Justworks Review: An In-Depth Examination of PEO Solutions

At a Glance

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in New York, Justworks has been on a mission to empower entrepreneurs and businesses to grow with confidence. They achieve this by simplifying the complexities of payroll, employee benefits, HR, and compliance, envisioning a world where anyone can easily start, run, or join a growing business without facing operational barriers.

Justworks is widely recognized for its commitment to excellence, holding numerous awards and certifications, including the prestigious ESAC and IRS certifications. They've earned accolades, such as being recognized as one of the best small and medium workplaces by Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine.

Industries & Businesses

Justworks serves a spectrum of small- and medium-sized businesses operating across diverse industries throughout the United States. This versatile platform caters to the specific needs of businesses in sectors like financial services, marketing and advertising, technology, professional services, hospitality, manufacturing, and nonprofit organizations. 

By offering an all-in-one solution, Justworks simplifies the complexities of HR tasks and payroll management, freeing businesses in these industries to focus on their core operations and team management.

Services & Features

Justworks’ range of services and features is designed to empower businesses to thrive while ensuring compliance with employment laws and regulations.

Payroll management: Justworks provides affordable payroll solutions with their dedicated software. Their user-friendly platform, Justworks Payroll, simplifies payroll management, whether your business is small or growing. This includes handling payroll for various types of workers, like part-time employees, full-time employees, hourly employees, contractors, and vendors.

Benefits administration: They go beyond the basics, offering comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance alongside wellness services integrated into your health coverage. Their platform includes powerful payroll software that automates deductions for health insurance, benefits, payroll taxes, and more.

Compliance support: Justworks takes it upon themselves to guide you through the intricate landscape of employment laws and regulations. Whether it's securing workers' compensation or managing state unemployment insurance, they have every aspect covered. Their proactive communication, resource library, and expert guidance provided by HR consultants ensure that your business remains fully compliant with the law.

HR tools: Your business can greatly benefit from using Justworks because they offer customizable reports and efficient Human Resource Information System (HRIS) software tools that meet all your HR needs. Whether you're in the process of onboarding new employees or managing payroll for a global workforce, Justworks provides a seamless solution. Additionally, their international contractor payment services are readily available for Justworks PEO customers, ensuring the efficient handling of global HR needs.

24/7 expert support: Justworks provides 24/7 expert support from certified HR consultants. They give you personalized advice on managing your team, and you can reach their customer support anytime through email, phone, text, chat, or Slack. Whether you need help with onboarding or HR consulting, they're here to assist you.

How Does It Work?

Justworks provides businesses with the flexibility to choose between two adaptable PEO plans:

Basic plan: The Basic plan encompasses a comprehensive suite of services, including payroll management, compliance support, HR training, and HR management tools. It streamlines payroll processing, ensures compliance with employment laws, and empowers businesses with the necessary resources to develop a skilled workforce.

Plus plan: The Plus plan offers all the features of the Basic plan and goes a step further by providing access to an extended selection of comprehensive nationwide health insurance plans from leading providers and HSA/FSA accounts.

How Much Does It Cost?

Justworks offers two distinct plans to cater to diverse business needs. The Basic plan is priced at $59 per employee per month, while the Plus plan is available at $99 per employee per month. These prices remain fixed for both full-time and part-time employees as long as there are 49 or fewer total employees, and the price only changes to 49 dollars per month for the Basic plan and 89 dollars per month for your Plus plan starting from your 50th employee onward. Justworks adheres to a transparent pricing model, ensuring clarity and the absence of hidden fees. 

Regardless of the chosen plan, clients are billed based on the number of W-2 employees processed through the platform each month, ensuring a fair and accurate pricing structure.

Perks

Justworks offers distinct advantages that set them apart from the competition, highlighting how their services empower businesses and simplify human resource operations for a competitive edge in the industry.

Transparent pricing

Justworks is known for its commitment to providing transparent pricing, a crucial factor for businesses seeking to manage their budgets effectively. Their pricing model is designed to be clear and straightforward, eliminating any hidden fees or unpleasant surprises. Clients can rest assured that they will not encounter unexpected costs when using Justworks. The pricing structure is primarily based on two key factors: the number of employees a business has and the specific plan selected. By aligning pricing with these essential parameters, Justworks ensures that businesses know precisely what to expect, promoting financial predictability and facilitating informed decision-making.

Nationwide coverage

One of the significant advantages of partnering with Justworks is the extent of their nationwide coverage. This comprehensive reach means that businesses, regardless of their location in the United States, can access and benefit from Justworks' services. This level of coverage is particularly advantageous for companies with operations spanning multiple states. Whether a business has employees in the heart of New York City or in a remote corner of Wyoming, Justworks is available and ready to provide its services. This nationwide scope enhances the platform's accessibility and suitability for diverse businesses with varied geographic footprints.

24/7 customer service

In the realm of customer service, Justworks truly distinguishes itself by offering around-the-clock support. This means that businesses are not constrained by typical office hours when seeking assistance or resolving issues. Justworks understands that questions and concerns can arise at any time, and to address this, they provide various support channels to accommodate different preferences. Whether clients prefer to pick up the phone, send an email, engage in live chat, or explore a comprehensive knowledge base, Justworks is equipped to provide the support they need. 

This commitment to 24/7 service enhances client confidence and satisfaction, ensuring that businesses can count on Justworks whenever assistance is required.

