{"id":355,"date":"2017-05-09T19:00:14","date_gmt":"2017-05-09T19:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hrdirectapps.com\/blog\/?p=355"},"modified":"2021-11-22T18:35:33","modified_gmt":"2021-11-22T18:35:33","slug":"going-paperless-at-work-and-switching-to-online-recordkeeping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hrdirectapps.com\/blog\/going-paperless-at-work-and-switching-to-online-recordkeeping\/","title":{"rendered":"Going Paperless at Work: A Simple and Sensible Approach to Making the Switch"},"content":{"rendered":"Whether it\u2019s a hobby in your personal life \u2014 or a workflow process at the office \u2014 are you an \u201call-in\u201d type of person? Or do you approach something new with more caution, preferring to break it down into calculated steps?\r\n\r\nTake the paperless office. Eliminating manual recordkeeping processes may seem like a giant leap from where you currently sit. But if you consider what\u2019s to be gained from making the switch (as well as what you\u2019re losing by not), the undertaking makes much more sense. Further still, devising a step-by-step plan can help you reach your goal \u2014 and reap the benefits \u2014 that much more quickly.\r\n

Comfortable Could Be Costing You<\/h2>\r\nWe\u2019ve all heard the saying, \u201cTime is money.\u201d Well, nowhere is this truer than in the workplace. Holding on to outdated, familiar processes could be eating up major chunks of your time and, in turn, cutting into your profits.\r\n\r\nPerhaps your resistance is that you\u2019re already strapped for time, so the thought of taking on something new seems impossible. You may even recognize the need for a technology upgrade but, again, your schedule is tight.\r\n\r\nHere\u2019s the thing:<\/em> Putting forth the time and effort upfront will inevitably pay off later. When choosing well-designed, streamlined and customer-friendly services, such as online recordkeeping software, the \u201cramp-up\u201d time is minimal. Reputable software providers recognize the demands on your time \u2014 and work hard to design services that are intuitive and easy to adopt.\r\n\r\nBeyond the \u201ctime is money\u201d aspect with manual recordkeeping vs. online recordkeeping, there\u2019s also the outright cost to purchase software. Again, I encourage you to look beyond the price tag when considering tech tools. Instead, take a hard look at how you run your business and the areas you could enhance with a technology upgrade. For example, if you would save 10 minutes daily by using online recordkeeping software, and you work 240 days a year, that\u2019s 2,400 minutes or 40 hours a year \u2014 an entire week of gained productivity! Consider, too, the costs you can eliminate altogether. With recordkeeping software, you\u2019re also saving the cost of paper\/forms, printing and storage, which add up quickly in the typical office.\r\n
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Companies in the U.S. spend more than $120 billion a year on printed forms, and the average worker uses 10,000 sheets of copy paper every year. Further, each four-drawer filing cabinet holds approximately 10,000 to 12,000 documents, takes up to 9 square feet of floor space and costs $1,500 a year. Source: The Paperless Project<\/a><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

What to Do When You\u2019re Ready<\/h2>\r\nSo you\u2019re convinced it makes sense \u2014 and are ready to make the switch to a paperless workplace. Congrats! Old-fashioned paper processes will no longer eat up your precious time, money and space. You\u2019re about to embark on a smart, efficient and secure approach to recordkeeping that will deliver practical benefits almost immediately.\r\n\r\nBut where do you start?<\/em> That statement at the beginning of this article applies to you: You prefer to break down new tasks into calculated steps. I hear you \u2014 and I\u2019ve got you covered.\r\n\r\nTo go from a recordkeeping system with hand-written paper forms and folders \u2014 to an online system you manage from any desktop or mobile device \u2014 you need a plan of action. Here are the three key steps to getting it done:\r\n

1. Gather and assess your current employee records<\/h2>\r\nYour employee recordkeeping responsibilities<\/a> are the same, whether you\u2019re using a paper-based or electronic system. Generally speaking, you need three folders or online \u201ccategories\u201d for each employee: personnel, payroll and medical. Personnel files cover everything from hiring paperwork to performance reviews, payroll files include salary-related paperwork and time sheets (keep I-9 records for all employees in a separate file) and a medical folder contains health-related documents, such as FMLA leave paperwork, health insurance forms and doctor\u2019s notes.\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re making space for notes, files and other paperwork beyond these categories, chances are good they\u2019re not necessary and can be discarded. Only certain employee records (including the above) have specific state or federal record retention requirements.\r\n
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Look into a cross-cut shredding device or dedicated shredding service to properly discard paper documents and files you no longer need.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

2. Set up your employees in the online database<\/h2>\r\nThe beauty of the Free Employee Records app<\/a>. is that it puts you on the path to secure, centralized employee recordkeeping with no strings attached. You can consolidate employee information at your own pace, for immediate use with your current business practices. Once you\u2019re signed up as a business customer, you can add employees two ways:\r\n