Hybrid working – what does it mean for your Direct Debit payments?
The rise of hybrid working
Almost half of all working adults worked from home during the Covid pandemic, and many discovered a better work-life balance as a result. Unsurprisingly, once restrictions lifted, working patterns expanded in some workplaces to include home and hybrid working. More flexible options such as these are now standard practice in many organisations, especially those in a competitive workforce market. Hybrid working was not a common term pre-pandemic, but now it is the second highest working location after ‘travelling to work’.
What challenges does hybrid working have for your Direct Debit payments?
Managing and processing Direct Debit payments is a critical function for many organisations, and any delays or errors can be incredibly costly both financially and reputationally. With more and more staff working from home at least some or all of the time, organisations might want to consider any new risk factors that these changes have introduced, and plug any gaps in order protect this vital payment method.
Here are just some of the risks that organisations might want to assess if they have staff working from home or hybrid working and handling Direct Debit payments:
- System Access – can key and authorised staff access key software and be able to sign and submit Bacs payments outside of the office? Do your team have the hardware needed to perform payment tasks and mobile telephone numbers when things go wrong so they can contact for resolution quickly?
- Data Security – What protections are in place to safeguard data and submission when outside of the office? When handling personal and financial information, it is critical that this be kept under constant review and strictly within the organisations Information Security framework.
- People – Do you have enough contingency in place should key members not be able to send, sign or submit Bacs files or deal with Direct Debit reports in a prompt manner? Does your organisation know what critical functions may not be completed if unexpected leave is taken. Is there a deputy or reporting system in place, so that the organisation can respond quickly to emergency or unexplained leave. The people element can be the hardest and most critical factor when staff are no longer in an office environment – what a designated staff member not responding or communicating for whatever reason, is far harder to see, ask, act and resolve as quickly.
There are always many complex layers to organisational systems and processes when it comes to evaluating and managing risk and contingency planning. Whilst many organisations will have evolved their processes considering lessons learned during the pandemic, the workplace is still evolving quickly, bringing fresh new risks. What worked three months ago might present hidden risks that are just not identified until it is too late. The pressure to constantly keep on top of risk when it comes to secure and compliant Direct Debit payments is relentless.
Reduce your risk and get peace of mind?
We know that you are busy focusing on your charity’s impact and that ensuring risk-free Direct Debit payments is just one more headache you could do without. As a fully compliant and secure Bacs Approved Bureau, it is our job to help you manage this risk and take away the strain, so you can focus on your charity’s impact instead.
We have experienced a sharp increase in charitable organisations approaching us to manage their Direct Debit payments recently, this is often when they are closing their physical offices or moving to hybrid working. Outsourcing your Direct Debits to CommittedGiving means you are handing over to charity-experts in payment processing. It is our job to ensure complete compliance and security. It is our job to ensure that our technology keeps us well ahead of the curve, saving you money and time.
To discover more, please contact us for a free 30-minute consultation – no obligation, and we promise no hard sell!