach out to us at @HarmonizeHQ and we’ll do our best to help.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Disciplinary Actions for Management and HR appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

In this blog, we’ll take you through what a gig economy is, who the participants are and the ten ways that it is revolutionizing the way businesses function.

Who is a Gig Worker?

Gig workers are freelancers who operate on a contractual, temporary, or part-time basis, often working on several projects in tandem and having the flexibility to engage multiple employers. 

Gig workers examples include drivers, babysitters, online tutors, freelance writers, musicians, and service technicians. In the last decade, even technical jobs in web development and cybersecurity have become freelance. Everyone talks about gigs these days, with even full-time employees taking up side-gigs, meaning to monetize their real passions.

What is the Gig Economy?

The gig economy refers to the growing global rise of freelance, contractual, and flexible jobs instead of traditional full-time work. Ventures like Uber and Airbnb are key gig worker employers and a huge reason why gig work is now mainstream. 

Companies like Uber are a trustworthy medium between thousands of part-time workers and customers. They handle the payments, establish rules, and ensure that work standards are adhered to.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that 55 million people in the US were gig workers in 2017, making up 36% of the workforce. Many economists think that 80% of the workforce may come under this category by 2030. The pandemic has brought a sea change in the way businesses handle the burgeoning gig economy, examples including the upswing in freelance marketing and journalism. 

Why are Full-Time Employees Switching to Gigs?

The reasons why more workers are turning to this model are:

1. The New Dream: 9 to 5 jobs have lost their charm as workers increasingly prefer choosing their work schedules with minimal supervision. They want the flexibility to meet their financial targets as they see fit.
2. Transitioning into New Careers: Traditionally, changing your work has a high entry barrier, with big businesses wanting degrees and experience. Gig employers are more forgiving in this aspect.
3. Access to Higher-Paying Work: As opportunities for remote work increase globally, gig workers can access higher-paying work anywhere in the world. 
4. No Choice: Recessions and the pandemic may have forced full-time employees to switch to gig work in desperation.

There are now numerous platforms like Fiverr and Upwork to connect gig workers and employers.

As some would say, the gig economy is the future of work. Is that future bright? Only time will tell. 

Why Is The Gig Economy Growing?

The explosion of gig work in the 21st century can be traced to the Global Financial Crisis 2008 (GFC) and the resultant recession. The growth of the knowledge economy and dot-com businesses have made freelance and contract work more popular.

Several traditional businesses sank during the GFC, while the nature of others changed permanently. The Lehman Brothers is an important example; the aftermath of the GFC 2008 changed the banking industry regulation. The news industry’s shift towards the digital medium accelerated. 

There was a slowdown in the manufacturing sector and labor movement into service and knowledge careers. In 2019, there were about 13 million jobs in the service sector, with the agriculture sector having 2.3 million jobs.

Plus, rising costs make it necessary for people to take up multiple jobs to maintain their living standards. People burdened with debt tend to look for various income streams and participate in the hustle culture.   

We see the rising trend of entrepreneurship and opening small businesses. Many of these collaborate actively with larger businesses and leverage social media to reach freelance and part-time specialists. All this is causing the gig economy to grow.

10 Ways the Gig Economy Impacts Businesses

What does the rising gig economy mean for businesses and HR? It’s not all bad.

Here are 10 ways in which the gig economy is impacting businesses.

Access to a Large & Global Talent Pool

Companies that can carry out work efficiently in remote conditions benefit from access to an extensive global pool of freelance workers. They can also hire skilled contractual workers for short-term projects. Many professional copywriters work for a worldwide clientele within the comfort of their own home.

One benefit of the gig economy is that workers can do low-intensity jobs while they upskill for fulfilling work. Freelancers may be able to invest more time and energy in acquiring skills than full-time employees.

There are also some unique ways on how people use the gig economy to fuel their side hustle. Forbes ran a story on an Uber driver who used his cab to showcase his jewelry designs.

Access to Workers with Niche Skills

There is a sizable demand-supply mismatch in areas like IT, design, and marketing. This makes it hard for businesses to find competent full-time employees. Many freelancers acquire niche skills in these domains due to jobs and projects requiring them to innovate.

