PEO = Professional Employer Organizations help companies with reducing their compliance risk, streamlining HR operations, keeping costs stable, providing better benefit options, improving recruiting and retention, and accelerating their growth by handling administrative tasks through a co-employment relationship.

How does a PEO arrangement work?

Once a client company contracts with a PEO, the PEO will then co-employ the client’s worksite employees. In the arrangement among a PEO, a worksite employee and a client company, there exists a co-employment relationship, which involves a contractual allocation and sharing of employer responsibilities between the PEO and the client pursuant to a client service agreement (CSA). The PEO typically remits wages and withholdings of the worksite employees and reports, collects and deposits employment taxes with local, state and federal authorities. The PEO also issues the Form W-2 for the compensation paid by it under its EIN. The client company retains responsibility for and manages product development and production, business operations, marketing, sales, and service. The PEO and the client will share certain responsibilities, as determined in the CSA. As a co-employer, the PEO will often provide a complete human resource and benefit package for worksite employees.

What does the Co-Employment Agreement mean?

Co-employment is a contractual agreement between a company and a PEO that allocates and divides employer responsibilities. The contract is often called a client service agreement (CSA). In a co-employment agreement, a PEO client’s employees (also called worksite employees) are employed by two separate entities, the client company and the PEO. The client company is the employer who has a direct relationship with the employee and is responsible for all business decisions, operations, day-to-day supervision of employees, job assignments, employee reviews and assessments, and determining the employee’s salary and benefits offerings. The PEO provides services related to employment such as: payroll processing; payroll tax administration; employee benefits; HR services; workers’ comp coverage and claims management; compliance assistance; and HR technology platforms.

How do PEOs help their clients control costs and grow their bottom line?

A PEO’s economy of scale enables each client company to lower employment costs and increase the business’s bottom line. The client can maintain a simple in-house HR infrastructure or none at all by relying on the PEO. The professionals at the PEO can provide critical assistance with employer compliance, which helps protect the client against liability. In many cases, the client can pay a small up-front cost for a significant technology and service infrastructure or platform provided by the PEO. In addition, the PEO provides time savings by handling routine and redundant tasks for its clients. This enables the business owner to focus on the company’s core competency and grow its bottom line.

Do I lose control of my business?

Your company maintains control of business decisions, day-to-day operations, and employees’ daily duties and core job functions, while PEOs focus on HR-related tasks, such as payroll, benefits administration, risk management, and regulatory compliance.

How does a PEO arrangement impact employees?

There is little, if any, disruption to employees. Employees appreciate the wide array of benefits available to them through the PEO, as well as the online technology PEOs can offer and the availability of HR expertise. A recent study by noted economists Laurie Bassi and Dan McMurrer showed that, when a company uses a PEO, employees have greater trust and confidence in the business and higher levels of engagement.

How do I get a quote for my business?

AscendHR needs a few pieces of information from prospective clients, including, but not limited to: Request for Proposal (RFP) Workers’ compensation loss runs (3-5 years) Employee census Benefit information (if applicable) Ascend will send a follow up email to prospective clients with a tailored list of all information needed and any attached forms or templates for added convenience.

How long does the quoting process take?

This varies, but it greatly depends on how quickly the prospective client is able to get Ascend all needed items for quoting. Once Ascend has received all relevant information, the process takes anywhere from one week to a month, depending on several factors.

How much does it cost?

Pricing varies depending on several factors, but it will be fully disclosed in a proposal once we receive the Request for Proposal and other items back from the prospective client.

How does the invoicing and payment work?

AscendHR invoices clients with every payroll run. The invoices include all applicable charges and are separated out by line item. For example, here are some commonly seen line items on Ascend’s invoices: Gross wages Payroll taxes Workers’ compensation Admin fee Employer sponsored benefits Sales tax AscendHR gives clients three payment options ACH Wire transfer Reverse wire transfer

What are the steps if a prospective client agrees to the proposal?

New clients will sign a Client Service Agreement (CSA) to get the implementation process started Welcome email is sent to new client with detailed list of next steps A general overview of the next steps is as follows: Implementation call/meeting to finalize and confirm all company information Client sends Ascend general employee information (in a spreadsheet provided by Ascend) so Ascend can send out electronic onboarding links for each employee Client sends Ascend any other needed items (referenced in the welcome email) Client signs any benefit-related binding documents

How long does the implementation process take once a new client signs the CSA?

This depends on a few different factors (client size, client bandwidth, etc.), but it can take anywhere between one week and around a month.

FAQ

Have questions? You’re not alone. We’ve compiled answers to the most common inquiries about our HR services, including recruitment, compliance, employee management, and more below.

