Quill update: Staff have reverted to a working-from-home model for the foreseeable future
Over the course of the past few weeks, we’ve been preparing for the increasingly inevitable point at which we close our offices and operate from home.
Following the government’s advice yesterday that employees should work from home where possible, we’ve decided to reduce our office staffing to a tiny skeleton number with everyone else operating from home until further notice. Where required, we’ll provide training and client account management service online. We’ll transition to this operational model during the course of today, Tuesday 17th March 2020.
Our objective is to keep as close to a ‘business-as-usual’ model as possible with the following arrangements:
Following communication from our data centre providers we expect Interactive to function normally – do bear in mind that our Windows desktop integration toolkit with Word and Outlook allows you to operate paper-free from home. We can set you up and provide remote training, if needed.
Our development team will continue to release software enhancements – many of our new features work very well on a mobile device so download Interactive from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Remember we also provide access to a comprehensive online forms and e-submission library if you too are stuck at home and have no access to your current desktop-based provider.
Our support team is available to help with any questions or queries you may have. Our auto-attendant phone system will ensure your calls are answered and directed to the relevant support expert. Alternatively, contact us by email.
For those of you using our Pinpoint cashiering service, your cashier will make contact through the usual channels and we anticipate continuing to service your bookkeeping needs as now. All our cashiers have been reminded of their duties relating to client confidentiality while working at home. If you don’t already provide online read-only access to your bank accounts, a move to allow that now would be appreciated. We can also provide a payment service through MoneyChain with certain banks if you’re short staffed.
For Interactive clients who may be struggling for cashiering support through illness or self-isolation, do please get in contact with us as we’ll aim to provide you with interim cover.
Our Payroll team is operating as usual and will process your payroll to agreed SLAs. We’re in contact with HMRC with regard to processing SSP in light of last week’s budget and await direction. In the meantime, please report any coronavirus-related sickness or self-isolation to us as usual and we’ll make the necessary sick pay enhancements.
Our Bookkeeping team is currently operating normally.
If you’ve got limited typing support due to staff absence, there’s our Type service with access to an extensive team of UK-based professional typists.
Of course, there will inevitably be some disruption while we transition to the home working model but we intend to keep this to an absolute minimum. Similarly, we have no visibility in terms of what’s in store for us over this period and if matters change materially, I will revert to you. If there’s anything we can do to support you further, please get in touch.
Please take care of yourselves in these unprecedented times.
