Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to common questions about UniqueHR and the services we provide.
Compliance
Co-employment is an agreement between a company and a PEO that allocates employer responsibilities between the parties. Simply speaking, this allocation allows the PEO to become an “administrative employer” while the client company retains control over its employees on the worksite and day-to-day operations. Thus, in a co-employment relationship, the employees (often called worksite employees) are employed in parallel by both the client company and the PEO, but for different purposes. The client company remains responsible for all business decisions; operations; day-to-day supervision of employees; job assignments; employee reviews and assessments; and determination of the employees’ salary and available benefits. The PEO provides more administrative support related to employment, which may include services such as payroll processing; collection and remittance of payroll taxes; administration of employee benefits; HR services; workers’ comp coverage and claims management; compliance assistance; and HR technology platforms.
Yes. PEOs operate in all 50 states. Many states provide some form of specific licensing, registration, or regulation for PEOs. These states statutorily recognize PEOs as the employer or co-employer of worksite employees for many purposes, including workers’ compensation and state unemployment insurance taxes. The IRS has recognized the right of a PEO to withhold and remit federal income and unemployment taxes for worksite employees per section 3511 of the IRS Code. The IRS has specific guidance confirming the authority of PEOs to provide retirement benefits to workers.
Yes. A PEO assists clients with compliance regarding state-specific employment laws, tax regulations, and workers’ compensation laws when a company has employees in multiple states.
While we do advise and consult on many of these matters, managing daily operations, including hiring, firing, and performance evaluations; ensuring workplace policies align with legal standards; and adhering to industry-specific regulations remains your responsibility.
Payroll
Due to the PEO relationship and co-employment, UniqueHR is the employer for tax purposes. Traditionally, the employer pays their employee’s gross wages. These wages have Federal Income, Social Security, Medicare, as well as other taxes, if applicable, deducted from them. The employer is required to match the employee portion of Social Security & Medicare. We hold onto both the employees’ portion and Client’s portion, and deposit it on the Client’s behalf.
If the policy is managed by UniqueHR, then we make the payments to the insurance provider. If the policy is not managed by UniqueHR, we do not make these payments. We record the deduction through payroll, and it is withheld from the employee’s check and then credited back to the employer to make the payment. The employer should then take those funds to make the payment. We can create reporting for imports for 401(k) and insurance providers. The amount is usually labeled as returned deductions on the invoice.
Yes, we can run reporting for employee totals, departments, and break it down further depending on the parameters initially set up and requested from the client.
HR
When clients inform UniqueHR of an employee termination, we do the rest. UniqueHR will promptly update employee records and process final checks efficiently.
We offer expert consultation and guidance, assisting clients in drafting disciplinary forms and advising on effective communication strategies. UniqueHR assists clients in navigating employee relations to enhance overall employee performance.
Employees can easily make these changes and view employee data through their employee portal.
Employers can conveniently update employee addresses and employment status through their client portal. This keeps all employee records in one central location.
Client Relations
For UniqueHR to complete payroll, all employees must be “hired” into our HRIS system. To remain compliant with UCIS requirements, all newly hired employees must complete a new I-9 form.
We want to ensure we capture all relevant information for all employees, from personal information to payroll set-up. This will greatly assist in a smooth and seamless transition.
Accounting
If a client receives correspondence from the IRS specifically related to their individual EIN, we cannot call the IRS on their behalf to discuss.
UniqueHR is obligated to deduct any court or state-ordered garnishments, including child support, from the employee’s check and remit to the proper agency. UniqueHR does not deduct or remit any garnishment orders that are ordered directly by a creditor agency or debt collector.
Once a prospect becomes a PEO client, their employees are now considered employees of UniqueHR. This means that any employee activity during the year is recorded and accounted for on UniqueHR’s quarterly and annual reports. The client does not have to prepare or remit 941s or 940s.
Workers’ Compensation
Yes, report all incidents no matter how minor they may be.
Yes.
No, employers are not required to pay employees while they attend their doctor appointments. Workers’ compensation does not pay for employees to attend their doctor appointments either.
IT
Yes. We first have a discovery call with the client contact to determine their needs and offer the best solution and provide the applicable costs. Such solutions can include GPS tracking and geofencing, and physical clocks, with varying prices. We will review the setup process and procedure with the client during the discovery call. Demos are also provided upon request.
Clients can provide us with sample reports, and we can typically provide the equivalent.
Yes, this is customizable.
Sales
Through the co-employment relationship, the employee is under the direction and control of the client. The client manages the employee in their day-to-day activity. The PEO is responsible for paying payroll taxes, managing unemployment claims, and covering the employees with workers’ compensation insurance, for example.
A PEO is a professional employer organization that provides a myriad of business services under the protection of the co-employment relationship.
