This article is about Justworks PEO. What product am I using?
Welcome to Justworks! Whether you're joining our Justworks PEO Basic or Plus plan, we're excited to support your team with a streamlined platform for HR, payroll, and benefits administration. This guide walks you through the onboarding process and what to expect from start to finish. This guide will help you understand which actions to take now, what decisions are coming up, and how to make the most of your onboarding experience.
Getting Started
Now that you’ve created your account, the following setup tasks need to be completed before inviting your employees and running your first payroll.
Enter your Company’s Bank Account
Once you’ve entered your company’s bank account details in your Justworks PEO account, select a bank verification method.
- Instant verification (recommended): We use Plaid to securely verify your company’s bank account instantly. All you need to do is select your bank, login and your account will be verified.
- Manual verification: You will receive two small deposits (less than $1 each) within 24-48 business hours. You will need to enter these amounts in your Justworks account to confirm your company’s bank account.
Update your Employee’s Exemption Status
You'll also need to confirm the exemption status of your employees—specifically, whether they are overtime-exempt or non-exempt. This designation affects how employees are entitled to be paid. Justworks provides access to the Exempt/Non-Exempt Wizard to help you record these statuses accurately and in bulk.
Configure the Payroll Period and Pay Frequency
Once you have added your employees’ exemption statuses, you will be prompted to choose a pay frequency. The pay frequency is how often your employees will regularly receive paychecks through the platform. You will be able to choose a standard pay frequency, or customize one if your business does not operate on a traditional Monday-Friday work schedule.
- Refer to this article to learn more about configuring your pay frequency and the levels of customization available to you.
Member Onboarding and Enrollment
After your account is configured, it’s time to onboard your employees. This ensures they’re added correctly and have what they need to complete their own onboarding tasks.
Introduce Justworks to Your Team
We recommend starting with an introduction to Justworks so your team knows what to expect. You can share our ready-to-use Welcome Deck, which explains the platform and its benefits in simple terms. It’s also helpful to share our employee-facing Help Center articles, which cover frequently asked questions and step-by-step guidance. Providing these resources in advance can reduce confusion and make onboarding smoother for everyone.
Invite Your Team
You can invite your whole team at once through the platform, and they’ll receive prompts to submit their personal details and sign required documents.
- Navigate to Manage > Employees, then click ‘Send [#] Invitations’ when you're ready.
- We encourage employees to download the Justworks Mobile App to easily manage their account, view paystubs and benefits, request time off, submit expense reimbursements, and access the company calendar and directory.
Employees, Contractors, and Vendors
Now is a good time to add any US-based contractors, international contractors (39$/contractor), or vendors to the platform. Each one will need to create a Justworks profile to receive payment. There is no cost to them for doing so.
- You can monitor onboarding progress in real time using the Onboarding Status Report which is housed under the Reports section of your account, this shows you who has completed their tasks and who may still need a nudge.
- You can also download a census report to double-check employees’ job details are recorded accurately.
Please note: if an employee has not completed onboarding by the time of your first payroll processing deadline, they may experience delays in receiving their first paycheck.
Accounting Firms and Third-Party Admins
Justworks makes it easy to collaborate with external partners by allowing you to grant access to CPAs, accountants, controllers, bookkeepers, fractional CFOs, and tax or financial advisors.
These third-party admins can be given different permission levels based on the access you want them to have, and they do not count toward your team member pricing. This flexibility lets trusted partners manage your account or run payroll on your behalf while keeping your internal team streamlined.
- To add an accountant or third-party admin, follow this guide: Adding 3rd Party Admins and Accountants
Complete the Employer Section of the Form I-9
The Form I-9 is a federal form used to verify an employee’s identity and authorization to work in the United States. Employers must complete it for each new hire. Justworks helps facilitate this process during employee onboarding.
As the employer, you’ll need to complete Section 2 of the I-9 for each employee after the employee completes Section 1. When entering the employment start date, use your company’s Justworks start date for all current employees.
Entering Employee Visa Statuses (if applicable)
Some employees may have visa statuses that exempt them from FICA or FUTA taxes. If that applies to your team, you’ll need to record their tax exemptions directly in their profiles by editing the “Current Position” section.
Wage Garnishments (if applicable)
Wage garnishments are court-ordered deductions from an employee’s paycheck to repay debts like child support or unpaid taxes. Employers are required to withhold and remit these payments to the appropriate agency. Justworks manages this process automatically at no additional cost.
- Please provide original copies of all active garnishment orders to your Justworks onboarding team and we will take it from there!
Explore and Select Benefits
Details about the benefits available through Justworks can be found below.
Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance Benefits
Applies to Justworks PEO Plus plan customers only.
As the employer, you will be responsible for selecting plans and employer benefit contributions for your employees during the onboarding process and before you even run payroll or go live on Justworks.
