Guides & Whitepapers
Our whitepapers and guides collect our best thought leadership and expert advice on a wide variety of HR and finance topics. (And they’re beautifully designed, so you’ll actually enjoy reading them.)
It’s become a cliché these days to complain that we all have shorter attention spans than ever before. And yet our whitepapers and longform guides continue to be some of our most popular thought leadership content. We think it’s because attention spans tend to increase when the subject matter is compelling and the advice is practical and usable. In any case, as long as you keep reading, we’ll keep writing!

Return to Work Checklist for Healthcare Organizations
For healthcare organizations who have been forced to temporarily close due to the public health crisis, a quick return to work is a matter of survival—for both business and your patients. However, in this industry it’s absolutely essential to take all possible steps to ensure a safe workplace for everybody. The good news is, being adaptable and following best practices will make a big difference. Download Return to Work Checklist Ensuring Safety Healthcare organizations returning to work are in a unique position. There is no question of their importance—there is an ever-growing backlog of procedures needing done, and many people’s livelihoods depend on these being able to be completed soon. However, it’s understandable that employees and...
Coronavirus Return To Work Letter Template For Employers
As states gradually reopen, HR leaders are working overtime to ensure that workplaces are safe for everyone. The “new normal” will be different to what came before, and employees will understandably have lots of questions about what action has been taken. Communicate all the necessary information to returning employees with a Welcome Back letter. Download COVID-19 Return To Work Letter Template WFH v The Workplace These letters are tailored to employees who are required to be present at an actual workplace, at least most of the time. Remember that if possible it’s still advisable to allow remote work. The more employees who work remotely, the easier social distancing will be for those who can’t—which makes things safer for everyone....
Coronavirus Return to Work Guidelines, Checklist Included
UPDATE July 30: This article has been updated to take into account the CDC’s latest guidance on self-isolation, issued on June 20.As many stay-at-home orders begin to expire, state government leaders across the country are implementing plans to reopen businesses. Many businesses are also deciding when is the right time to bring staff back to work. As an HR leader, you’re focused on making decisions that ensure the safety of your workforce, and it’s critical that you have detailed strategies and protocols in place before bringing staff back to the office. In this article, we’ll cover the various considerations HR and business leaders must keep in mind when reopening work locations. Download COVID-19 Return to Work Checklist CDC Return to...
9 Ways to Manage Costs and Prepare for Future Growth
In this guide, Paycor outlines nine ways to cut costs, with an eye toward a return to health and profitability in the future. Some of these approaches you’ll have already implemented, others might not work for your business. Rather, the list is meant as a framework for a conversation between CFOs and HR leaders, both of who will come to these decisions with a unique and valuable perspective.![Creating a Coronavirus Mask Policy for Work [with Template]](https://paycor.imgix.net/ample_admin/attachments/files/000/032/381/screen_xs/coronavirus-workplace-mask-policy.jpg?ixlib=rails-2.1.4)
Creating a Coronavirus Mask Policy for Work [with Template]
By now, the evidence is clear—masks work. Face-coverings protect the wearer and those around them. Many localities are mandating the wearing of masks in public areas. However, as we face a winter of disruption, private companies also have a role to play fighting the spread of Covid-19. Creating a mask policy is a great start. Download Coronavirus Mask Policy Template For Your Organization Coronavirus Masks: Changing Evidence As our understanding of COVID evolves, there’s been a lot of debate about the effectiveness and best use of masks. Initially, masks were seen as necessary for healthcare workers but overkill for the general public. Now there’s a growing consensus that masks and face coverings can help prevent the spread of...
How To Rehire Furloughed Employees (with Template)
Furloughed employees agree to take an unpaid leave of absence in an effort to help their organizations cut costs temporarily. From the employer’s point of view, this helps them survive an unprecedented economic downturn but still retain the talent their business needs to come back, hopefully better and stronger than ever. As you know, employers across America have been forced to furlough employees.The May jobs report gave us the first signs that the economy is coming back to life, with companies bringing their employees back to work (though not necessarily together in a physical office space.) Although, regrettably, not all jobs will return, the signs are hopeful that more and more employees will soon be back at work.If you’re...
