Spotlight on Staff One
Staff One has been serving clients with outsourced HR services and support since 1988. With nearly 30 years in the industry, they have a unique perspective on how best to meet client needs with customized, personalized solutions. Core services include HR consulting, employee benefits, workers’ compensation, risk management, compliance, payroll, and tax administration. They have achieved both ESAC and Certification Institute accreditations, which offer the highest level of accountability in the industry.
We spoke with Staff One to get answers to some of the most common questions we receive from business owners:
1. Are you able to provide me more affordable health insurance than I can find on my own?
Staff One: Yes. Our team of experts provides solutions for the most affordable options and strategies for your health insurance needs.
2. Can I customize my benefit packages?
Staff One: Yes, you have the flexibility to choose your own deductibles, co-pays and contribution strategy.
3. What does it take to get an employee up and running on your service? How does your onboarding process work?
Staff One: Staff One’s onboarding process for new employees is very simple. The client administrator or supervisor enters a name, pay rate and email address for the employee. The employee then receives an email that welcomes him or her to the company and provides a Getting Started tab to complete paperwork. The online portal takes the employee from screen to screen until all documents have been completed.
4. You talk about the employee self-service offering. Why is this a benefit to me or my employees? Why do I care?
Staff One: The employee self-service portal is a secure way to access company data that allows your employees to view their own information, such as benefit election details, pay changes, check stubs, W-2’s and PTO balances, and enables them to make address changes, direct deposit updates, etc. Employees have access to information when they need it and can utilize online tools to enroll in benefits, record life-events, and access policies.
5. How much interaction is there between the PEO and the actual workers? Does a liaison come to my office?
Staff One: At Staff One, we pair each client with an HR Manager who is available for onsite visits. The HR Manager provides onsite trainings, assists with group orientations as needed, handles annual benefit enrollments, oversees investigations, and offers assistance with terminations or employee coaching needs. In addition, our risk management team provides assistance with the evaluation of a safe workplace and safety training.
6. If my employees have an issue, who do they talk to? Do they contact the PEO directly or does everything have to go through me?
Staff One: The communication structure for your employees is set up according to your preferences during the implementation. The employees can have direct access to our benefits department, and/or to your assigned Staff One HR Manager.
7. How much liability goes to the PEO vs the business owner if there is a legal action against the company (sexual harassment, wrongful termination, etc.)? How much assistance do you provide in settling these disputes and at what cost to me?
Staff One: Under the PEO relationship, both the PEO and the business share in the liability if legal action is taken for wrongful termination, sexual harassment, discrimination, etc. Staff One carries employment practice liability insurance (EPLI) and adds the business as an additional insured. Staff One HR Managers want to be directly involved in assisting with documentation, employee investigations and terminations to proactively prevent any liability.
8. Does the PEO have an in-house lawyer that I have access to for consultations? Is there an additional fee for this?
Staff One: No, Staff One does not have an in-house lawyer, but we retain legal counsel if needed to assist our clients. If the client has a need beyond our scope of service and they want to use Staff One legal counsel, then the additional fee is passed on to the client.
9. Who handles state unemployment taxes and claims? Do I have to do anything, what is the extent of my involvement?
Staff One: Staff One handles all state unemployment taxes and claims. In states that require client reporting, the client will provide Staff One with a power of attorney. For claims processing, Staff One uses our internal termination forms provided to answer any unemployment claims. If a claim requires a hearing, the supervisor may be required to attend.
10. I’ve read about losing control of certain aspects of my business if I go with a PEO. What specifically can I not do, or need PEO approval to do, once I sign up?
Staff One: Under the Staff One agreement, it clearly defines the responsibility of Staff One and of the client in order for Staff One to fulfill its obligations. The client does not lose control of any aspect of their business; they only reduce their liability. For example, the business is required to provide a safe, drug free workplace for the employees. Staff One highly encourages the business to follow our suggested policies and procedures in order to be compliant and to avoid penalties and fines on any employment regulations.
11. What, specifically, is the PEO able to do without my consent?
Staff One: The PEO does not need consent to remit or file taxes once the payroll is approved or provide information to any governmental agency for audits or wage disputes.
12. You talk about training and development offerings. What kind of training are you talking about? In what areas is it offered and is it online, onsite, classroom, etc?
Staff One: Staff One provides onsite trainings at least quarterly and an online web learning event every month on various topics such as diversity, sexual harassment, conflict management, fair labor standards act (FLSA), I-9 compliance, time management, progressive discipline and many others, including safety training. We also provide videos that can be reviewed with employees during new hire orientation or departmental trainings.
13. How do you assure me you have remitted my state and federal taxes?
Staff One: Staff One is ESAC accredited. This accreditation is the industry gold standard for a PEO financial reliability. Independent auditors complete quarterly audits to ensure compliance.
14. What makes your PEO unique?
Staff One: Staff One stands out from competitors for several reasons:
- Longevity—We have been in business for more than 26 years. That’s longer than 9 out of 10 PEOs in the industry.
- Integrity—Staff One has earned the ESAC and Certification Institute accreditations, the highest level of accreditations in the PEO industry. We also have independently audited financials for the past 13 years.
- Transparency—Our administrative fee is a flat dollar amount per employee and we break out all billing components.
- Flexibility—We can accommodate clients' needs in multiple ways: PEO, PEO without workers' comp, and ASO.
- Expertise—We require every payroll specialist to get certified as a CPP or FPC, and every HR manager must be certified as a PHR or SPHR. Our technology platform is robust and can add a newly hired employee in just 90 seconds!
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