The PEO is responsible for submitting payroll taxes
Yes
UniqueHR takes pride in being the PEO of the PEOple. Our teammates are service-motivated and driven by helping clients succeed. Our goal is to take transactional activities off the plates of our clients so they can focus on growing their business, not surviving the mundane of day-to-day responsibilities
Through the co-employment relationship, the PEO covers the employees of the client. Thus, the workers’ compensation policy covering our employees is the mod rate presented when certificates of insurance are requested or required.
Our team can be as involved as the Client wants during onboarding. Onboarding can be done 100 percent online or we can be on site helping owners and employees transition into the co-employment relationship.
UniqueHR is certified through the Texas Department of Insurance self-insurance program. Employees residing in the state of Texas are covered under the Texas Department of Insurance program. Outside the state of Texas, we have a Zurich Policy.
Yes. Our departments pride themselves on creating and maintaining relationships with our clients.
For over three decades.
Health, dental, vision, short-term and long-term disability, hospitalization, cancer, critical illness, IRS Section 125, pet insurance, COBRA, HSA, and 401(k)s
Employee Benefits
Because Unique HR partners with Bradford Insurance Agency, we are able to match business with plans that align their specific needs while paying special attention to their budgetary requirements. While our goal is to always provide the best savings possible, things like plan utilization, prescription drug costs, and high renewals can impact your quoted rates. We utilize a rigorous underwriting process that ensures that our quoted rates not only take all of that into consideration, but rates are assigned in an effort to set you up for success. Where BIA really excels, is in educating our prospective clients in the different types of plans that are available from our Large Group Master Medical Plan to individual Open Market options. We will help you strategize by scouring the marketplace to create a benefit package that will not only provide excellent coverage, and customer service, but increase your recruitment and retention as well.
Bradford Insurance Agency is able to quote groups as small as two employees, and options exist for just about anyone. Participation requirements indicate that we must have at least 50% of all eligible employees covered after any eligible waivers. Eligible waivers include employees who are not eligible, and employees waiving because they have other coverage.
Yes, and no. While smaller companies are not currently required to provide an employer sponsored health plan, companies with 50 or more FT or FT equivalent employees are required by the Affordable Health Care Act to provide a group health plan that meets the ACA requirements. As a partner with Unique HR, we will make sure that you are educated and remain in compliance with all applicable regulations and laws regarding the ACA.
Absolutely! There are numerous ancillary benefits that provide value-added benefits to employees We have partnered with MetLife to offer a full portfolio of ancillary products, which include:
- Dental
- Vision
- Accident
- Hospitalization
- Critical Illness
- Cancer
- Legal
- Voluntary Life /ADD
- Short-Term Disability
- Long-Term Disability
Also available are employer-paid group life insurance in volumes of $10,000, $20,000, and $50,000, and employer-paid short-term disability and long-term disability insurance. All fulltime and part-time employees of UniqueHR are eligible to purchase pet insurance via MetLife directly.
Yes. It is a requirement that an employer contribute at least 50% of the employee-only premium of the cheapest plan offered. You can; however, contribute more, as many of our clients do as part of their recruitment and retention strategy. Companies who offer a competitive benefits portfolio to their employees with a substantial employer contribution tend to have less employee turn-over.
As fast as you can put a few documents together! In order to provide you with a comprehensive and competitive benefit quote, your Business Consultant will work with you on obtaining the following:
- A completed Group Health Questionnaire
- A completed Member Census
- A copy of your most recent carrier invoice or insurance billing statement
- Your insurance renewal if we are within 90 days of your renewal
- A copy of your benefit materials, such as SBC documents, benefit guides, etc.
Once we have received the above documents, it will take three to four business days to present you with a benefits proposal that will include quoted rates, savings estimates, and plan comparisons.
Whether you are offering a benefits package for the first time, or are investigating your options pre-renewal, Unique HR and Bradford Insurance Agency are here for you! We take a special interest in understanding who you are as a client and what your unique needs are. Insurance plans are not, “one size fits all”; therefore, it is important that we take into consideration the size of your group, industry, and individual employee needs when you join our team. We will help you determine what type of plans would best suit your employees, which deductibles would be most desirable for each employees’ financial needs, and how to utilize ancillary benefits to reduce out of pocket costs. In addition, we can be onsite during Onboarding to present a full benefit overview for your employees to ensure that they can choose the best plan to meet their needs.
If you are considering partnering with Unique HR, and Bradford Insurance Agency, our relationship does not end with the quote. When we administer your benefit plans, our team will take the reins from Day One: we will implement your plans; schedule the onsite meeting; and administer payroll deductions, deduction reconciliation, processing of benefit changes due to life events, etc. Our team of amazing Benefit Specialists will work directly with you to facilitate annual Open Enrollment activities via our single sign on employee portal. We also have Spanish translation services available via one of our several bilingual team members to assist with all benefit related questions.