Google has released Google Career Certificates designed to address the skill-curriculum gap in project management, data analytics, IT, and UX design. Many professionals do these courses and take up freelance projects.  

Companies may also find it costly to hire experienced workers but still need their skills. Many skilled professionals like teachers and IT professionals find taking up freelancing leads to an excellent side income.

Instead of distancing themselves, universities could also hire more part-time professors to increase the roster of teachable skills and subjects.

Agile Workforce

There is a shift towards design thinking in modern business. It’s more about sourcing deep expertise wherever it exists and when there is demand for such skills. A workforce based on gigs can reduce the need for travel-based deployment for client servicing or project supervision on-site.

An agile team can be assembled whenever there is a need and this works out to be much more cost-effective for businesses. An example is a new website that needs a one-time website overhaul hiring a content agency rather than a full-time in-house writing team.

Better Client Service

Businesses that have a global pool of clients can take advantage of the non-location bound gig economy definition. They can hire workers in different time-zones to address client requirements as and when they arise. This is a perfect solution to endless night shifts that impact customer-facing employee’s health too.

It may also be possible to tap into forgotten demographics like retirees with great networks who don’t want full-time work. They bring their vast experience and understanding of client psychology to the table while still being cost-efficient.

Increased Brand Awareness and Outreach

The gig economy may also help businesses improve their brand awareness if they can employ temporary workers in countries they wish to expand into. It may be possible for some firms to establish a skeletal workforce to meet legal requirements.

With minimum operational spending but significant brand outreach efforts in these new locations, brands can sell and generate revenue. 

Reduced Costs of Providing Benefits

Being able to hire part-time and contract workers can lower overhead expenses. It can be cheaper to hire for a short-term role than train the permanent workforce in skills they may not need. Onboarding costs can be over $40,000 for small to medium businesses, which are all but eliminated when employing gig staff. Additionally, gig workers don’t get unemployment insurance and severance pay. 

During the pandemic, many businesses found that some roles could be made remote, bringing a reduction in office-space-related costs. A Kelly Outsourcing and Consulting Group report finds that 43% of talent managers using gig workers report 20% labor cost savings. 

Improved Chances of Surviving Recessions

Laying off employees is costly for the businesses, as companies spent a lot on training their hires. Having a mobile workforce can help businesses survive recessions by saving on overheads. 

Using freelancers to collaborate across teams reduces the siloed nature of many hierarchical organizations. This can make them more agile and capable of surviving big problems from market competition to recessions. Gig workers bring in innovation, and businesses can gain from the knowledge transfer to their permanent staff. 

Some tech and pharma giants have reinvented the gig economy model by hosting crowdsourcing events to solve real problems. Hackathons bring access to a highly motivated global talent pool. This is another excellent option for businesses to consider, especially if they thrive on innovation. 

New Arenas of Legislation

So far, we have looked at the positive impact on businesses, but now it’s time to consider the potential risks of relying too much on the gig workforce. 

As the number of gig workers rises, new legislation will be enacted for their protection. Some laws may end up limiting the work that can be outsourced to the international gig economy.

Businesses often avoid paying billions of dollars in taxes by using the gig workforce. As ideas like universal income gain traction in the face of the growing freelance labor force, businesses may have to pay even more taxes. 

The AB-5 law enacted in California protects all wage-earning workers placing the burden of proving them as independent contractors upon the hiring entity. Uber, Lyft, and others have been resisting directives to classify them as employees to avoid the costs of paying benefits.

Morale Problems That Affect Business

A common problem with non-permanent staff is the resentment that builds up if they do the same work as regular employees but get paid less. On the other hand, some regular employees may feel threatened by highly skilled temporary workers. Businesses must be innovative about employee management.

When gig-based businesses lobbied against protective labor laws, it created resentment and anger among workers. If a firm already has chronic cash flow problems and revenue generation, such disruptions can have a considerable impact.

The work quality may be low if the person is not well-trained and may leave by the time resources are invested in training. They may also be unable to build connections with colleagues and managers, making the work environment unhealthy.

