Justworks Review
- Justworks offers a comprehensive PEO platform with an intuitive dashboard.
- Justworks costs between $42 and $99 per employee per month.
- Justworks can help with payroll, employee benefits, risk and compliance, and standard HR functions.
- This article is for business owners wanting to learn more about the features, costs, and pros and cons of Justworks PEO.
Justworks is a transparent professional employer organization (PEO) that offers human resources (HR) services to small and midsize businesses. Users can choose between two different plans, depending on whether they want employee benefits or not. Plans are priced per employee, and you can pay monthly or annually. Every Justworks partner gains access to essential features like self-service employee onboarding, document storage, payroll processing, payroll tax filing, reporting and HR compliance assistance. With its intuitive tech-first platform, employee self-service features and scalable plans, Justworks is our choice as the best DIY tech platform for PEOs.
Justworks
The Verdict
Justworks is a tech-first PEO, providing small business owners with easy-to-use, DIY software so they can fulfill their HR, payroll and benefits needs. You can choose between two different plans and scale them as needed.
Justworks Pricing
Justworks offers two PEO plans. It is one of the few PEOs we researched that shares its pricing online. Justworks charges on a per-employee basis, which is standard among PEO providers. You can pay monthly or annually; if you pay annually, you receive a 15% discount.
Basic Plan
The Basic plan comes with all the essential HR services you would expect from a PEO, like employee onboarding, document storage, payroll processing, payroll tax filing, HR compliance and risk management, and HR consulting. Here's a breakdown of the per-employee costs for the Basic plan:
- Fewer than 50 full-time employees: $59 per employee per month (billed monthly)
- 50-200 full-time employees: $49 per employee per month
- 200+ employees: Contact for quote
Plus Plan
The Plus plan includes everything in the Basic plan, as well as access to employee benefits like medical, dental, and vision insurance; workers' compensation; tax-advantaged savings accounts; and health and wellness perks. Here's what you can expect to pay per employee with Justworks' Plus plan:
- Fewer than 50 full-time employees: $99 per employee per month (billed monthly)
- 50-200 full-time employees: $89 per employee per month
- 200+ employees: Contact for quote
Ease of Use
The Justworks platform is easy for administrators and employees to use. For an overview of how your company is performing, you can access one of many Justworks reports. Justworks breaks down data into digestible reports so you can make business decisions based on accurate information.
Employees can use the platform for a variety of self-service features. For example, they can edit their personal profile, elect and modify employee benefits, view pay details, record hours worked, and submit time-off requests. The platform syncs in real time, so your entire organization has an up-to-date view of all HR details. The platform also has organization charts and company directories for easy reference.
Another element that speaks to Justworks' ease of use is its transparent online pricing. Companies can quickly see exactly how much the service will cost them; this level of transparency is not something all PEOs offer.
Justworks Features
Regardless of which plan you choose, you receive access to a variety of helpful tools and resources to manage your employees. Here are some of the services you receive with Justworks:
| HR services | Justworks offers self-service employee onboarding, document storage, employee handbooks, company directories, permission settings and employee profiles. |
| Payroll and tax management | You can manage employee hours, run payroll, and Justworks files payroll taxes for you. |
| Employee benefits administration | With the Plus plan, you can provide employee benefits (e.g., health insurance, dental and vision insurance, life and disability, 401(k), an HSA, an FSA, workers' comp). |
| Risk management and legal compliance | Justworks helps you maintain legal compliance by filing legal documents for you and offering legal guidance and online training programs. |
[Read Related: Choosing a Professional Employer Organization (PEO)]
HR Services
Customers have access to several HR services with Justworks, from employee onboarding to termination. The intuitive online platform can automate your employee onboarding process, letting your new hires enter their information directly into the system, freeing your team to perform other HR tasks. Justworks also offers standard administrative HR management like document storage, employee handbook creation and company directories. Flexible permission settings give you even more control over the platform and how your team accesses it.
Payroll and Tax Management
The Justworks platform allows users to manage employee time and attendance. You can track and manage paid time-off (PTO) requests, sync PTO calendars and set holiday calendars. When employee hours have been submitted, Justworks helps you run payroll. Payroll tools support automated direct deposit, bonuses, commissions, reimbursements, one-time payments and overtime payments. Payroll also supports all types of employees, including full-time, part-time, hourly, contractors and vendors.
Justworks can file your payroll taxes and forms for you, such as W-2s, 1099s and payroll taxes (Form 940 and Form 941). If needed, you can run payroll reports to get a clear view of how your company is performing.
Employee Benefits Administration
If you sign up for the Justworks Plus plan, your employees have access to several affordable employee benefits, including medical insurance, dental and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, workers' compensation coverage, and retirement savings plans. Employees can also access additional benefits, like tax-advantaged savings accounts (health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts), commuter benefits, health and wellness perks, fitness memberships, and health advocacy services.
Risk Management and Legal Compliance
Justworks can help your small business manage risk and maintain legal compliance with federal, state and local employment laws. By filing your taxes and unemployment insurance for you, offering workers' compensation, and taking care of ACA filings, Justworks takes the guesswork out of legal compliance. The platform has several online resources and tools to keep you informed on current policies and regulations. It also has a free suite of online training programs like sexual harassment prevention training.
PEO Setup
Getting set up with Justworks PEO is simple. You select which plan you want on their website, provide some details about your business and elect (or not) workers' compensation. Once your company is approved for workers' compensation, you can then finalize the remaining details to enroll in the program.
Users can start using Justworks on the first or 16th of the month (current or upcoming), as this is when your first payroll will run. A dedicated Justworks onboarding manager will work with you to activate your account (e.g., setting up employees and benefits).
Customer Service
Justworks has several online resources to help employers and employees manage their HR tasks. It has a resource center with guides, FAQs, articles and videos. It hosts events and webinars for even more HR-related education, and you can access a searchable help center. If you need hands-on assistance, Justworks provides 24/7 support via phone, email, chat, Slack and SMS. Knowledgeable HR representatives are available to provide guidance and support. If customer support is your top priority in a PEO, you may also want to consider ADP TotalSource.
Drawbacks
Although Justworks is a great DIY tech platform, it does not offer as much customization as some competitors. You have two plans to choose from. Even if you don't need one of Justworks' services, you will likely pay for it anyway. This may not be a problem for most businesses, but it is something to consider if you only want to outsource a few specific HR functions.
If you need a PEO that offers tailored plans, check out our review of TriNet.
Summary
We recommend Justworks for:
- Small and midsize businesses
- Businesses that want transparent PEO costs with upfront pricing
- Businesses that want an HR solution that they and their employees can manage on their own (with legal guidance)
We DON'T recommend Justworks for:
- Large enterprises
- Businesses that need a completely customized PEO solution
Justworks
The Verdict
Justworks is a tech-first PEO, providing small business owners with easy-to-use, DIY software so they can fulfill their HR, payroll and benefits needs. You can choose between two different plans and scale them as needed.