Remote work (often abbreviated as WFH for work from home) is becoming culturally ingrained, even though there is pushback through return to office (RTO) mandates.
A recent poll from the Global Payroll Association (GPA) reveals that three-quarters of people would turn down a job that doesn’t offer hybrid or remote working. While critics say WFH reduces productivity, the US non-profit National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) found that remote work reduces daily commutes by 72 minutes. For many people, that figure is much higher.
With more than a third of South Africans engaged in some level of remote work, many organisations are trying to figure out how to operate with this new norm, says Sandra Crous, MD of Deel Local Payroll.
“There’s an expectation for more workplace flexibility, and there are some roles that work better if they have flexible hours and locations. Considering that our digital society enables remote and flexible working, you can see why it’s become a norm. Companies should think about where it’s appropriate and how they create the systems to manage different work styles.”
Adapting To Remote Work
Workplace flexibility is complex. The ability to work remotely depends on employee roles and business projects, managerial styles, customer expectations, and even how flexibility is presented. For example, is time and location flexibility a standard feature or offered as a perk?
Work location flexibility is incompatible with some roles or industries. It can stagnate or elevate careers. It can reduce pay or increase bonuses. It can make some jobs more productive and others less.
In some cases, it has no impact at all. If companies want to calibrate remote working to their requirements, they need systems that support flexibility. Payroll and human resources systems have the biggest impact.
Modern payroll and HR platforms create more flexibility in companies through data insights, employee enablement services, and integration with other business areas. They establish the processes that enable a business to adapt and adopt different work modes as required. For example, a modern payroll platform automates the management of variable pay structures and reduces the related administration of taxes, benefits, time tracking, and invoicing.
Cloud-native payroll platforms are at the forefront of such features. They streamline and automate workforce management, offer self-service features such as leave requests and payslip access, and proactively update and apply changes to employment legislation.
Crucially, they support remote work for managers of payroll, HR, and finances, who can access cloud-native payroll platforms remotely and securely from anywhere through their smart devices. When companies combine these features with other collaboration tools such as Slack or Teams, they open the doors to dynamic collaborative workflows for people at the office and elsewhere.
Modern payroll and HR platforms enable companies to get the best from both remote and in-office workforces. They also simplify managing temporary staff: employees contracted on-site to clients, freelancers, and gig employees linked to specific projects.
Even if all staff work on site, modern payroll creates tangible and lasting improvements to staff operations and business management. When modern payroll platforms integrate with other business areas, such as HR, finance, and project management, they enable widespread and robust modernisation features, such as automation, self-service, and real-time business intelligence.
Controlling Remote Work through Payroll
Remote work and flexible workforces are becoming the norm. Individual businesses decide when, where, and how these modalities apply to their requirements. But they need to be prepared. Investing in modern cloud-native payroll and HR platforms is the best and most effective way to achieve that plus gain immediate improvements for their current workforce.
“Should you allow remote work or not? That’s something only you can answer. The first question you want to address is how you will be capable of choosing. Modern payroll and HR platforms create that capacity, and they save time and reduce errors with your current workforce management. You gain the managerial control, efficiency, and insight to know what the right fits are for your requirements,” says Crous.