When your payroll process meets a natural disaster

During times of natural disaster, facilities closure and employee displacement create issues, often unprecedented, affecting payroll and other HR functions. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vital importance of timely and accurate payroll for continued business success. As workforces around the world rapidly moved to work-from-home arrangements, businesses needed to ensure their employees were paid accurately and on time.

Just as organizations were learning to navigate disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas faced an unprecedented event with single-digit temperatures and record snowfall during 2021’s historic winter storm. Commonly referred to as “Snowmageddon,” the historic storm brought Texas to its knees, crippling all modes of transportation and leaving residents held up in their homes for days. In addition, the storm was so unexpected it led to the state’s electric grid failing, leaving millions of Texans without access to electricity.

As the blackouts extended from hours to days, Texas families focused on trying to keep safe and warm in their homes. While payroll was a distant thought for most, meeting payroll on time was of the utmost urgency for most payroll departments, including SWBC PEO.

Payroll is a crucial function within all businesses, and we don’t always see the hoops that payroll processors jump through to ensure that payroll is delivered on time every payday.

 

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