FAQ

On the PES employee login screen, you can click the “Forgot Username” or “Forgot Password” links. You’ll receive an email with further instructions on how to identify your username or reset your password. This is a system-generated email so always be sure to check your Junk/SPAM folder if you don’t receive the email in your inbox. If you still experience any issues, you can also contact us at 315-295-3880.

Don’t worry, your account will automatically unlock in 5-10 minutes.

Contact us at 315-295-3880 or email the corresponding email address below:

• Payroll: payroll@pinnaclepays.com
  • New Hires and Terminations
  • Status Changes
  • Payroll Submissions
• HR: hr@pinnaclepays.com
  • Benefits Requests
  • Human Resources related support questions
• Accounts Payable/Invoicing: invoice@pinnaclepays.com
  • Workers Comp Invoices

When emailing these accounts, it will automatically create a service ticket in our customer management system. You may receive automatic updates throughout the process of the ticket’s journey and will be notified when your issue is resolved.

Or download the PrismHR Mobile App and log in to contact your dedicated HR Business Partner, Payroll Specialist, or Benefits Specialist.

The PrismHR Mobile App is available for both Apple and Android mobile users. Download the app in the App Store or Google Play to get started.

You are co-employed by your company and Pinnacle Employee Services. PES can verify your employment, and salary or wage details with your authorization. Contact your Human Resources Business Partner or call us at 315-295-3880.

You may update your personal information at any time through the Employee Portal or the PrismHR Mobile App.

As businesses grow, most owners do not have the necessary human resource training, payroll and accounting skills, the knowledge of regulatory compliance, or the backgrounds in risk management, insurance and employee benefit programs to meet the demands of being an employer. PEOs give small-group markets access to many benefits and employment amenities they would not have otherwise.

Source: NAPEO.org

There are 487 PEOs in the United States. They service approximately 173,000 small and mid-size businesses, employing 4 million people.

source: NAPEO.org

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 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.

Source: NAPEO.org

No. The PEO client/business owner retains ownership of the company and control over its operations. As co-employers, the PEO and client will contractually share or allocate employer responsibilities and liabilities per a client service agreement (CSA). The PEO will generally only assume responsibilities associated with a “general” employer for purposes of administration of benefits and remittance of payroll and payroll taxes. The client will continue to have responsibility for worksite safety and compliance.

Source: NAPEO.org

PEOs do not supply labor to worksites. PEOs supply services and benefits to a business client and its existing workforce. If a PEO relationship is terminated, the worksite employees’ co-employment arrangement with the PEO ceases, but they will continue as employees of the client. By comparison, a leasing or staffing service supplies new workers, usually on a temporary or project-specific basis. These leased employees return to the staffing service for reassignment after completion of their work with the client company. Upon termination of the staffing or leasing company arrangement, the worker has no continuing employment relationship with the client.

Source: NAPEO.org

An ASO, or Administrative Services Organization, is an HR outsourcing company that does not require you to sign a co-employment agreement. As such, an ASO will not sponsor your benefits plans or remit your taxes under its EIN. Instead, an ASO focuses on streamlining your HR operations by taking care of essential day-to-day tasks such as administering benefits and managing payroll efficiently. With an ASO by your side, you can confidently delegate these responsibilities, allowing you to concentrate on your core business objectives.

A Professional Employer Organization provides payroll administration and compliance support, as well as additional HR services. A Payroll Service Provider (PSP) handles your payroll administration and compliance without any shared legal burden.

No. We take instructions from your company for every type of compensation, including vacation checks and bonuses, as well as regular salary and wages.

Instead of printing and filling out paper forms, employees can change their federal and state tax withholdings using the Employee Portal. Path to change withholding is: Taxes > Tax Withholding > Federal Tax or State Tax.

Employees have access through the Employee Portal. The path for Paystubs is: Pay > Pay History > View Paystub, the path for W-2’s is: Taxes > W-2 > Select Year. Employers can also access employees’ paystubs and W-2s through the manager portal.

Yes, simply fill out the Direct Deposit portion found on your Employee Portal. It may take more than one pay period after you submit the information for the direct deposit to take effect.

Employees have the ability to change or add a direct deposit account through the Employee Portal, once logged in the path is: Pay > Direct Deposit > Add or Change Account. A new direct deposit account will pre-note for one payroll or 4 days then become active, whichever is sooner.

(Note: If you want your entire net payment to be direct deposit, the deposit method must be set to “Remainder”. When using “Fixed” or “Percent”, the “Remainder” method must be selected on one account. If Remainder is not used, any balance will generate a Paper check.)

Direct deposit adjustments can also be made using the PrismHR Mobile App.

All paper W-2 forms will be postmarked and mailed out by January 31st of the following year. Employees can elect to receive their W-2s directly on the Employee Portal. Electronic W-2s will be available faster and avoid the need to rely on regular mail. Enrolling to receive Electronic W-2s rolls over from year to year, annual enrollment is not required.

Understanding the difference between a final pay stub and Form W‑2 is important. When employees receive their W‑2, they might notice the earnings on their last paystub are different from the reported earnings on their W‑2.

Typically, this is attributed to one of three different scenarios: Your employer offers health insurance that is a pre-tax deduction, participation in a retirement plan or non-taxable items (reimbursements).

Example: Jane’s gross wages (paystub) are $30,000, but during the year she contributed $3,000 to a pre‑tax health insurance deduction. Jane’s taxable Form W‑2 wages (Box 1) are 27,000. (30,000 – 3,000 = 27,000)

Regular wages are taxed based on marital status and the number of withholding allowances (Federal and State, where applicable). Many States tax supplemental wages using the percentage method.

