7shifts and Clair partner to redefine how restaurant workers in America get paid

By Edlyn Cardoza

7shifts, an intuitive employee scheduling and management software designed for the restaurant industry, announced a partnership with Clair, a mission-driven, New York-based digital banking platform. Together they will offer free on-demand pay to restaurant staff across America. Clair On-Demand Pay is now available to more than 230,000 restaurant workers who use 7shifts every day. New businesses will soon be able to take advantage of this employee benefit.

This past February, 7shifts raised $80 million in Series C funding led by Softbank. This followed a year of explosive growth as restaurants leveraged the 7shifts platform to drive staff retention and operational efficiency in the face of labour challenges off the back of COVID19.

Together, Clair and 7shifts recognise the changes restaurant workers are looking for, such as flexible hours and flexible pay.

Among the hardest-hit industries by the pandemic were restaurants and hospitality. While unemployment has recovered to 3.8%, the restaurant industry still holds a much higher than the normal unemployment rate. But that is not because there are no jobs to be filled.

The pandemic exposed many issues that employees have with the current work culture, and flexibility is at the forefront of these changes.

“By coming together, Clair and 7shifts make it possible to offer both flexible scheduling and real-time pay, helping restaurants stand out and offer the benefits that today’s workforce is looking for,” shared Nico Simko, Co-Founder & CEO of Clair.

With a shared mission for improving the employee experience, Clair and 7shifts’ partnership was an ideal fit.

“We saw firsthand the impact of the pandemic on this industry. Understanding what is important to restaurant workers – things like flexibility, access to real-time pay –these are ways we can revitalise the industry. Not only bringing people back in but also showing that this is an industry you can build a career on,” says 7shifts CEO Jordan Boesch, “Partnering with Clair means a step forward in fighting the financial inequality that locking earned wages behind a paywall can cause.”

Clair On-Demand Pay slots right into the 7shifts ecosystem to automatically calculate the day’s wages, which can be advanced instantly to employees when they need them for free. It reduces admin headaches for managers and boosts financial security for staff, making it an easy win-win for attracting and retaining a top-quality team.

Innovative strides in HR tech are helping employers support and nurture their staff in generous new ways. Perks like on-demand pay ease the minds of financially strained employees and help foster a more productive, focused, and loyal workforce.

“Clair is functioning as a baseline support for me right now. It’s really nice to have an app that shows you after taxes how much money you’ve earned in your hourly pay. It helps me always stay ahead of my own finances,” shared Chloe, a server that uses 7shifts at her job.

Restaurant scheduling tools make it easier for restaurants to give employees the lifestyle they want. It’s all help make happier employees eager to stick around for the long haul.