Need to Invest in Worker Retention

While the gig economy optimizes some types of savings for businesses, it requires them to attract and retain gig workers. As these people have multiple employers competing for their skills, they look for invigorating work and better pay. Many employers find it challenging to retain freelancer loyalty.

There is also the challenge of having to make do with their shorter working hours. Gig economy participants are juggling multiple projects and are unwilling to put in long hours. In case they leave with work commitments unfulfilled, it may cost more money for the next hire to fix.

If there is high attrition in specific freelance roles, permanent employee energies may be consumed in training new gig hires. 

Impact on HR

The rise of the gig economy brings some new challenges for HR personnel to navigate: 

1. Data collection and processing systems will have to be optimized to adapt to the nature of gig work. The high turnover rate may pose a challenge for consultancy-based companies.
2. HR will have to find new ways to measure contingent staff impact on business growth. 
3. Job roles will need to be redefined and deconstructed to find fits for freelance and gig workers. 
4. There will be new issues of providing benefits, timing, and coordination that arise from temporary staff management.
5. Businesses may need to overhaul legal policies to protect client interests.
6. Better tracking mechanisms will be needed to protect IP and ensure work completion. 
7. Recruitment processes and training mechanisms have to be swift. If a worker fails to complete tasks or disappears, HR has to quickly onboard new workers.
8. Appraisal processes and knowledge transfer mechanisms have to be accelerated and overhauled.

While the gig economy sounds like a dream, businesses function optimally if they maintain a mix of the permanent and temporary workforce. Getting your gig workers to be invested in your business will be incredibly difficult. They don’t have the incentives of long-term benefits and career progression that attract permanent employees. 

Many routine tasks are best performed by people who have traditional know-how of the business processes and are there for the long ride. 

What are your tips for hiring and retaining gig workers? Reach out to us @HarmonizeHQ and let’s talk.

The post 10 Ways the Gig Economy is Impacting Businesses appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

Remote working is proving to improve employee retention, reduce costs for companies, increase team diversity, and lower stress levels. But, when compared to in-office processes, remote teams still need to figure out the smaller team management system.

We want to help you with your biggest challenge when managing a remote working team— employee time tracking. When working remotely, your traditional ways of tracking employee active hours and leaves just don’t fit. You need an automated tool that does the time tracking for you.

Using AttendanceBot, you can automate daily time tracking, leave management, and shift planning, ensuring management happens despite the remote culture.

In this guide, we want to help you set up AttendanceBot as a well-rounded management system for your employee attendance.

Further Reading: Grab every kind of help you need with our complete guide to remote working.

Top 5 Steps for Using AttendanceBot as a Time Tracking Software for Remote Teams

1. Set up check-in and check-out routines among employees

The most simple but powerful way to use AttendanceBot is its daily time-tracking feature. Set up a routine for employees to check in when they come into work and check out when they leave. By just sending “in” and “out” to the AttendanceBot chat, the time spent at work is instantly recorded.

Employees can even send a quick message to the bot when they step out for a break or for lunch. The bot records these active hours within its robust dashboard, allowing managers and HRs to quickly look at work hours for any employee.

Managers can filter the time tracking dashboard by month, department, city, and more, and even set up auto-generate reports on a monthly basis.

This easy system for time tracking makes any other system for recording employee work hours obsolete. You’ll be spending less time tallying and figuring out whether an employee is short of work hours. Track employee time passively and only step in when it’s required.

If your team has the option of working remotely, the bot also allows you to check in as “Working from home”. Encourage employees to use these common phrases to allow you to understand remote working trends in your hybrid team.

2. Create a Slack channel for transparency about work hours

While an automated time tracking tool does capture employee work hours efficiently, you also need a system to give transparency about active hours within the team. Since you will have two employees in different time zones working together, you want to make it easier for them to plan their meetings.

As a rule of thumb, ask employees to announce their official work hours from the start. While some changes in their hours might be inevitable, a fixed schedule can help everyone plan meetings quickly. Having official work hours will also be helpful to set a routine and help employees stay more accountable.

If your team is semi-remote or has the option of working remotely, ensure employees message the shared schedule channel when they are working from home.

