HR

A PEO relationship is structured as a co-employment partnership with clearly defined roles. You remain the employer at the worksite and retain full control over your employees’ day-to-day experience. This includes managing schedules, job duties, performance, compensation decisions, and workplace culture.

We serve as the employer of record for employment administration and compliance. This means we handle core HR and regulatory responsibilities such as payroll processing, payroll tax filings and quarterly reporting, unemployment claim administration, required state and federal filings, and year-end documents like W-2s.

This division of responsibilities allows you to focus on leading your team and running your business, while we manage the administrative, compliance, and regulatory aspects of employment.

That largely depends on your needs and priorities. Our services are designed to be flexible, allowing you to offload administrative, compliance, and advisory HR work so your team can focus on running the business. Common areas we support include:

• Developing and maintaining HR policies and employee handbooks
• Reviewing and updating existing handbooks for compliance
• Guidance on discipline and corrective action
• Employee recordkeeping and documentation through our HRIS (PrismHR)
• Performance management coaching and employee relations support
• Manager training and leadership development

We work with you to determine which responsibilities make the most sense to transition to our team, ensuring clear ownership, efficient processes, and the right level of support for your organization.

Our approach is to encourage employees to work directly with their internal leadership whenever possible. We believe workplace questions and concerns are best addressed within the organization, by managers who understand the business, the team, and the context. Our role is not to replace your leadership, but to support it. We work closely with you to ensure you are well prepared and confident when employees come to you with questions or concerns. This includes providing guidance, best practices, and coaching so you can address issues appropriately and effectively. By partnering with you in this way, we help strengthen your management team’s skills and confidence; while ensuring you have expert HR support behind the scenes whenever it’s needed.

Yes, you may continue to use your existing handbook. As part of our partnership, we typically conduct a brief review to ensure the policies are current and compliant with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws. Because employment regulations change frequently, this review helps identify any updates or adjustments that may be needed. Our goal is not to replace your handbook unnecessarily, but to confirm it remains accurate, compliant, and aligned with your organization.

Yes. As the employer of record, we manage unemployment claims on your behalf and serve as the primary point of contact with the state. We prepare and submit responses, monitor timelines, and ensure all required documentation is provided accurately and on time. Because you are closest to the employee and the circumstances surrounding separation, we partner with your organization to gather the facts and details the state requires to make a determination. Unemployment claims are most successful when handled collaboratively, combining your firsthand knowledge with our expertise in unemployment regulations and claim management. If a claim proceeds to adjudication or a formal hearing, we work closely with you to prepare and train the appropriate individuals. While we guide the process and help develop the strategy, your participation is essential—hearing outcomes are strongest when testimony comes directly from those involved in the termination and who can clearly explain the events that led to the separation. This partnership approach helps ensure claims are handled efficiently, compliantly, and with the best possible chance of a favorable outcome.

You always retain the final decision on whether to contest an unemployment claim. Our role is to support you by responding to the state with accurate information regarding the separation, regardless of whether you elect to formally challenge the claim. It’s important to note that in certain states, employees who are discharged for cause may not be eligible for unemployment benefits. In those cases, we are often required to provide the state with the relevant facts surrounding the termination. Ultimately, however, the state not the employer or the PEO—makes the final determination regarding an individual’s eligibility for unemployment benefits. We work with you to ensure responses are handled compliantly, consistently, and in alignment with your preferences, while meeting all state reporting requirements.

Do you take care of that for us? While the PEO does not typically conduct terminations on your behalf, we play a critical role in helping you manage the process effectively and appropriately. Because terminations are best handled by the employer who has direct knowledge of the employee’s performance and conduct, we focus on preparing and supporting you through the process. We provide guidance on compliance considerations, documentation, messaging, and timing, and we help you plan the conversation so you can approach it with confidence and clarity. Our level of involvement is tailored to your needs—from behind the-scenes coaching to real-time support—ensuring you are well prepared to handle the situation professionally and consistently. This approach helps protect your organization while reinforcing strong, confident leadership.

Yes, we have a program that provides automatic poster updates for your locations as well as a widget in the employee portal so all employees will have access to their applicable state employment posters. As a new client you will be enrolled in this program.

While the co-employment relationship formally begins once an employee is hired and completes onboarding, we do offer tools and support to assist with your hiring process. This includes access to applicant tracking, job posting capabilities, and standardized offer letter tools to help streamline and organize recruitment activities. You maintain full control over candidate selection and hiring decisions, while we provide resources that make the process more efficient and compliant.