If an Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19, Here’s What to Do
Rates of Covid-19 are rising across the country, and no matter where you are, you need to have a plan in place for if and when an employee gets sick or tests positive. Below you’ll find a step-by-step guide on how your company should proceed if one of your employees tests positive for Coronavirus, based on the latest guidance from the CDC. Get Template Letter to Use if Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19 6 Steps To Take If an Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19 Offer Support We’re all moving fast in this new world and it can feel like we’re flying blind, so this is just a reminder of what you already know: if an employee lets you know they’ve tested positive for COVID-19, take a moment to be there for them. As a leader of your company,...
Essential Business Letter (Template)
As communities across the country see rising rates of Covid-19, local lockdowns are once again a consideration for many businesses. In certain areas, most businesses may be forced to temporarily shut their doors or move to remote work—only “essential businesses” will be unaffected. Knowing what counts as an essential business (and being able to prove it) is therefore essential. Download Essential Business Letter Template What Counts as an Essential Business? Back in March, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA, overseen by the Department of Homeland Security) issued guidance on what business count as critical infrastructure. Some businesses are obviously essential—hospitals, pharmacies and law enforcement. The list...Recruiting

Structured Interview Questions For Employers: Downloadable Template
Add structure – hire faster. Structured interviews keep hiring on track and prevent missteps.Unstructured interviews tend to introduce error and bias into the hiring process. If you’re looking to hire impartially or you’re experiencing a stage of rapid growth, it’s very possible you’re looking to implement some form of structured hiring. Download Employer Interview Question To Ask Candidates One of the most common problems all recruiters and talent acquisition professionals face is getting consistent and useful feedback from hiring managers. The problem gets worse when you are looking to hire for many roles in a short period of time.Structured interviews involve the use of standardized interview questions and incorporate a scoring system...
How To Create a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Policy - Template Included
Many employees are working remotely so now you have to ask: should they take company equipment (laptops for example) home or should they use their own personal devices?If you have the option to give employees company equipment for home use—great, do it—just make sure you document the process and get everyone to sign on the dotted line.Download BYOD TemplateBut for many companies, there’s just not enough “company equipment” to go around, in which case you’ll have to develop your own Bring You Own Device (BYOD) policy to establish best practices and expectations. What is a BYOD (Bring Your own Device) Policy? There are advantages to BYOD. Employees can work with the devices they prefer and know well, and you may be able to cut costs and...
Coronavirus Layoffs and Furloughs: Letters, Templates and Forms
Everyone is Feeling the Pain of COVID-19 After a summer of recovery, America is experiencing a winter surge. Businesses are once again facing a season of uncertainty, with the threat of reduced demand or local lockdowns. In order to survive, more tough decisions may have to be made. Access The Furlough Letter Templates Understand What a Layoff Means A layoff is a termination of an employee’s contract with your company due to issues unrelated to their performance. In normal times, layoffs occur as a natural response to downsizing, cash flow and cost containment strategies. Layoffs can be temporary or permanent, though employers are not obligated to guarantee that their initial optimistic offer of a temporary layoff won’t become permanent...
5 Ways to Make Work from Home Successful
There are nearly five million workers in the U.S. who telecommute (work from home) for at least a portion of the week, according to a recent survey by Global Workplace Analytics and Flexjobs. That’s an increase of 159% over 12 years. Working from home is no longer a “nice to have” for job candidates and employees—it’s a perk that workers are starting to demand. Remote employees tend to be more productive, healthy and less stressed, but there are some considerations to keep in mind as you transition your workforce to a WFH environment. Access The Work From Home Agreement Template Set Clear Expectations for Your Employees Company leadership and managers need to set clear expectations from the beginning. What hours of the day do you expect...
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Paycor recently surveyed more than 700 business leaders about their people management practices. The findings might surprise you.
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Unlock the True Power of HR
In many ways, this is the whitepaper that started it all: Unlock the True Power of HR. We surveyed business leaders of medium and small companies and found that less than 10% of HR professionals devote time to making their case and proving the value of HR to the C-suite. Frankly, that finding surprised us, and so we decided to do something about it. The HR Center of Excellence provides HR leaders with actionable plans that help them assess, optimize and excel at the six most important pillars of HR: benefits, people management, compliance, employee experience, labor costs and recruiting. Unlock the True Power of HR is based in large part on proprietary data gleaned from our active customer base of more than 30,000 companies. It’s the foundation of much of the work that came after, and we look forward to building on the story in the years to come.