Supporting a Critical Mission with Limited Resources
Le Chaînon supports up to 165 women at a time through a network of more than 140 employees, along with hundreds of volunteers and interns.
To fulfill this mission, the organization must coordinate teams with diverse roles, working across multiple locations and providing around-the-clock support.
As the organization grew, however, managing schedules and payroll became increasingly complex. HR teams relied on multiple Excel spreadsheets, making administrative tasks more time-consuming and increasing the risk of errors.
Le Chaînon needed a solution that could simplify staff scheduling, reduce manual work, and integrate seamlessly with its existing HR systems.
For more than 90 years, Le Chaînon has supported women experiencing vulnerability by providing housing, guidance, and support services. Today, the organization operates three shelters, one donation centre, and two thrift stores, with the capacity to accommodate up to 165 women at any given time.
To carry out this mission, Le Chaînon relies on a team of 140 employees as well as 561 volunteers and interns. As the organization expanded, managing schedules and payroll became increasingly complex. HR teams relied on multiple Excel spreadsheets, increasing the time spent on administrative tasks while creating a greater risk of errors.
Le Chaînon was therefore looking for a solution that could simplify staff scheduling, reduce manual work, and integrate with its existing HR systems (Folks and Nethris).
An Integrated Solution to Simplify HR Management
Evolia enables HR teams and managers to manage all workforce planning activities within a single platform. Integration with the organization's existing systems made adoption easier while minimizing changes to established workflows.
Le Chaînon was particularly impressed by the platform's ease of use—an essential criterion in an environment where employees have varying levels of digital literacy.
The implementation was carried out gradually throughout 2023 and 2024, allowing teams to quickly adopt new features for scheduling, leave management, call-back lists, and payroll processing.
The organization was looking for an intuitive platform that could be used equally well by employees who are comfortable with digital tools and those with less experience.
Integration with Folks and Nethris also facilitated deployment within existing HR processes.
“Beyond saving us a tremendous amount of time, we've significantly reduced errors in timesheets and payroll.”
— Geneviève Lavigueur, Director of Human Resources
Fast and Measurable Results
The impact of the solution was quickly felt within the Human Resources team.
Among the results achieved:
- One full day of administrative work saved every two weeks;
- Payroll processing reduced from an entire day to approximately one hour;
- A significant reduction in timesheet and payroll errors;
- Workforce schedules that can now be planned several months in advance;
- Simplified management of leave requests, shift replacements, and internal communications.
These efficiencies allow the HR team to dedicate more time to strategic, value-added initiatives instead of repetitive administrative tasks.
The platform also provides greater visibility into staffing needs and simplifies the management of diverse teams working across multiple facilities.
Tools to Support Growth
As Le Chaînon continues to expand and plans to add new housing units, the organization remains committed to investing in tools that improve operational efficiency.
The gains achieved with Evolia now allow HR teams to dedicate more time to strategic initiatives and employee support.
For an organization whose mission depends on engaged teams available around the clock, this operational efficiency has become a key enabler of sustainable growth and of meeting the growing needs of the women it serves.