01
Zenefits benefits administration and enrollment
Benefits administration is Zenefits' flagship capability. The module supports health, dental, vision, life, disability, and supplemental insurance enrollment through direct carrier integrations. Employees see plan comparisons with cost breakdowns, coverage summaries, and contribution details in a guided enrollment flow.
The platform runs open enrollment with automated windows, deadline reminders, and life-event triggers for qualifying changes. COBRA administration is included, covering the notices, elections, and premium tracking federal law requires.
Zenefits carrier integration and plan management
Zenefits integrates with major insurance carriers to pull real-time rates and eligibility data. HR administrators set up plan offerings, define employer contribution levels, and configure eligibility rules by employee class. When carriers update rates, the system reflects changes automatically.
Zenefits ACA compliance and reporting
Hours are tracked to decide who counts as full-time, and the module then produces Forms 1094-C and 1095-C and submits them to the IRS. For a company nearing 50 employees, that removes a common source of ACA penalties.
02
Zenefits payroll schedules, tax filing, and direct deposit
Payroll is full-service: automatic tax calculations, federal and state filing, W-2 and 1099 generation, direct deposit, and check printing. Runs can be weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly, and processing deadlines are displayed clearly.
Multi-state payroll is supported for companies with employees across US states. The module handles state income tax withholding, unemployment insurance, and local tax jurisdictions. Garnishment processing is available for wage attachments and court-ordered deductions.
Zenefits payroll tax filing and compliance
Tax amounts are calculated automatically for every jurisdiction an employee works in, and TriNet submits the quarterly and annual returns for you. W-2s and 1099s are produced at year end, delivered electronically, with paper copies mailed as a backup.
Zenefits direct deposit and payment options
Direct deposit is the default payment method with two-day or four-day processing windows depending on the plan. Check printing is available as a fallback. Employees can view pay stubs, download tax documents, and update direct deposit information through the self-service portal.
03
Zenefits hiring, onboarding, and document management
Hiring covers job posting, applicant tracking, and offer letters. As an ATS it is basic, adequate for companies filling fewer than 20 roles a year but no match for dedicated recruiting tools. Offer letters pull pay, title, and start date into configurable templates.
Onboarding picks up where hiring ends, guiding new employees through personal information collection, tax form completion, benefits enrollment, and policy acknowledgments. Document management stores employee files, company policies, and signed agreements with e-signatures and audit trails.
Zenefits onboarding workflow and e-signatures
New hires follow an onboarding link through personal details, tax forms (W-4, I-9), direct deposit, benefits selection, and policy signatures, in that order. Each step uses e-signatures for legally binding acknowledgments, and HR sees completion status on a dashboard.
Zenefits document storage and compliance records
Employee documents are stored in a centralized repository organized by employee and document type. Retention policies can be configured by document category. The system tracks who uploaded, viewed, and signed each document for audit purposes.
04
Zenefits time and attendance tracking
Time and attendance captures employee hours through web and mobile clock-in interfaces. The module tracks regular hours, overtime, and break time, and calculates totals for payroll processing. PTO requests are submitted and approved through the same module, with balances updating automatically.
Scheduling features let managers create and publish work schedules, though the scheduling depth does not match dedicated workforce management tools. Geofencing is available to restrict clock-in to specific locations, which is useful for retail, hospitality, or field-service teams.
Zenefits overtime and labor cost tracking
Overtime follows federal rules plus state variants, including California's daily overtime and other states with daily thresholds. Labor cost reports split payroll spend by department, project, or cost center for budget tracking.
Zenefits PTO policies and accrual management
Administrators set PTO rules per employee group, length of service, and work location. Accruals can be annual grants, per-pay-period, or unlimited PTO tracking, with carryover caps, blackout dates, and approval requirements all adjustable.
05
Zenefits compliance tools and HR Plus service tiers
ACA tracking, COBRA administration, state labor law updates, and a compliance calendar make up the compliance module. Small companies with no HR or legal staff get automated reminders that cut the risk of costly violations.
People Pro pairs a small team with its own certified HR manager for employee relations, policy drafting, audit preparation, and compliance questions. With that tier, Zenefits under TriNet works as a compliance partner for businesses that cannot justify a full-time HR hire, and the software becomes the smaller part of what you pay for.
Zenefits state and federal compliance alerts
The compliance engine monitors labor law changes at the federal and state level and pushes alerts to administrators when action is required. Alerts cover minimum wage changes, leave law updates, posting requirements, and filing deadlines. The system is US-only.
TriNet HR Plus service tiers and scope
People Pro (estimated from $65 PEPM) includes a named SHRM/HRCI-certified HR manager, while Payroll Pro (about $50 PEPM) includes a certified payroll professional. They help with handbooks, terminations, workplace investigations, and state-specific rules, typically replying within one business day.
06
Zenefits performance reviews and compensation management
Review cycles combine manager evaluations, self-assessments, and goal tracking, and can run annually, twice a year, or on a custom cadence. That covers basic review needs, though performance-focused platforms go much deeper.
Compensation management lets administrators set pay bands, track salary history, and manage merit increases. The tools are basic compared to HiBob's compensation cycle planning or Lattice's compensation module, but they cover the essentials for small businesses that want compensation data in the same platform as HR and payroll.
Zenefits review cycle configuration
HR administrators configure review templates with custom questions, rating scales, and evaluation criteria. Review cycles can be launched for the entire company or specific departments. Automated reminders keep the process on schedule, and completion tracking shows HR which managers have outstanding reviews.
Zenefits compensation tracking and salary bands
The compensation module stores salary history, tracks pay changes over time, and lets administrators define pay bands by role and level. Compensation reports show distribution by department, tenure, and demographic segments. The tools are useful for basic pay equity monitoring but lack the merit-cycle planning depth of dedicated compensation platforms.