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Ascend FAQ

What's a PEO?
PEO = Professional Employer Organizations help companies with reducing their compliance risk, streamlining HR operations, keeping costs stable, providing better benefit options, improving recruiting and retention, and accelerating their growth by handling administrative tasks through a co-employment relationship.
How does a PEO arrangement work?
Once a client company contracts with a PEO, the PEO will then co-employ the client’s worksite employees. In the arrangement among a PEO, a worksite employee and a client company, there exists a co-employment relationship, which involves a contractual allocation and sharing of employer responsibilities between the PEO and the client pursuant to a client service agreement (CSA). The PEO typically remits wages and withholdings of the worksite employees and reports, collects and deposits employment taxes with local, state and federal authorities. The PEO also issues the Form W-2 for the compensation paid by it under its EIN. The client company retains responsibility for and manages product development and production, business operations, marketing, sales, and service. The PEO and the client will share certain responsibilities, as determined in the CSA. As a co-employer, the PEO will often provide a complete human resource and benefit package for worksite employees.
What does the Co-Employment Agreement mean?
Co-employment is a contractual agreement between a company and a PEO that allocates and divides employer responsibilities. The contract is often called a client service agreement (CSA).

In a co-employment agreement, a PEO client’s employees (also called worksite employees) are employed by two separate entities, the client company and the PEO.

The client company is the employer who has a direct relationship with the employee and is responsible for all business decisions, operations, day-to-day supervision of employees, job assignments, employee reviews and assessments, and determining the employee’s salary and benefits offerings.

The PEO provides services related to employment such as: payroll processing; payroll tax administration; employee benefits; HR services; workers’ comp coverage and claims
management; compliance assistance; and HR technology platforms.
How do PEOs help their clients control costs and grow their bottom line?
A PEO’s economy of scale enables each client company to lower employment costs and increase the business’s bottom line. The client can maintain a simple in-house HR infrastructure or none at all by relying on the PEO. The professionals at the PEO can provide critical assistance with employer compliance, which helps protect the client against liability.

In many cases, the client can pay a small up-front cost for a significant technology and service infrastructure or platform provided by the PEO. In addition, the PEO provides time savings by handling routine and redundant tasks for its clients. This enables the business owner to focus on the company’s core competency and grow its bottom line.
Do I lose control of my business?
Your company maintains control of business decisions, day-to-day operations, and employees’ daily duties and core job functions, while PEOs focus on HR-related tasks, such as payroll, benefits administration, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
How does a PEO arrangement impact employees?
There is little, if any, disruption to employees.

Employees appreciate the wide array of benefits available to them through the PEO, as well as the online technology PEOs can offer and the availability of HR expertise. A recent study by noted economists Laurie Bassi and Dan McMurrer showed that, when a company uses a PEO, employees have greater trust and confidence in the business and higher levels of engagement.
How do I get a quote for my business?
AscendHR needs a few pieces of information from prospective clients, including, but not limited to:
- Request for Proposal (RFP)
- Workers’ compensation loss runs (3-5 years)
- Employee census
- Benefit information (if applicable)
Ascend will send a follow up email to prospective clients with a tailored list of all information needed and any attached forms or templates for added convenience.
How long does the quoting process take?
This varies, but it greatly depends on how quickly the prospective client is able to get Ascend all needed items for quoting. Once Ascend has received all relevant information, the process takes anywhere from one week to a month, depending on several factors.
How much does it cost?
Pricing varies depending on several factors, but it will be fully disclosed in a proposal once we receive the Request for Proposal and other items back from the prospective client.
How does the invoicing and payment work?
AscendHR invoices clients with every payroll run. The invoices include all applicable charges and are separated out by line item. For example, here are some commonly seen line items on Ascend’s invoices:
- Gross wages
- Payroll taxes
- Workers’ compensation
- Admin fee
- Employer sponsored benefits
- Sales tax
- ACH
- Wire transfer
- Reverse wire transfer
What are the steps if a prospective client agrees to the proposal?
1. New clients will sign a Client Service Agreement (CSA) to get the implementation process started
2. Welcome email is sent to new client with detailed list of next steps
A general overview of the next steps is as follows:
1. Implementation call/meeting to finalize and confirm all company information
2. Client sends Ascend general employee information (in a spreadsheet provided by Ascend) so Ascend can send out electronic onboarding links for each employee
3. Client sends Ascend any other needed items (referenced in the welcome email)
4. Client signs any benefit-related binding documents
How long does the implementation process take once a new client signs the CSA?
This depends on a few different factors (client size, client bandwidth, etc.), but it can take anywhere between one week and around a month.

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Main line: 304-929-5996
After hours: 304-929-5996
Fax: 304-929-5997

General: climbhigher@ascend-hr.com
Accounting: accounting@ascend-hr.com
Benefits: benefits@ascend-hr.com
Human Resources: hr@ascend-hr.com
Payroll: payroll@ascend-hr.com
PEO License: peolicense@ascend-hr.com
Tax: tax@ascend-hr.com
Workers’ Compensation: wc@ascend-hr.com

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