Rippling PEO Review
- Rippling users can create workflows to automate several HR processes.
- Rippling helps with federal, state, and local compliance (e.g., state and local tax registration, payroll tax filing, workplace posters, ACA, COBRA, minimum wage laws).
- Rippling charges a fixed-rate administrative fee for its PEO services.
- This review is for anyone wanting to learn the features, costs, and pros and cons of Rippling PEO.
Rippling is a cloud-based human resources (HR) platform and professional employer organization (PEO) service for small and midsize businesses. It offers all the HR features your business needs to manage your workforce, regardless of where your employees are located. For example, applicant tracking and automated onboarding features can help you source the best talent (even if they are in another state), automated payroll processing and payroll tax filing can help you comply with various pay laws, and remote device management can help you manage and secure company devices. If you eventually outgrow the need for a PEO, you can easily transition to Rippling's stand-alone HR platform. It is for these reasons and more that Rippling is our choice as the best scalable PEO platform.
Rippling PEO
The Verdict
From automatic state tax compliance to remote laptop management, Rippling is an excellent choice for growing companies looking to scale their business across multiple states.
Rippling PEO Pricing
Rippling charges a fixed-rate administrative fee. The exact rate you are charged will depend on your agreement with Rippling, so you will need to contact the agency for a custom quote. The specific services you need and the number of employees you have dictate how much you will pay.
Rippling also offers pay-as-you-go workers' compensation, which can be helpful for teams that fluctuate in size. If you need a PEO that is tailored to your specific industry, read our review of TriNet.
Ease of Use
Rippling offers a streamlined HR platform that compiles all your HR information into one centralized location. Admins can manage employee benefits, payroll, reports and more. Within the platform, you can create custom workflows to automate certain HR processes, which eliminates the need for manual processes. These workflows not only speed up your HR functions, but they can reduce the potential for human error.
When you outgrow the need for a PEO and hire an in-house HR team, you can seamlessly transition from Rippling's PEO service to its stand-alone HR software option. Instead of switching all your data and HR processes over to a new platform, Rippling can easily "turn off" your PEO relationship and transfer your information over to a new agreement. All of your HR data, employee logins and system integrations will stay the same. This can save your business considerable time and energy as it scales.
Rippling PEO Features
Whether you need help processing payroll, tracking time and attendance, administering employee benefits, or managing talent, Rippling can do it all. The features that Rippling offers with its HR platform and PEO service are ideal for maintaining legal compliance, even if you operate in multiple states. Here are some of the services you can receive with Rippling:
| HR services | Rippling offers applicant tracking, e-verification, automated employee onboarding, document management, employee records and remote device management. |
| Payroll and tax management | With Rippling, you can track employee hours, automate your payroll, pay employees and file payroll taxes for you. |
| Employee benefits administration | Rippling can administer enterprise-grade benefits and pay-as-you-go workers' compensation coverage. |
| Risk management and legal compliance | Stay compliant with automatic state and local tax registration, mandatory workplace-safety posters, ACA, COBRA, and minimum wage laws. |
| Employee training and development | As a client of Rippling, you gain access to hundreds of training tools and courses, as well as integrations with learning management systems. |
HR Services
Rippling can help businesses with standard HR services, like recruiting and onboarding employees, tracking applicants, running background checks, and sending out offer letters. It also has document, task-management and e-verification capabilities. One thing that differentiates Rippling from other PEOs is that you can create customized hiring workflows. These workflows can automate your hiring and onboarding process, enabling you to quickly onboard new hires regardless of where they are located.
Rippling creates a record for each employee that centralizes their HR information (e.g., personal details, signed documents, jobs, payroll information, insurance selections, performance measurements, etc.) into one location. This can be especially helpful for businesses that have multiple locations that need one portal to view their employees' data.
Another unique feature that Rippling offers is remote laptop management. With Rippling's device-management capabilities, you can remotely wipe and lock devices, track employee security status, and view application usage. This is an ideal feature for organizations that need to remotely help employees or secure devices.
Payroll and Tax Management
Users can run payroll with Rippling in as little as 90 seconds. Employees can use the system to clock in and out, manually add hours worked and request time off. The platform then automatically calculates payroll information, allowing you to quickly approve and process payroll in all 50 states. Rippling can easily manage payment tasks like direct deposit, wage garnishments, deductions and reimbursements. It also offers workers' compensation coverage and payroll tax administration.
Employee Benefits Administration
One great aspect of partnering with a PEO is gaining access to enterprise-level benefits for your small business. Rippling can administer employee benefits to your workforce, including medical, dental, and vision insurance; retirement savings plans; commuter benefits; and tax-advantaged savings accounts (HSAs and FSAs).
Risk Management and Legal Compliance
It can be difficult to stay up to date with federal, state, and local laws, especially when you are managing remote employees. To help you manage risk and maintain legal compliance, Rippling can perform automatic state and local tax registration, provide mandatory workplace posters, and administer ACA and COBRA as needed. It can also help ensure you are following minimum wage laws, which can vary by state.
Employee Training and Development
Rippling helps you manage your team from onboarding to offboarding. You can track job applicants through the onboarding process, and then provide them with access to hundreds of training tools and courses after they are hired. Rippling users can access prebuilt training courses or create unique courses based on employee needs. The platform also integrates with a variety of learning management systems.
You can keep your team engaged with a centralized portal that allows employees to collaborate and communicate about important events (e.g., birthdays, work anniversaries, new hires).
Rippling PEO Setup
Setting up a partnership with Rippling is simple. You will need to contact a representative for a quote. After that, you can enroll. When you're set up on the platform, you can import employee information, set up automated workflows and integrate with third-party applications. Onboarding typically takes about 2.5 weeks to implement.
Customer Service
Rippling's online help center offers articles and downloadable PDFs. If you need to access customer support, you can reach a representative by email or webchat. Those who want specialized one-on-one HR help and phone support can add Rippling's HR Help Desk offering.
Drawbacks
Rippling is not accredited by the Employer Services Assurance Corporation (ESAC) or the Better Business Bureau, nor does it have IRS certification. However, it still leverages ESAC regulatory and compliance tools to maintain top-level compliance. If you are looking for a PEO that is accredited by the ESAC and IRS, you may want to consider partnering with Oasis or Justworks.
Summary
We recommend Rippling PEO for:
- Small and midsize businesses
- Organizations that need scalable PEO services
- Businesses with remote and dispersed workforces
- Businesses that want to start with a PEO and eventually transition to a stand-alone HR platform
We DON'T recommend Rippling PEO for:
- Large international enterprises
- Businesses that need an IRS- or ESAC-accredited PEO
Rippling PEO
The Verdict
From automatic state tax compliance to remote laptop management, Rippling is an excellent choice for growing companies looking to scale their business across multiple states.