Also read: 10 ways to make your Slack channels more effective

3. Make leave management seamless

With AttendanceBot, keep your leave requests out of your inbox! You might find your traditional leave management a hassle with multiple emails going between three or four different parties. With AttendanceBot, here’s what leave management looks like:

1. Employee requests leave for specific dates within Slack
2. The smart bot sends a chat message to the assigned manager
3. The manager approves the leave by clicking on the automated button replies
4. The employee receives a message within the Slack chat with approval
5. The HR receives an info message about the leave days
6. The leave days are recorded in the AttendanceBot dashboard for easy access

With much of your leave management automated, you don’t have to keep track of your emails and update a spreadsheet. Set up leave management on this smart bot, assign managers accordingly, and let the bot handle it for you.

To ensure employees don’t overuse their leave days, you can set up types of leaves that your company allows and set the maximum limit for leaves within the bot. This way, employees can view their remaining leave days without having to reach out to you.

The bot also syncs the leave information with the employee’s calendar so that anyone trying to schedule meetings with them is informed of their days out of office. What’s more, you can set vacation autoresponders directly from your Slack.

Want to view the absence history for all your employees? The AttendanceBot dashboard logs accurate information about absences taken, types of absences and even lets you filter the data by department, city, etc for nuanced reports.

Also read: Your guide to creating and managing a leave policy for the millennial workforce

4. Simplify shift management

Shift planning or employee scheduling has always been a time-consuming job. But, with more shift workers dominating the workforce, it’s important that companies have a smooth system for shift planning and management.

Use the visual shift planner within AttendanceBot to plan shifts on a weekly or monthly basis, setting up recurrent shifts as you see fit. The shift planner smartly reminds shift workers of their upcoming shifts, keeps track of no-shows, and records this data for easy access.

Once your shift calendar is set, you don’t have to worry about the hassle of reassigning shifts. The smart bot shows you who can be reassigned to an open shift, making it easy to manage the multiple shift workers.

You can use the dashboard to understand how many hours each shift employee was working and generate accurate payroll reports without needing to tally the hours yourself.

What do you like best about AttendanceBot?

We use Attendance bot for both our in-house and remote teams so the shifts and tasks can be easily shared and scheduled. We also monitor the attendance and holidays scheduling and tracking with this tool. Our team managers really enjoyed how simple and user-friendly the system is when starting to work with it.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

Scheduling and schedule sharing among teams, holidays scheduling and tracking. Analysing and tracking when and how much are our employees working from home or remotely.

– Sam S working in Computer & Network Security 

How can AttendanceBot help your remote team?
Find out by scheduling a demo today.

5. Put all your office FAQs in a help library

Smart time tracking for your remote working team is not just about monitoring time. It also involves ensuring no one has to spend time sweating on the small stuff. As a remote team, waiting for responses from co-workers or HR can be endless. It could be about where a document is stored or how many leave days are available annually. It just isn’t efficient!

What’s more, if employees stay in different parts of the world, time zone differences can keep you waiting for a response for hours.

This is where OfficeAmp can help. Set up an FAQ library that everyone in the team can access answers to common questions.

From leave days to reimbursement processes to file storage. Make sure employees don’t have to search for too long to find what they are looking for. If an answer isn’t in the library, employees can easily raise a ticket to solve the issue. These tickets can be created, managed, and cleared right within Slack, no other app required!

With such a help library, there’s less back and forth on the smaller things and more time spent discussing work.

We hope these 5 steps help you set up AttendanceBot for your remote working team. What time tracking tips do you use to manage your team online?

The post Guide to Using AttendanceBot for Remote Working Teams appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

The Slack App Directory has over 2400 apps. While each one of them is created to enable your team to do more, how do you choose the best Slack apps that suit what your company really wants to achieve?

To make things easier, we surveyed our customers and our network to discover the Slack apps they really like using and why. Here’s the list of must-haves!

The best Slack apps for your company 

1. Drift 

Talk to website visitors and customers in real-time without leaving Slack! The app is designed to give website visitors an experience similar to the one you get when you visit your favorite store. Drift tells you who is visiting your site and adds powerful context like their industry, company size, revenue, and even their technographic profile to it – thanks to the integration with Clearbit.

