The Challenges of Summer Workforce Management
Seasonal employment typically has fluctuating work schedules and workers with varying hours. During summer, your company may experience high turnover rates, which require frequent new hires and rapid onboarding. The number of workers may increase, and your payroll system may need to handle different pay rates and authorized overtime.
Training Requirements
The onboarding process needs to train seasonal employees on time-tracking procedures. There needs to be clear communication about schedules, pay rates, overtime (if authorized), and allowed breaks. New hires must know the company’s rules for calling in sick and taking unpaid emergency leave.
Scheduling
Scheduling includes accommodating paid time off (PTO) and ensuring adequate staffing levels when regular staff members take a vacation. A comprehensive payroll processing system reduces the time needed to create schedules and helps minimize scheduling conflicts.
Employees indicate availability. Shift assignments can be prioritized based on seniority. The goal is to have adequate flexibility in scheduling that covers employees taking leave for PTO to improve employee satisfaction and decrease employee turnover.
Accurate Time Tracking
Accurate time tracking is achieved by using a digital system, which is vastly preferred over cumbersome manual methods. Useful features include employee time management, real-time updates, secured mobile access 24/7, and geofencing when employees must be in specific locations.
Integration with a Payroll Processing System
Comprehensive payroll solutions solve the complex scheduling puzzle and fully integrate with accurate time tracking. Regular audits should be conducted to ensure system integrity, following a rule-based order of employee hierarchy and verifying the data accuracy of payroll calculations. If any discrepancies are discovered, they should be handled fairly, and corrections should be made as soon as possible.
Legal and Compliance
Seasonal workers have the same requirements as regular workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Non-exempt part-time or temporary workers are subject to the same rules about minimum wage, hours worked, overtime pay, child labor laws, and recordkeeping. Refer to the FAQ about the FLSA for more details about exempt workers, overtime calculations, and state vs. federal minimum wage laws.
Improved Employee Morale
One of the most important factors in maintaining employee morale is paying employees on time and accurately. Employees are very sensitive to payroll issues. Having a fully functional payroll processing system is vital for everything to go smoothly when onboarding many seasonal workers and managing complex schedules.
Employees want to be able to access the payroll processing system to find out when they will be paid and see the accurate tracking of hours worked with overtime calculations (when applicable) done properly.
Workers appreciate having their payroll data available online with mobile access. They can log on to their account, check their schedules, and see the hours worked and any benefits accruals, such as qualification for the PTO.
The goal for seasonal workers is to retain them as needed for the full season, potentially have them re-apply for another seasonal position when one becomes available in the future, or transition them to a permanent position if desired.
The Advantages of Automating Payroll Processing
Applying automation to scheduling, time tracking, and payroll processing produces consistent results and reduces human error. Complex scheduling is not easily accomplished by hand due to the various factors involved and the constant need for updating. A comprehensive payroll processing system uses algorithms to predict and resolve discrepancies.
Using the Payday system for your seasonal workforce requirements provides numerous other benefits.
Here are some advantages:
- Efficient Onboarding: Automating the onboarding process reduces the efforts needed by the Human Resources department to handle the influx of seasonal workers. All employee documents needed for onboarding are digital and easily accessible.
- Compliance: Maintaining compliance requires proper employee classification, accurate tax withholding, and adherence to labor regulations. Automation ensures compliance with any changes in labor laws to reduce the risk of incurring expensive penalties.
- Time Tracking: Automation takes care of time tracking for work hours, breaks, and overtime.
- Systems Integration: Scheduling, time tracking, benefits management, and payroll processing systems are integrated for improved accuracy and efficiency.
- Comprehensive Customized Reporting: Detailed reports offer analysis opportunities to uncover insights that may lead to operational improvements.
Contact Payday Payroll today to learn more about our comprehensive time tracking and payroll solutions, designed to meet the unique needs of businesses employing seasonal workers. Our expert services can ensure your summer workforce is managed efficiently while maintaining compliance with all necessary regulations.
