flex work Archives

Coronavirus 2020: Effectively Working from Home

by LizStevens | Mar 25, 2020 | Blog

Coronavirus 2020: effectively working from home. A good remote work policy can help businesses maintain productivity while limiting the spread of COVID-19.

Businesses everywhere are implementing work from home policies to protect their employees but maintain business operations while federal, state and local governments impose various restrictions on public gatherings to limit the spread of the Coronavirus.

Establishing a successful work-from-home program is not easy. Communicating with employees to stay on track while minimizing panic about COVID-19 in the coming weeks and months is critical.

Establishing a Work from Home Policy

Organizations without a remote work plan in place can begin to assess their ability to do so in four steps:

Review Operations. Determine what processes and procedures can be completed digitally. Explore remote solutions for things like team meetings, data security and certain HR functions.
Evaluate Equipment. Make a list of the equipment employees need to get their work done and see what that looks like from home. Find out if employees already own laptops or computers and if they don’t, decide if loaning out office equipment will be worthwhile.
Plan Procedure. Figure out how the team will communicate with one another to stay on track to reach business goals. Think about how frequently group and individual check ins should occur and how to monitor remote work performance.
Communicate. Let employees know about your new work from home policy and ask for their feedback. Employees want to be involved in organizational change and they might be able to fill in any unforeseen gaps in the policy with their on-the-job knowledge.

A good remote work strategy is the best way to keep both your employees and your business safe during the Coronavirus outbreak and if you don’t have one yet, now is the time to put one together.

Coronavirus 2020: Effectively Working from Home

Here are three tips for effectively working from home during the Coronavirus outbreak:

Keep the Routine. It’s important in times like these to keep certain routines to minimize stress and maintain a sense of normalcy. It’ll also be easier to monitor remote work performance if employees are expected to be online during specific hours.
Open Communications. More than half of remote workers feel lonely, according to research by Porch. Checking in with colleagues, asking them how they’re doing with everything going on, sharing something you think they’ll find funny, asking about their families, talking about a news headline, all of these things can increase social connectedness and stave off the loneliness.
Encourage Work/Life Balance. Recommend that employees get ready for work like they would on any other day. Encourage them to designate a space for work and take breaks at regular times to get in the working mindset. It can be nice on occasion to work from bed in your pajamas, especially if you’re sick, but it’s not good for productivity or mental health to continue to do so for an extended period of time.

More on the Coronavirus and Work From Home Policies

How Will the Coronavirus Impact Your Business?

How Does Remote Working Work?

Coronavirus and Financial Stress: How Will Employees React?

Are Employees Who Work From Home Happier?

Do Flexible Work Schedules Work?

Why You Need a Remote Work Strategy

5 Must-Have Benefits for Millennial Employees

by LizStevens | May 22, 2019 | Blog

Two million students will graduate with a bachelor’s degree this year and enter the workforce. MAVY Poll surveyed recent graduates on behalf of the American Institute of CPAs to determine which employee benefits would most help them achieve their financial goals as they begin their job search.

“The job market, and therefore the employee benefits market, is constantly evolving. These days, finding the perfect job is about a lot more than money,” says Gregory J. Anton, Chairman of AICPA’s National CPA Financial Literacy Commission.

Top 5 Must-Have Employee Benefits for Millennials

5. 401(k) Retirement Fund Match was in the top three desired employee benefits for more than 35 percent of millennials. Recently, it’s become clear most Americans have not saved enough for retirement, if they’ve saved any at all, which might be motivating millennials to prioritize retirement funding.

“By beginning to save towards retirement as early as possible, new graduates will benefit from decades of compounding growth. Time is an asset, and those just starting their career are in a prime position to take advantage of it,” says Anton.

4. Working Remotely was in the top three benefits for nearly 40 percent of millennials. Flexible work schedules have become the new norm and millennial employees expect to have some sort of control over when and where they work.

3. Student Loan Forgiveness was an important employee benefit for over 40 percent of millennials. AICPA found nearly two-thirds of young adult job seekers have student loan debt, with an average debt of $33,332.

2. Paid Time Off was a benefits priority for 45 percent of millennials. General Mills recently overhauled their paid leave policy by tripling the length of paid maternity and paternity leave, introducing paid caregiver leave, and boosting bereavement and short-term disability benefits. Sharon DeTaeye, senior manager of human resources specialist operations at General Mills, says, “It’s an ongoing process, but we’re encouraged by the results we have seen so far.”

1. Health Insurance was the benefit millennials felt would most help them achieve their financial goals. Research by the West Health Institute/NORC at the University of Chicago found more than 40 percent of Americans didn’t see a physician when they were sick or injured because of high healthcare costs. Comprehensive healthcare plans that reduce out of pocket costs for employees will be highly attractive to millennial employees.

Millennials Split $100 Towards Employee Benefits

Millennials with student loan debt were asked to split $100 between paying a portion of their student loan debt versus a specific benefit and in all cases they preferred their employer put more money towards paying their student loan debt. Job seekers allocated $60-$80 towards student loan debt and the remaining $20-$40 towards a specific benefit like health insurance, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, life insurance, 401(k) retirement fund match and daycare.