Almost all jobs requiring full-time commitments use the same method for processing payroll. The term “payday” refers to the day workers get paid for the money they have earned through their employment.

However, is the practice of having a single payday for all firm employees on the verge of becoming obsolete? Recently, businesses in the United States and worldwide have started using a novel style of payroll processing known as on-demand pay. However, even though this new model is mostly appearing in small enterprises or large organizations with a significant number of part-time workers, it has the potential to catch on and become the standard, so altering the method in which a more substantial number of people receive their income.

What exactly does “on-demand pay” mean?

When an employee has access to on-demand pay, they can take out any outstanding wages at any time rather than wait until their next paycheck. If they want, a worker can even opt to get paid after each shift they work. Dedicated on-demand payroll platforms make it feasible to use this new methodology. These third-party services are connected to the employer’s human resources information system to manage timesheets and compensation entitlements. Big payroll and HR providers such as ADP provide some of these services. The service provider uses this data to maintain an up-to-date total of each employee’s wages. When employees want to check their current balance, they use a private app on their devices. They only need one click to initiate a withdrawal to their preferred payment method, a connected bank account.

What kinds of perks do employees get to enjoy?

Many people in the United States struggle with enough cash flow, particularly those who live paycheck to paycheck. The following are examples of circumstances in which these workers can benefit from on-demand pay:

Managing unplanned expenditures: Employees may find themselves in a position where they are compelled to request a cash advance to deal with unanticipated costs such as medical bills or automobile repairs. With on-demand pay, the employee may withdraw the cash they need from their bank — or already have it accessible if they transfer their income daily. Alternatively, the employee can choose to have it automatically sent to them. When people switch employers, they frequently must make it through a few weeks without a salary before they can consider themselves financially stable again. They can access cash after their first job day because of on-demand compensation.

Amid the epidemic, many workers discovered that they could not report to their places of employment to collect their paychecks or make requests for advances in pay. Even when they cannot leave their homes, employees may access and control their on-demand income using the mobile devices they bring to work. Flexibility is, in the end, the most crucial advantage. Instead of being required to wait for cash until payday, employees are given the option to select a payment plan that better accommodates their needs.

What are the advantages for businesses to take part?

Pay-on-demand has the potential to revolutionize the way employers do business. The following are some of the most important advantages:

On-demand pay allows employees flexibility over when they receive their wages, decreasing any stress associated with waiting for payday. As a result, employees report higher levels of happiness. Employees may also feel thankful to their employer for providing them with this choice, which may enhance their morale, loyalty, and involvement with the company. Cost savings in payroll processing may be a significant cost center for businesses, particularly those with large workforces. Cost savings in this area can be substantial. Payroll is an onerous burden in industries in which most workers are paid on an hourly basis. A payroll solution provided by a third party might simplify ensuring that all employees are paid on time.

Access to analytics: Certain on-demand pay systems can give employers access to the service’s user analytics. The HR staff will be able to better tailor their pay packages to the requirements of the workforce with the help of the insights gleaned from this data. If implemented correctly, on-demand compensation has the potential to benefit both employees and employers alike. However, this strategy has its challenges.

Does on-demand pay come with any potential drawbacks?

It is imperative that before implementing this new strategy, some of the possible problems of an on-demand payroll system be thoroughly investigated and thought through. To begin, most third-party providers assess an additional cost for handling payments. On-Demand pay may result in increased expenses for you, the employer. In addition, the fact that your employees are responsible for paying the costs may cause them to question the legitimacy of the service.

There is also the problem of delegating such an essential task to a third party, which has challenges. Should there be an issue with the quality of their service, your employees may not be compensated. However, suppose you can choose a partner that can provide you with affordable rates and trustworthy service quality. In that case, the advantages of on-demand pay may very well exceed any difficulties.

And if this emerging practice develops into a full-fledged trend, employers who do not adopt it run the risk of being perceived as old-fashioned, at best, or even worse: unfriendly to the needs of their workforce. This could be detrimental to businesses trying to recruit and retain top talent. Although many companies should, at the very least, have it on their radar, early adopters may choose to research it at this time.

Millions around the globe depend on regular salaries and plan their budgets based on paydays. But the lockdown has made personal budgeting much more challenging. Many workers have lost their job and many others are now working remotely. Compounding near universal worries about future and immediate financial security are the added stress and logistical challenges of working from home.

Amid such unpredicted emergency, timely salary payments have grown ever more important and an increasing number of workers in need of cash have come to rely on Employer Salary Advance Schemes (ESAS), also known as on-demand pay. In the blink of an eye, ESAS have grown quite popular for workers in both the United Kingdom and the United States who are looking to stay financially afloat between paydays.

ESAS give workers early access to up to half of their salary, usually for a fee. The key benefit of on-demand pay in contrast with salary-based lending or payday loans is that the worker does not have to borrow any money. Additionally, ESAS usually cost less than traditional loans and thus may be a cheaper and less risky way to receive cash faster.

On-demand pay is not geared simply for lower income earners. ESAS offer more personal finance options that make its potential client base much larger.

According to recent EY research, 80% of survey respondents indicated they would use a form of on-demand pay. Their motives run the gamut. Some see ESAS to cover the cost of emergencies or to facilitate better budgeting and more saving.

From an employer perspective, ESAS could help improve organizational wellbeing by strengthening employee finances. Indeed, on-demand pay is becoming a permanent feature of many employees benefit packages, particularly in the United States and United Kingdom.

In most cases, ESAS providers charge employees directly, thus making the service free or nearly free for employers

So how has the COVID-19 pandemic propelled growth in the ESAS space?

In the early days of the coronavirus-related economic dislocation, demand for ESAS solutions skyrocketed. It has been reported there were more than 5 million downloads of ESAS solutions apps in the Google Play app store in April 2020. The cash advance app Dave saw its number of monthly active users soar by 44% in March 2020, and in April 2020, the app was downloaded more than a million times.

The surging growth of on-demand pay in the months since is a direct reflection of the urgency and opportunity of meeting the financial needs of the so called non-prime market. This segment’s wants tend to be more liquidity-focused, with an emphasis on overdraft protection and on-demand pay, as opposed to the prime market where the search for yield through high-yield savings accounts, robo advisers, and the like is more front of mind.

Targeting the public, health care, and education sectors is another recent trend for ESAS providers. For example, Wagestream, Salary Finance and Earnd have been actively collaborating with the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom. What makes the public sector so appealing is that it is a key access point for millions of workers. In the United Kingdom and the United States, for example, the public sector accounts for around 25 million total employees. To compete effectively in this sector, ESAS providers are shifting towards freemium or employer-fee models as a means of acquiring a larger customer base and compensating for fees through supplementary services.

Further development of ESAS solutions will depend on regulatory environments, consumer adoption, and employer policies. Nevertheless, there are indications on-demand pay may eventually become an integral part of our daily lives. Already one in four payroll professionals believe on-demand pay is an essential part of improving the overall employee experience.

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To be sure, ESAS also comes with inherent risks that may limit its widespread acceptance. In particular, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) highlights lack of credit regulation, low-cost transparency, and the “vicious circle” of dependency on such schemes as the main risks. Even though ESAS is positioned as a cheaper alternative to payday loans, regular usage may grow costly over time.

To mitigate the potential risks and to protect ESAS consumers from inadvertently falling into a cycle of endless debt, the FCA recommends increased transparency, active monitoring, and keeping users informed and up to date on their financial situations.