After you complete the company benefits plan selection process, your company will enter a phase called Open Enrollment, which typically begins in the middle of the month prior to your company’s Justworks start date. During this time, eligible employees can choose their health and wellness benefits through the platform. Employees will receive email reminders from Justworks to complete their selections, and you’ll receive a summary report confirming who has enrolled.
Ancillary Benefits (Optional)
Applies to both Justworks PEO Basic and Justworks PEO Plus plan customers.
Ancillary benefits are optional perks that go beyond core health insurance. These may include offerings like life insurance, disability coverage, commuter benefits, and wellness programs. They enhance your overall benefits package and support a broader range of employee needs.
If you’d like to offer ancillary benefits not already included in your plan, you can set them up at any time by navigating to HR > Benefits > Offer More Benefits. These benefits are optional and can be added now or later, depending on what works best for your team. In many cases, your company may be able to offer them at no additional cost. You can explore pricing and details by clicking into each benefit within the Benefits tab.
If you are transitioning providers, you’ll have a few additional tasks related to benefits enrollment and prior provider transitions, please read the section ahead for more information.
Prior Provider Transitions
You’ll want to cancel any existing HR, payroll, or insurance provider relationships before your Justworks coverage takes effect.
Make sure:
- Your current payroll provider ends the day before your Justworks start date.
- Existing health insurance plans are canceled the day before the effective date of your new Justworks benefits.
- If you provide workers’ comp or NYS disability insurance, those policies should also end on your Justworks start date.
- If you have an Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) policy, you can cancel it if you prefer to use Justworks’ EPLI policy. Note: If you keep your external EPLI policy, the external policy would need to be the primary policy.
- Close any state withholding tax accounts, if applicable, once you’ve confirmed Justworks will be taking over those filings.
- Please note: If you are a California employer, you must keep your CA tax accounts open and provide your account details to your Justworks onboarding team.
Your Onboarding team can help you coordinate these transitions to prevent gaps in coverage or double charges.
Optional Setup Tasks to Customize Your Account
As you approach your Justworks start date, there are a few optional configuration steps you may want to take to further tailor the platform to your company’s needs. These tasks are not required but can help enhance your team’s experience and streamline operations from day one!
Assigning Manager and Company Permissions
Assign admin or manager permissions to any additional team members who need platform access. This might include brokers, temps, or other HR staff. Once permissions are assigned, they’ll receive an invitation to set up their profile.
- You can grant or update permissions by navigating to Company > Permissions or by navigating directly to the members profile and clicking on their Settings tab.
- There are two different types of permissions, Manager level and Company level permissions, which involve varying levels of access.
Set Up Time Off Policies
If you plan to track paid time off within Justworks, this is a good time to upload your PTO policy so employees can begin submitting requests. You can read our comprehensive guide here. It’s advisable to check your local and state laws for paid time off requirements.
Track Time with Ease Using Justworks' Advanced Time Tracking
If you have hourly employees, Justworks’ Advanced Time Tracking makes it easy to record and manage hours. Employees can clock in and out from any device, and approved hours automatically sync to their Timecards. With geofencing, you can ensure time is only tracked at designated locations.
You can enable this feature from the Product Details page in the Timecards tab. The cost is $8 per active hourly user.
Manual Deductions for External Benefits
If your company offers external benefits (like a 401(k) from another provider) you can enter those as manual deductions in each employee’s profile.
Set Up Expenses
Justworks also provides an Expenses tool that lets employees submit expense reports for reimbursement through payroll. If your company reimburses business expenses, consider enabling this feature before your first payroll run.
Finally, Justworks will generate your first invoice, which will include any insurance premiums and your monthly platform fee.
You’re Live! What Happens Next?
Once your start date arrives, your company is officially live on the Justworks platform.
At this point, your Onboarding team will request a year-to-date (YTD) payroll report. This report ensures we account for all previously paid wages so we can accurately calculate your company’s FICA and FUTA tax liabilities.
You’ll also be invited to a Payroll Overview call, where the Onboarding team will walk you through your Payments dashboard, best practices when running payroll, answer any final questions, and help prepare you for your first payroll run.
Running Your First Payroll
Payroll with Justworks is designed to run smoothly and with minimal effort on your part.
If you have hourly or non-exempt salaried employees, you’ll receive a reminder to submit timecards. These reminders go out to admins and managers with timecard permissions.
- Review this guide if you plan on paying employees with timecards.
- Once timecards are submitted and all employee records are complete, Justworks will automatically run payroll. No additional steps are needed unless something changes.
This moment is worth celebrating—it marks your official launch with Justworks!
Need Additional Support?
Your Justworks Onboarding team is here to help from start to finish. If you need additional support, our help center offers how-to articles, compliance resources, and platform guides.
Disclaimer
This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for accounting, legal or tax advice. If you have any legal or tax questions regarding this content or related issues, then you should consult with your professional legal or tax advisor.