Perhaps a few decades ago, the biggest concern related to talent was retention and engagement. Today, the topmost worry for all leaders and HR teams is employee safety and wellness. No organization could have forecasted and planned for this situation. While there are robust compensation and benefitsOpens a new window plans connected to health, there were hardly any specific programs defined for the safety of employees.
That situation has changed drastically with organizations now evaluating and implementing tools and programs that address this specific need, and many vendors rapidly developing such technology.
To meet this requirement, Littler and ComplianceHROpens a new window have announced the launch of their offering ComplianceHR SmartScreenâ„¢. This is a web-based solution for companies to be able to screen their employees for COVID-19-related symptoms as well as any risk factors before coming into the office each day. Physical screening is not possible due to the risks involved. Hence, this is an alternative to meet the screening guidelines.
This solution also incorporates aspects that are recommended by the state and city authorities. ComplianceHR SmartScreenâ„¢ gives employers the option to send jurisdiction-specific screening questionnaires to the set of employees they want to so that these can be completed before they come to work each day.
HR Technology News: Top Product Launches for Workforce Safety, L&D, Hiring, and Employee PayOpens a new window
Three Groups of Employee Screening Solutions Most employee screening solutions launched in the past few months are designed to meet specific needs in the area of employee safety. These can be categorized into three types of solutions:
1. Creation of safe workspaces externally Upflex Inc. has launched Safe Spacesâ„¢ to provide information to companies of the approved workspaces that are following a strict set of health and safety guidelines. While this also has the target client base as all organizations, the difference is that it provides them with the option to define a safe workspace outside their current office premises.
2. Internal software created by enterprises for their own useMany large enterprises such as HoneywellOpens a new window and InfosysOpens a new window have created their own internal software to ensure the safe return to work. Their applications are a mix of web-based screening as well as tools for physical health checks too, for their employees and guests. The coverage of this application extends to mobile workers as well, along with office workers. It also includes all geographies that the organizations have a presence in.
3. Safety solutions by vendorsThis forms the largest segment since many companies cannot or do not want to create their own applications and are evaluating options such as ComplianceHR SmartScreenâ„¢ or other alternatives provided by vendors. Offerings that are similar in this respect are LTI’s SafeRadius, SurveyMonkey’s Survey TemplatesOpens a new window , Employee HealthCheckâ„¢ by ConversaOpens a new window , and Traction Guest platform’s ZeroTouchOpens a new window . It is crucial to gauge the benefits that each brings and assess which one of these will fit the organization’s needs.
The Conversa Employee HealthCheck platform is created as an automated chat to allow employees to assess COVID symptoms before coming to work. This is very similar to the SmartScreen platform, which does the same, but through a questionnaire, and is web-based. The additional benefit is that it has factored in jurisdiction-specific screening guidelines, that can allow employers to localize their approach. ZeroTouch works similarly, but it also has the provision to inform visitors and employees about the safety protocols.
Another unique product in this area that works differently from the others is Ascentis CarePointOpens a new window . The
CarePoint’s thermal sensor and Ascentis NT8000 time clocks are designed to give accurate temperature readings. With this technology in place, there is no need for hardware that is usually used for body scans. Employees can find out their body temperature, as this clock conducts a quick scan using simple voice commands.
“Employers face a number of uncertainties and challenges as they look to reopen workplaces amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with employee safety topping their list of concerns,†said Lori Brown, Chief Executive Officer of ComplianceHR. “By providing a paperless and instantly deployable way to conduct screenings, ComplianceHR SmartScreen offers an innovative alternative to verbal or paper screenings at a time when companies and their workers can ill-afford the associated risks.â€
“Keeping track of the recommendations and requirements for employee screening, which often vary by state, county and city, has been a complicated and time-consuming process for employers,†said Devjani Mishra, shareholder at Littler and a leader of the firm’s COVID-19 Task Force. “ComplianceHR SmartScreen takes this burden off the employer by providing location-specific screening questionnaires in a scalable and consistent manner that maintains employee privacy.â€
HR Technology News: PeopleKeep, Benefitfocus, and Ascentis Launch New Products for Workforce Health SafetyOpens a new window
Given the range of options available, organizations can now plan for a safer workplace using any of the above offerings that fit in with their requirements – the workforce size, locations, budget, and so on.