Africa’s leading payroll and HR technology company, SeamlessHR, in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, recently hosted the top echelon of employers of blue-collar workers in Nigeria in an exclusive event to discuss the optimisation of blue-collar employee welfare and productivity through a new technology solution, Breeze Payer.
Executives from 7up Bottling Company, Guinness Nigeria, Lafarge Cement, Julius Berger, Bua Cement, UACN and others engaged in an interactive session and also participated in a fireside chat led by representatives of the Gates Foundation and the leadership team at SeamlessHR exploring innovative solutions to the pressing challenges faced by Africa’s workforce, specifically unveiling employee welfare improvement and productivity enhancement technology-driven solution.
At the engagement, SeamlessHR unveiled Breeze Payer, a cutting-edge application for employers that will enable drive talent retention among their employees through solutions like Earned Wage Access. This platform enables employers of blue-collar workers to efficiently manage their payroll, facilitate salary and wage disbursements, and connect their workforce to the market of financial value-adding services. The top-of-the-table solution allows employees to access their salaries before payday and manage financial emergencies without paperwork and at a lower cost. Additionally, the platform helps wage earners build their credit history, which can facilitate access to larger loans with longer tenors and improve their overall financial well-being.
Lynn Eisenhart, Deputy Director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, who also spoke on how employee welfare impacts productivity, said, “Employees are our most valuable asset. People stay because of how organisations treat them and the benefits they enjoy during their stay. Blue-collar workers deserve to be empowered by financial services and empowered by their organisations so they can be more productive. We want to give them access to financial resources at their fingertips through the Earned Wage Access platform. This is why we have partnered with SeamlessHR and employers, to leverage employee data and create sustainable solutions.”
In his remarks, CEO of SeamlessHR, Emmanuel Okeleji, spoke on the technology solutions the company has built to improve organisational efficiency, especially for employers and employees. “Alongside our innovative Earned Wage Access platform, a payroll processing system, which aids the seamless management of employee and employer payroll and also facilitates access to low-interest loans, we have also built a comprehensive technology tool to track time and attendance. This integrated solution draws inspiration from successful implementations across the globe, ensuring that blue-collar workers can thrive in an inclusive and supportive work environment. With the partnership of the Gates Foundation and top employers of blue-collar workers, we can create a long-lasting impact on this segment of Africa’s talent.”
Human capital development expert - Professor Dapo Adeleye, Faculty Director of Human Resources Management at Georgetown University, the keynote speaker, gave an outstanding presentation on the importance of employee welfare and the transformative potential of technology in today's workforce.
“We need to shift our perspective and reevaluate the employee value proposition. Instead of solely focusing on top talent, we must recognise that a significant portion of the workforce comprises blue-collar workers at the bottom of the ladder. Extensive research has demonstrated the remarkable impact of earned wage access and financial inclusion on employees' productivity. By prioritising their well-being and providing them with the right tools, we can unlock the true potential of our workforce and drive sustainable growth for our organisations.”, he said.
The second phase of this engagement is set to hold in Kenya as SeamlessHR continues to expand its reach and impact, it remains steadfast in its dedication to empowering African businesses through digital transformation.
About SeamlessHR
SeamlessHR is Africa’s leading payroll and HR technology company, focused on helping businesses manage their entire HR and Payroll lifecycle from hire to retirement, with cutting-edge technology solutions.
With nearly 1,000 medium to large enterprises across over 20 countries, the company has offices in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and recently commenced operations in Botswana. The company recently raised $10million in a Series A round of funding to double down on its impressive pan-African expansion and build out new embedded finance products, some of which will be presented at this event.
SeamlessHR is the technology partner of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the blue-collar worker project in Africa.