2. Standuply 

Run asynchronous standup meetings in Slack and Standuply will send you the collated responses on Slack and email. Teams are using it to make standup meetings more productive and efficient. You can use any of the built-in templates or define your own set of questions to make the functioning better.

3. AttendanceBot

AttendanceBot is frequently featured in various lists for Slack time tracking and absence management. It is one of the highest-ranked apps to track time, employee attendance, and leaves (employee time-off). The Slack app enables you to measure your team’s productivity by tracking time spent on projects, tasks, and billable hours with clients. All your employees need to do is send simple messages to the bot to mark their attendance or track time. Managers can then generate timesheets and reports for the team in real-time to identify roadblocks and offer solutions to overcome them.

4. HeyTaco!

A fun and simple app for Slack that lets you recognize teammates for their efforts and accomplishments. You can give tacos meant for cultural values and even track performance using leaderboards! After all, if you want your team to do their best, you need to keep them motivated – even if that means a few tacos.

5. StatsBot

As Lord Kelvin once said, “If you can not measure it, you can not improve it.” Statsbot is one of the best Slack apps to get data and powerful insights from Google Analytics, Mixpanel, and SQL databases. You can also set up automated reports, predictions, and smart alerts with it.

6. Polly 

Polly makes polling via Slack seamless and fast. Use messages to run surveys for any purpose and your team members will be able to respond with a single click. Polls can be open-ended, multiple-choice, or even have a numeric scale. Great for times when you need your team’s opinion on little things like even deciding a place to go to for a movie!

7. Zapier

Zapier lets you integrate Slack with several hundreds of other apps like Jira, Salesforce, Zendesk, Gmail, Basecamp, HubSpot, Evernote, Google Sheets, and more! You can get information from the apps or create automatic task workflows to save time. Automation is the hack to getting more done, efficiently, and in lesser time.

8. Meekan Scheduling 

Are you wasting time checking availability in your or your colleague’s calendars? Do you go to and fro trying to schedule even fifteen-minute catchup with employees? Meekan Scheduling app makes this easy. It is your scheduling assistant that will find the perfect meeting time, and an available room and message the team members to book a slot that suits them the best too.

9. Tettra

Tettra is your powerful company knowledge base. Organize crucial information used by your team on a daily basis in a central, searchable place. You can also organize documents like company policies, new hire onboarding, technical documentation for developers, etc. This is one of the best Slack apps to get your documentation game on point!

10. Mention 

Mention helps you track brand, industry or competition mentions on the web. It sends you real-time alerts that you can even customize by the source to receive notifications. We love the way it shows an ‘influencer score’ and the tone of each mention. Better to know who’s saying what about your brand than let situations get out of hand, right?

While these are some of the best Slack apps that we are crushing over, we want to hear which apps are you making use of and should be on this list. Let’s create a resource for the best Slack apps together to do more every day!

Also read: How to use Slack in HR and make it your best friend

With these apps and following the best Slack practices, you’re all set to do more! Your team will be able to communicate and collaborate better in no time.

The post Get More Done With This List Of The Best Slack Apps appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

Time management is a crucial skill for any successful HR. By being able to manage time wisely, cutting down on distractions and interruptions, and focusing for long periods, you can be more productive and get your tasks done in half the time.

But, time management does require a little bit of hacking. Here are five ways that you can do it!

1. Create written procedures for routine tasks

Do you have routine tasks that are cumbersome? Write down the procedure to break it down into subtasks and simplify it.

Create a procedure checklist by mentally scanning how you work through the task and laying out the sequence of events, including any blockers you may face and what you need to do to solve them. This checklist takes away the thinking for you, allowing you to get to work straight away without having to spend much time dwelling on the subtasks.

Just like a routine, a procedure checklist is highly specific and allows you to get to the action. Here’s a detailed guide to writing procedure checklists. Here, tools like Notion.so can come in really handy!

2. Work on priority tasks during the start of the day

Your mornings are your most productive hours. Many studies point toward how effective it is to learn in the morning. So, it’s essential to make it a point to put your mornings aside for some deep, high-priority work.

