One all-in markup
One markup on the person's pay covers employer taxes, unemployment insurance, workers' comp, payroll and compliance.
Employer of Record for small businesses
Hire one person in a new state. Without registering there.
You found the person. They live where your company has no payroll. WorkGenius becomes their legal employer: W-2, state taxes, unemployment insurance, workers' comp and benefits. You manage the work. They start next week.
On payroll within 24 hours of a signed offer. All 50 states.
You · the company
- Choose the person
- Set pay and start date
- Manage their day-to-day
Hand off employment
Employer of Record- Employ them (W-2) in their state
- Payroll, withholding and filings
- Workers' comp and unemployment insurance
- Benefits enrollment
- Onboarding, I-9 and E-Verify
Sound familiar?
All of that, for one person. Not worth it.
Say you run a nine-person company in Oregon and just hired your first sales rep on the East Coast. Before they can be paid, someone has to work through the first list. With WorkGenius, it is the second.
Doing it yourself
- Register your company as an employer in the state
- Open a state income tax withholding account
- Open a state unemployment insurance account and pay the new-employer rate
- Add the state to your workers' compensation policy, or buy a separate one
- Learn the state's paid leave, final pay and notice rules
- Report the new hire to the state within its deadline
- File wage reports every quarter, for as long as the person works there
And then again for the next state.
With WorkGenius
- Send us the offer details: who, where, pay, start date
- We employ them as a W-2 employee in their state. Registrations, accounts and policies are already in place
- They are on payroll within 24 hours of the signed offer
- You get one weekly invoice and see every cost in the application
Same for the next state. We are already registered there.
Skip the first list.
How it works
Three steps. One of them is yours.
- 01
Tell us about the hire
Who they are, where they live, what you pay them and when they start. That is all we need.
- 02
We employ them
WorkGenius makes the offer and becomes the W-2 employer in their state. I-9, E-Verify, tax forms, workers' comp and benefits enrollment are handled on our side.
- 03
You run the work
They report to you from day one. You approve hours or set the salary, and we run payroll, taxes and filings for as long as they are with you.
Onboarding
Offer signed today. On payroll tomorrow.
No registration cycle, no waiting for a state account number. We are already the employer in every state, so the only thing between a signed offer and a first day is the paperwork we do overnight.
What the hire would take on your own24hours From signed offer to payroll
What you pay
One markup. One invoice. No entity.
You pay the person's wage plus one all-in markup. There is no entity to set up, no state account to open and no minimum headcount to reach first.
One weekly invoice
Every person and every cost on one invoice, by cost center if you want it that way.
Benefits billed separately
Health coverage, 401(k) and more are available through WorkGenius plans and billed separately from the markup.
Get a quote for your hire.
Is this for you?
Fits if you are small and suddenly in two states.
- You have staff in two or more states, or are about to. One remote employee counts.
- You are hiring in a state where your company runs no payroll.
- You need the person working in days, not after a registration cycle.
- You have one to a handful of people like this. One is enough to start.
Probably not if
- You already run payroll in that state and only need software. A payroll provider is cheaper.
- You want to co-employ staff under your own entity in every state. That is a PEO.
FAQ
Questions small companies ask
Is this a PEO?
No. A PEO co-employs your staff under your own entity, so you still register and file in every state. An Employer of Record is the sole legal employer of the person. You need no entity, no state accounts and no filings there.
Who does the person work for?
Legally, WorkGenius: we are the W-2 employer, we run payroll and we carry the employment obligations. Day to day, you: you set the work, the hours and the pay, and the person reports to you.
How fast can they start?
They are on payroll within 24 hours of a signed offer. Onboarding, I-9 and E-Verify run the same day, so a hire agreed this week can work next week.
Does this work for just one person?
Yes. One person in one new state is the most common way companies start. Nothing changes when the second or the tenth joins, in that state or any other.
What benefits do they get?
Access to health coverage, 401(k) and more through WorkGenius plans, the kind a nine-person company cannot usually offer on its own. Benefits are billed separately.
What if they move to another state later?
We are already the registered employer in all 50 states. A move changes the withholding and filings on our side, not a project on yours. Tell us the move date and we handle the rest.
Can we hire them onto our own payroll later?
Yes. Once you are set up as an employer in their state, the person can move onto your own payroll. Talk to us about the timing before you register, so nothing is paid twice.
Does it work for hourly or part-time staff?
Yes. We employ hourly and salaried people alike. Hourly staff log their hours in the application and you approve them. For whole crews that change every week, see our hourly crews page.
What does it cost?
One all-in markup on the person's pay, covering employer taxes, workers' comp, unemployment insurance, payroll and compliance, on one weekly invoice. Benefits are billed separately. Talk to us for a quote on your hire.
Which states do you cover?
All 50. We are already the registered employer, with tax accounts, filings and workers' comp in place, in every state. Pick the state below to see what applies there.
Hire them where they are.
Tell us who, where and when. We employ them, and you get back to work.
Free consultation, no commitment.