We use Slavic 401k
Your Business Consultant will be able to provide you with a copy of our 401k Plan Features, as well as the 401k Plan Evaluation Survey that will need to be completed and returned. Then our 401k Agent will reach out to you directly for next steps in implementing your new retirement plan.
Yes, there is an annual fee to the employer. Each participant is charged a fee which is deducted from the annual employer fee. Simply put, if you have at least 9 employees participating, it will cost you nothing to offer.
As part of the Secure Act 2.0, which was designed to encourage more workers to save for retirement, auto enrollment is now required for all 401k plans. Employees who do not wish to participate may simply, opt out via the Slavic 401k secure portal.
Absolutely! There are some testing requirements and a black out period to consider, but if your plan meets the testing requirements, you may absolutely rollover those funds! When you have your call with Slavic401k, the Retirement plan advisor will walk you through the process from start to finish.
Safety
No, we are consultants and consult on safety matters and potential hazard exposures referencing OSHA Standards and regulations that affect and apply to your business operations. We do not have the authority to make decisions, direct actions, make changes, or supervise your employees.
No, safety is tied to workers’ compensation. The client is paying for such coverage, and it is in the best interest of the client and UniqueHR to combine efforts to prevent injuries and illnesses. With the assistance of our safety consultants, we work together to develop a proactive safety culture.
We can provide safety manuals based on OSHA standards that apply to the client and put it into safety manual form. OSHA is very specific on verbiage and terminology, so it is advised that terminology and verbiage is not altered or changed. Some standards are very lengthy and at times the entire standard will not apply to the client. We will explain why it does or why it doesn’t at the time the manual is delivered either via electronically or physically or both. The manual is then reviewed with the client to ensure the client understands what is expected from OSHA regarding compliance with the standard as it is written. Not all manuals are the same and not all manuals include the same topics. The manuals will also reflect which OSHA standard applies to the client—construction, general industry, or both—where applicable.
We provide standard OSHA recommendations based on widely known practices and guidelines for the client’s industry. Safety training and/or meetings are based on client needs and applicable standards. A “list” is probably not practical since the list will apply differently to each client. Applicable topics can be discussed during a risk-assessment survey.
We will assist with providing clients the relevant information to complete OSHA logs. The OSHA log belongs to the client. The information used to complete the log is information provided to UniqueHR by the client.
Compliance
Co-employment is an agreement between a company and a PEO that allocates employer responsibilities between the parties. Simply speaking, this allocation allows the PEO to become an “administrative” employer while the client company retains control over its employees on the worksite and day-to-day operations. Thus, in a co-employment relationship, the employees (often called worksite employees) are employed in parallel by both the client company and the PEO, but for different purposes. The client company remains responsible for all business decisions; operations; day-to-day supervision of employees; job assignments; employee reviews and assessments; and determination of the employees’ salary and available benefits. The PEO provides more administrative services related to employment, which may include services such as payroll processing; collection and remittance of payroll taxes; administration of employee benefits; HR services; workers’ comp coverage and claims management; compliance assistance; and HR technology platforms.
Payroll
W-2s are completed and uploaded into the portal on January 31 each year.
Go to unique.prosoftware.com and click sign up. Once you sign up, you will be prompted to enter your social security number, last name, and client number to register for the first time. Employees will need to contact UniqueHR or their employer to receive their client number.
HR
To file an HR complaint, employees should submit a statement, which will then initiate an investigation. UniqueHR will conduct internal investigations for clients onsite or remotely.
In most states, which operate under “at-will” employment, employers can terminate employees without cause. However, this can vary depending on state laws.
Workers’ Compensation
No, workers’ compensation will pay for all medical expenses as they relate to the injury based on the provisions of workers’ compensation.
IT
Yes. We first have a discovery call with the client contact to determine their needs and offer the best solution and provide the applicable costs. Such solutions can include GPS tracking and geofencing, and physical clocks, with varying prices. We will review the setup process and procedure with the client during the discovery call. Demos are also provided upon request.
Yes, employees have an app they can utilize.
Sales
Through the co-employment relationship, the employee is under the direction and control of the client. The client manages the employee in their day-to-day activity. The PEO is responsible for paying payroll taxes, fighting unemployment claims, and covering the employees with workers’ compensation insurance, for example.
A PEO is a professional employer organization that provides a myriad of business services under the protection of the co-employment relationship.
The PEO is responsible for submitting payroll taxes
Yes
UniqueHR takes pride in being the PEO of the PEOple. Our teammates are service-motivated and driven by helping clients succeed. Our goal is to take transactional activities off the plates of our clients so they can focus on growing their business, not surviving the mundane of day-to-day responsibilities
Our team can be as involved as the client wants during onboarding. Onboarding can be done 100 percent online or we can be on site helping owners and employees transition into the co-employment relationship.