How can you ensure your mornings go uninterrupted? Block out your early office hours in your calendar and let your team know that you are unavailable for the first few hours of the day. Schedule meetings in the second half of the day.

If your company allows you, spend your mornings working remotely, from a cafe or a closed cabinet. If you want to go a step further, you can even come to work a few hours earlier than usual and maximize those early hours, and get more done.

Also read: Four proven strategies to improve team productivity

3. Maintain a work-life balance

You may not believe it but having a work-life balance can make you better with time. By setting up time boundaries for your work, you can prepare your brain to plan your tasks for the day and prioritize any work that needs to be done before the day ends.

The most common advice that most successful businessmen give is this: don’t bring work home. Make it a point to keep your work aside when you’re back home. This way, your mind will take this into account and work more efficiently at the office. If not, you are likely to work on fewer priority tasks and come back home with a deadline to tackle.

4. Automate employee management with AttendanceBot

One time management tip is to be better at delegating. But, as an HR, there are specific tasks- like employee management- that just can’t be handed over to someone else. You can still make it easier to manage and monitor your employees with AttendanceBot. It’s one of the best time management and tracking software!

With this bot, your employees can punch in and out of work within the work communication platform. As an HR, you don’t need to spend any time tracking attendance or leaves. Your employees can request leaves within the app on Slack/Teams, and you can manage all these details within your communication platform itself.

AttendanceBot also allows you to manage and modify shifts quickly, replacing your manual spreadsheets that make shift management tedious.

A timesheet calculator and efficient employee scheduling – that’s all you need!

Also read: How to create a weekly work plan with your team without stressing

5. Block notifications for specific periods of time

Notifications are an attention-grabbing part of your day. The repetitive buzzing is likely to distract you constantly. One quick research even found that notifications are distracting even when you ignore them. But, we don’t need a survey to know that notifications can kill your focus at work.

That’s why it’s crucial to turn off notifications on your laptop and phone. Use apps like AppBlock to disable app notifications for certain periods of time on your phone. Slack allows you to snooze notifications and you can even turn off desktop notifications for your email and instead, allot a time slot to check your email twice a day.

Reading these time management tips is not enough. Ensure that you follow through on them immediately by setting up your processes and starting tomorrow early by tackling your heaviest task in the morning.

What hacks have you picked up to become a more effective HR?

The post Manage Time Wisely – Top Time Management Tips for Every HR appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

Shifts are becoming an increasingly popular way for many employees to work. Shift work is when employees work with a schedule that is outside the traditional 9 – 5 times. Having shifts within your business is crucial to ensure you promptly cater to your customers. It helps you ensure that there are no communication or service gaps.

But, how effective and essential is shift working?

Moreover, how can managers cultivate shift management within the company without overcomplicating their schedules?

Let’s dive in and see the importance of shifts. And how you can implement an employee shift management system that works.

Shifts work for company growth

Employees are redefining the way they work. More workers are shifting to the mindset of working to accommodate the way they want to live. They are giving weightage to a healthy lifestyle. They are prioritizing travel, working remotely, and preferring to work at night, to name a few.

But, as an HR manager, it’s essential to recognize that these personal preferences may not align with the growth that your company has mapped out for the team and the business.

By setting up shift work at your company, you can cater to your employees’ different preferences while also sticking to your roadmap for the company’s growth. When your employees work in shifts, you can allow them to pick their hours, making them more productive.

By setting their schedule, employees can have more control over how they go about their day, giving them the ability to maintain a work-life balance. With the freedom to pick their schedule, employees are much happier and more productive.

In his book, “Managing the Professional Service Firm,” David Maister wrote that scheduling determines the economics of a job, the quality of the team, and the skill-building and motivation of professionals doing the work.

With a well-oiled shift management system, you can have time to individually work with your employees, align their objectives, and help them build their skills. Some businesses with a shift-based schedule have also noticed that with the right communication system, employees are better connected and have an excellent internal rapport.

Using shifts, you can also create a better and more fulfilling experience for your customers. If your business is in retail, working in shifts can ensure that your customers are greeted by an employee who is eager to serve them. If this is an online business, having shifts gives you the ability to cater to customers worldwide, at any time of the day.

