Cognos HR vs Justworks

Cognos HR, founded in 2015, bills itself as a "human capital consulting organization" that offers PEO services. It is based in Chicago and Oakbrook Terrace, IL, and seems to focus its service providing to that area. It promotes its services to small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), startups, nonprofits, remote companies, and other "businesses in need" interested in cost-effective, all-inclusive HR solutions. Cognos HR helps their clients manage everything from everyday HR chores to risk mitigation and policy formulation. CognosHR and their clients sign into a services agreement that enables CognosHR to legally take on some employer-related obligations and risks on their client's behalf. Their services include HR infrastructure and support, payroll administration, compliance, workers' compensation, group benefit plans, risk management, medical benefits, 401(k) retirement plans, and so on. They do not specify any plans or pricing on their website, so prospective clients have to submit a request for a free consultation.

Justworks is a PEO that began operations in 2012, headquartered in New York, NY, originally called Clockwork, Inc. The company has grown rapidly and now serves 9,000 small businesses with less than 100 employees in all 50 states, covering over 160,000 worksite employees. They are certified but not endorsed by the IRS, so they are considered a CPEO. Justworks offers employers a range of services, such as payroll processing, benefits management, tax filing, compliance assistance, employee onboarding and termination, and HR tools and support. Unlike some other PEOs, they offer 24/7 customer service and support by phone, email, chat, Slack, or SMS. Justworks lists two PEO plans on their website, Basic and Plus, at $59 and $99 a month per employee, respectively-- though pricing goes down after the 50th employee. The biggest difference between the plans is that Plus adds medical, dental, and vision insurance. Visitors who register at Justworks' website can download sample plans to compare. Justworks earns a great reputation among its employees as a great place to work, as well as among clients for being reliable and responsive when handling customer inquiries. They are certified by the Employer Services Assurance Corporation (ESAC), whose accreditation is considered the gold standard for PEO reliability and financial assurance.