UniqueHR is certified through the Texas Department of Insurance self-insurance program. Employees residing in the state of Texas are covered under the Texas Department of Insurance program. Outside the state of Texas, we have a Zurich Policy.
Yes. Our departments pride themselves on creating and maintaining relationships with our clients.
For over three decades.
Health, dental, vision, short-term and long-term disability, hospitalization, cancer, critical illness, IRS Section 125, pet insurance, COBRA, HSA, and 401(k)s
Employee Benefits
At Unique HR, we deduct benefit premiums a month in advance of the effective date. For example: If your benefits are effective January 1, deductions will begin with the first paycheck in December.
Though there are some exceptions to this rule, most carriers offer Deductible Credit Carryover when implementing a new plan as a new client with Unique HR. Detailed instructions will be provided at your Onsite Enrollment Meeting.
Eligible employees may insure their legal spouse as well as eligible children. An eligible child is defined as your natural born child, stepchild, legally adopted child, and other children for whom you are the legal guardian or required to cover by a Qualified Medical Child Support Order (QMSCO) issued by the court or state agency. You can also cover eligible grandchildren who reside with you and are a dependent for income tax purposes. Coverage for dependent children will terminate the last day of the month in which they reach the limiting age (26). Coverage for an eligible child can extend beyond the limiting age if the child is not able to be self-supporting because of intellectual disability or physical handicap and the child depends mainly on the employee for support.
Medical ID cards are mailed out within 10-14 days from the effective date. As a new client with Unique HR, we will notify your employer when we have confirmed all enrollments were completed successfully and provide detailed instructions for employees on how to register your account with each carrier, search providers, and print id cards at your convenience.
No, we deduct our benefit premiums as follows:
- For weekly payroll schedules, we deduct 48 paychecks per year.
- For bi-weekly payroll schedules, we deduct 24 paychecks per year.
- For semi-monthly payroll schedules, we deduct 26 paychecks per year.
Once your initial enrollment window has closed, changes can be made if you are experiencing a Qualifying Life Event such as:
- Marriage, divorce, or legal separation.
- Gain or loss of an eligible dependent for reasons such as birth, adoption, court order, disability, death marriage, or reaching the dependent child age limit.
- Changes in your spouse’s employment affecting benefit eligibility.
- Change in employee work status.
- Loss of eligibility by dependent child under the Medicaid or CHIP program.
You have 30 days from the date of a Qualifying Life Event to submit proof of the event to the Benefits Department. In most cases, your election will become effective the first of the month following your request.
Safety
No, we are consultants and consult on safety matters and potential hazard exposures referencing OSHA Standards and regulations that affect and apply to your business operations. We do not have the authority to make decisions, direct actions, make changes, or supervise your employees.
Some common misconceptions clients and employees make are:
This is incorrect, regardless of if a client is on our Large Group Master, or a small group Open Market plan, we do not charge any sort of fee to quote and administer our benefit plans. This is simply part of being a Unique partner.
This is not the case at all, when you partner with Unique HR and Bradford Insurance Agency, you still maintain full control of your company, and its employees. There will inevitably be times where we will need your input on things, and when we will need you to assist us in following up with certain action items.
At Unique HR and Bradford Insurance Agency, you will always reach a member of your dedicated customer service team. This is the Unique promise!
Part of being your own healthcare consumer, is understanding how your health plan works so you can be prepared financially in the event of an unexpected medical event. While plan details will vary, there are some basic definitions that are helpful:
- A Deductible is the amount of money paid by the policy holder for covered medical expenses before the carrier begins to pay.
- Coinsurance or Out of Pocket Maximum is a shared percentage of costs between the member and insurance company. For example, you may see a coinsurance split of 80/20 or 70/30.
- A Copayment is the predetermined rate you pay for health care services at the time of care. For example, you may have a $35 copay every time you see your primary care physician, or a $10 copay for that maintenance medication you take.
- Diagnostic Services include any type of testing carried out to diagnose a condition, disease or illness in patients presenting signs of possible illness. A good rule of thumb is if your physician is looking for something, any testing done will be considered diagnostic in nature, and will be charged to your deductible and coinsurance accordingly.
Unfortunately, this is incorrect. Physicians choose which carriers they work with and within those networks, they can choose which plans they will accept. If you have a physician that you have developed a trusting relationship with that is not in one of our offered networks/plans, you can make a request to that physician that they join. If you are ever in doubt, most carriers have an easy-to-use provider search within their platforms.
Let’s Grow Together
Businesses from 5 to more than 500 employees grow with us—and yours can too. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation on our PEO services and see how UniqueHR has your back office.