For instance, the medical industry and the food services industry have extended hours, and a majority of the businesses in these niches implement shift working so that employees perform to the best of their ability within their active hours, serving their customers and patients well and avoiding burnout.

Successfully implementing employee shift management

The most important rule of thumb when implementing a shift system among your employees- or even modifying your existing shift management- is to set up a shift management software built to ensure that your employees have no trouble managing their shifts. With AttendanceBot, shift management has never been easier.

According to ConnectTeam, the revenue per employee doubles the industry average with scheduling automation.

Here’s what you can do to make the most of this automation tool:

1. Plan shifts in advance with a highly visual shift management dashboard website
2. Keep track of employee check-in and absence during these shifts, built into your work communication tool
3. Reassign shifts without any hassle
4. Set up automated reminders so that employees can be notified before their shift starts
5. Track employee time quickly with auto-generated powerful timesheets based on these shifts

You can read more about the best shift management software and learn how you can integrate it into your company’s Slack or Microsoft Teams.

Ready to make shift management and employee scheduling smarter?

Get started with AttendanceBot.

Along with a powerful shift management software, you can also follow these tips to ensure your employees are satisfied with their shifts:

1. Take a monthly stock of a few crucial details before planning out the shifts

Find out when your employees would like to take their leaves, and which employees will be open to working nights. Or on weekends.

Ensure that employees give advanced notice about their preferential leaves. Be it family commitments, religious holidays, or vacations. This helps to plan out the shifts better.

2. Ask employees to punch in and out for attendance management

Use AttendanceBot and integrate it into your communication tool to allow workers to log in during their work hours. The bot compiles these details for you to make it easier to keep track of any delays or leaves.

3. Keep shift hours for each employee consistent

For instance, if one of your employees works from 9 pm to 5 am. It’s always better to keep the same work hours for them instead of changing them every few weeks. This consistency allows them to build a predictable schedule for themselves personally.

4. Create a backup plan for unexpected sick days

You can’t predict when your employees would fall ill or take an unexpected day off, but you can plan for a replacement in case this comes up. Compile a plan B, with employees who may be willing to work extra hours and come in as backups and note down what timings they’ll be available. This way, when an employee takes an unexpected leave, you don’t need to scramble around for a replacement.

5. Keep shifts shorter so that employees aren’t tired out quickly

This is especially important for night and weekend workers who may have difficulty working long hours. Instead, you can break their work timings into two shifts.

6. Have weekly or fortnightly check-ins with your shift workers

With a routine check-in, you can ensure that your employees aren’t burnt out, sleep-deprived, or struggling in any way. By taking stock of how they are performing, you can ensure that your employees are healthy. You can ensure that they don’t get to the point of burnout.

7. Rotate shifts clockwise to allow employees to ease into changing shifts 

Adjusting to changing shifts can be difficult. You need to reset your entire routine. That’s why it is important to give your team some time to settle in. Instead of changing shifts immediately, rotate them slowly. For instance, change day shifts to afternoons and afternoons to nights and not day to night right away.

8. Keep your workplace shift-friendly

Ensure you have stocked up on coffee and snacks, even for your employees who are working late at night. Keep the environment cool and brightly lit so that your employees don’t have trouble staying up.

9. Offer more incentives based on their performance

Shift work is tough and your employees have to reschedule how they live for this work routine. By setting up incentives, you can motivate these employees to perform better and bring in higher results. You can even provide benefits, like food allowances or travel reimbursements. This only goes to show that you care and ensure that your employee doesn’t have to worry.

By setting up these efforts, you get more efficient with employee shift management. But more importantly, you’re able to ensure your team is working up to its potential.

Employee shift management is complex but it can get easy with the best shift management software and employee scheduling tool. With a good set-up system to manage employees, their schedules, and their needs, you can simplify shifts at your workplace. And at the same time, make sure that your business thrives.

Have a remote working team? Here’s your guide to using AttendanceBot for remote working teams. 

What’s the one thing you follow at your company to ensure everyone follows the growth roadmap closely? We’d love to learn it from you.

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