Demo available

To help potential clients gain a deeper understanding of their platform, Justworks offers video demonstrations on their website. These informative tutorials provide businesses with a look at how the system functions and what the user interface looks like. This valuable resource allows prospective clients to explore the platform's features and capabilities, providing a virtual tour of the Justworks experience. Moreover, the option to ask questions during or after the demo session enables businesses to clarify any doubts and obtain the information they need to make an informed decision. 

The availability of these video demonstrations aligns with Justworks' commitment to transparency and client empowerment, facilitating a well-informed selection process.                  

Setbacks

Recognizing the various disadvantages of Justworks is equally important as acknowledging their benefits to gain a balanced perspective. Here are some notable setbacks to consider:

Limited customization options

Justworks' platform is limited to two PEO plans that may constrain businesses looking for tailored solutions. This limitation can result in inefficiencies and the need for creative solutions to meet specialized processes and industry-specific compliance requirements. The inability to adapt the platform to the distinct requirements of businesses could lead them to explore alternatives that provide more flexibility in HR, payroll, and benefits management.

Expensive for services provided

Justworks' pricing structure may appear costly to some businesses, especially when considering that their base plan does not include health insurance and only covers some health benefits like gym memberships and wellness perks. Health and other types of insurance are often central to what job seekers consider when evaluating employment opportunities. The absence of insurance coverage in the base plan can be a significant drawback for both employers and employees.

Time-tracking is a paid add-on

Justworks offers time-tracking as a paid add-on feature called Justworks Hours, requiring businesses to pay an extra cost for this essential functionality. Accurate time-tracking is vital for monitoring employee work hours and productivity, but the additional cost can be a concern, particularly for businesses on tight budgets. This may lead some businesses to explore alternative PEO plans that include time-tracking as a standard feature.

Can Your Business Benefit From Them?

In this section, we'll explore how Justworks can actually benefit your business. We'll take a critical look at their services to help you decide if they're a good fit for your organization.

Accessibility 

With accessibility in mind, Justworks provides software accessible via desktop or laptop and a mobile app available on iOS and Android that grants employees easy access to their insurance information when and where it matters most. Furthermore, the presence of a 24/7 expert support team ensures that employees and businesses alike can get the assistance they need swiftly.

Administrative simplicity

Dealing with administrative tasks can be a hassle for businesses, distracting them from their main goals. Justworks makes it easier by simplifying these tasks, letting businesses concentrate on what they do best, while Justworks takes care of HR, payroll, and benefits details. Additionally, the platform offers a simple and efficient payroll solution, which is great for small businesses.

Streamlined compliance & insurance management

Justworks takes care of various compliance tasks, such as handling HIPAA regulations and dealing with specific state-level requirements. They also simplify the management of health insurance selections, tax filings, and workers’ comp, making it easier for businesses and reducing administrative hassles.

Client Feedback

The overall client experience seems to be positive, as reflected by an impressive score of 4.3 on Trustpilot and 4.5 stars on G2. However, BBB stands as an exception, with a low score of 1 out of 5 stars. This low score is not without reason, as several negative reviews have highlighted various issues. These negative experiences include cases of withholding payroll, complaints about employees' capabilities, and difficulties with cancellation.

Some Trustpilot complaints tell a similar story, with one customer expressing their frustration about Justworks not notifying customers when they change policies. This lack of communication could result in unexpected charges on customers' accounts. Another customer mentioned that Justworks' software "has some gaps" and can be misleading. However, it's worth noting that the majority of customers had more positive experiences and found the platform easy to navigate.

On G2, most customers appear to be satisfied with Justworks, although some have identified certain service gaps and suggested a need for additional features. A few customers mentioned that the platform can be slow. There were also concerns that Justworks might be too expensive for smaller companies or those that don't require the entire package. Additionally, one customer reported an issue where they continued to send money to the wrong bank associated with an employee's account. 

On the flip side, many customers expressed their relief and gratitude to Justworks for helping them save money. They also complimented the company's user-friendly interface and how it has streamlined their responsibilities. Some customers praised the free consultant service and the company's representatives, stating that they are effective problem solvers compared to the previous company they had a contract with.

Customer Support

To get in touch with Justworks, you have several options for contacting their dedicated teams. You can reach out to their sales team by giving them a call at (855) 568-1807 or by connecting with their customer success team at (888) 534-1711. If you prefer online communication, you can contact them via email at [email protected] or through their Slack channel.

For those who prefer social media platforms, Justworks is active on X (Twitter), Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram, making it easy to engage with them through these channels. Additionally, you can directly interact with them via the chatbot available on their website.

Concluding Remarks

In conclusion, Justworks offers a comprehensive HR, payroll, and benefits management solution for small and medium-sized businesses. With a mission to empower entrepreneurs and simplify business operations, it has received recognition for its excellence. Justworks serves various industries, provides transparent pricing, and offers nationwide coverage and 24/7 customer support. However, it has limitations, including limited customization options, the cost of insurance, and paid time-tracking features.

Your business can benefit from Justworks if you value comprehensive insurance and benefits, streamlined compliance, employee well-being, and administrative simplicity. However, consider the pricing structure and customer feedback before making a decision.

We suggest using our comparison tool to check out other service providers and make an informed decision for your company. You can also take a look at our list of top PEO co-employment companies for more information.

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