See How This Company Is Caring For Its People During COVID-19

Ultimate Software and Kronos Incorporated, leaders in the human capital management (HCM) and workforce management space, recently merged to become one of the largest cloud companies in the world.

But just as the two companies were joining forces, COVID-19 emerged. The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way millions of people work and organizations conduct business. And while some day-to-day aspects at Ultimate and Kronos have changed — for example, nearly all 12,000 employees are now working virtually — the core principles of the combined company’s culture remain intact, and seem to be growing stronger by the day.

While simultaneously navigating COVID-19 and the close of its merger, Kronos and Ultimate have embraced their shared guiding principles of keeping employees safe, over-communicating, building trust, strengthening the culture, serving the community, and always putting people first. In fact, the leadership team has taken its culture of caring to the next level — and the results have not only benefited employees, but also customers and communities across the globe.

CEO Aron Ain and the Kronos-Ultimate leadership team have fostered an environment of constant communication with all employees. Outside of sharing office updates, new HR programs and resources, and safety procedures, Aron records weekly internal vlogs on Friday afternoons for all employees — a personalized way to provide insight on business, share customer feedback, and to reinforce the importance of caring for others and themselves. During these communications, Aron encourages employees to step away from their work to take some downtime, be with their families, and focus on self-care, reinforcing the company’s culture of trust and care.

Kronos and Ultimate also jointly established an Employee Relief Fund for their people, including those whose significant others may have had jobs impacted or those who incur high medical bills as a result of COVID-19. The combined company also partnered with the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s global COVID-19 Response Fund to support communities worldwide and, in particular, healthcare workers and vulnerable individuals. As a result of corporate donations, individual donations, and an employee-matching program, the newly combined company and its employees have contributed more than $2 million to these two funds.

Continuing to serve organizations during COVID-19, Kronos launched an employee contact-tracing capability to help its customers support essential workers during the pandemic and manage a safe reopening protocol for the future. The capability analyzes labor records and time and attendance data, so organizations can quickly identify and communicate with employees who may have come in contact with a coworker who tests positive or is presumed positive for COVID-19. This also allows companies to partner with health officials to ensure their people receive proper care and direction to help reduce the risk of further transmission.

Ultimate also delivered product enhancements to help customers navigate business challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, including features for navigating new employer-related legislation, a new crisis check-in employee pulse survey, and tools for instant communication and notifications to employees. 

Early on during the pandemic, Ultimate and Kronos quickly curated a website with virtual-work resources for employees, as well as a Kids’ Corner website, compiling various educational resources and entertaining activities to support working parents who are balancing remote work and home-schooling. This resource is free and available for all parents.

Additionally, Kronos and Ultimate each developed an external thought-leadership resource hub that provides customers, HR professionals, and business leaders with tools to lead through times of uncertainty. It is updated regularly with webcasts, whitepapers, blog posts, and other assets to aid companies of all sizes and industries navigate COVID-19 and the impact it has on employees and business.

Extending their support to the community, employee groups at both Kronos and Ultimate have worked to help fill the national void of personal protective equipment by using sewing machines to create masks and 3D printers to create face shields for frontline workers and essential employees around the country. Additionally, Ultimate team members have rallied the support of colleagues and local businesses to deliver meals to first responders and healthcare workers. To date, the effort has provided more than 5,000 meals in South Florida, New York, and Toronto.

And because the critical work of non-profit organizations remains vital during COVID-19, the combined company has continued offering virtual volunteer opportunities that empower employees to give back remotely with organizations such as the American Red Cross, United Nations, and Translators without Borders. Team members have since used their paid service days to contribute to global efforts that aid in pandemic relief.

While COVID-19 has brought many uncertainties, at least one thing remains certain: Ultimate and Kronos remain committed to serving, supporting, and protecting their people. Now working together, the combined company is even better positioned to continue caring for employees, customers, and the community in the days, months, and years ahead.

--

Fairygodboss is proud to partner with Ultimate Software.