Employees may elect to enroll in the benefit plans once their waiting period has been met (or immediately upon hire if there is no waiting period). Each company sets its own waiting period so it’s best to contact PES’s Benefits Specialist for your company’s information.

Each employer has its own waiting period. This information may be listed in your Employee Handbook. If your company does not have an Employee Handbook or the information is not in it, please get in touch with a PES Benefits Specialist who can provide you with more information.

For benefits not previously elected, you may elect to participate at open enrollment or upon a qualifying event.

Changes are only allowed at Open Enrollment or in the event of a qualifying life event.

Examples of qualifying events that will allow you to elect benefits or add dependents after initial eligibility and not wait for open enrollment are loss of prior coverage, marriage, and the birth or adoption of a child.

Cards will arrive at the home address you provided 7-10 business days after your enrollment has been processed. This time frame also applies to all replacement ID cards.

If your doctor will agree to see you without your card, you can call your Benefit Specialist for your policy number and your ID number. Once you have that information your provider can verify your coverage with the carrier. You can register as a member at the carrier’s website to obtain the information as well or even print a copy of your ID card.

Contact your Benefit Specialist or call us at 315-295-3880. You can also print your ID from the carrier website when registered as a member.

The carrier websites have links to their network providers. There is no need to register as a member to look up network providers.

Out of network is a provider that does not participate with your plan.

A deductible is an amount you are responsible for paying before your plan pays its portion.

The fixed amount a member pays per visit to a provider for in-network health care services. Co-payments may vary per plan and per service.

Co-insurance is the amount you are responsible for paying after the plan has paid its portion.

The most you will have to pay in out-of-pocket costs for co-insurance on covered services during a calendar year.

A PCP (Primary Care Physician) is a doctor selected by the member to be the first physician contacted for any medical problem. The doctor acts as the member’s regular physician and coordinates any other care the member needs, such as a visit to a specialist or hospitalization. Our plans do not require a PCP referral for medical services.

A formulary is a list of generic and brand-name prescription drugs covered by your health plan. Your health plan may only help you pay for the drugs listed on its formulary. It’s their way of providing a wide range of effective medications at the lowest possible cost.

If your prescription is denied, please contact the insurance company directly, not PES. We can’t assist with personal health information. Our EAP, AllyHealth, may be able to assist you with this for free.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was prompted by federal regulations which require physicians to ensure they are protecting the privacy and security of patients’ medical information and using a standard format when submitting electronic transactions, such as submitting claims to payers.

An arrangement through your employer that lets you pay for many out-of-pocket medical and/or dependent care expenses with tax-free dollars. There are 2 types of FSA’s.

• Healthcare FSA
• Dependent FSA

A type of savings account that lets you set aside money on a pre-tax basis to pay for qualified medical expenses. By using untaxed dollars in a Health Savings Account (HSA) to pay for deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and some other expenses, you may be able to lower your overall health care costs. HSA funds generally may not be used to pay premiums.

An HSA (Health Savings Account) is a tax-advantaged savings account used to pay for qualified medical expenses. It is only available if you are enrolled in a high-deductible health plan (HDHP). You can contribute pre-tax money, which grows tax-free, and withdrawals for qualified expenses are not taxed.

You can only enroll in an HSA if you are covered under a high-deductible health plan (HDHP).

You can use HSA funds to pay for qualified medical expenses, including doctor visits, prescriptions, dental care, vision care, and more. For a full list of eligible expenses, you can visit the IRS website.

No, contributions to an HSA are tax-deductible, earnings grow tax-free, and withdrawals used for qualified medical expenses are not taxed. However, if funds are used for non-qualified expenses, they may be subject to income tax and a penalty.

Yes, there are annual contribution limits set yearly by the IRS for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). For 2025, the limits are:

• $4,300 for individual coverage
• $8,550 for family coverage

If you are 55 or older, you can make an additional “catch-up” contribution of up to $1,000.

You need to set up your own HSA Bank Account set up to receive your HSA money. Then provide your HSA banking information to Pinnacle Employee Services (PES). Your contributions will be deducted automatically from your payroll. The funds will then be deposited directly into your HSA account.

To set up your HSA, simply contact a bank or financial institution of your choice that offers Health Savings Accounts (it’s usually free!). Once your account is established, provide Pinnacle Employee Services with your HSA banking information so we can set up your payroll deductions.

Once your HSA account is set up, please provide your account information (including bank routing and account numbers) to Pinnacle Employee Services HR department at HR@PinnaclePays.com. This will allow us to set up direct deposits for your contributions.

A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is a pre-tax benefit account that allows you to set aside money to pay for eligible medical, dental, vision, or dependent care expenses in the current year. FSAs reduce your taxable income by allowing you to use pre-tax dollars for qualifying expenses.

Yes, you can enroll in an FSA as a new hire, during your employer’s open enrollment period, or if you experience a qualifying life event (e.g., marriage, birth of a child). Check with your HR department to see if you’re eligible.

FSA funds can be used for qualified expenses within the year of contribution.

Qualifed medical expenses include deductibles, copayments, prescription drugs, insulin, medical devices, dental plans and expenses, vision plans and expenses, acupuncture, and birth control pills.

Dependent Care expenses include day care, nursery school, preschool, before- and after-school programs, summer camps, and care provided by a babysitter or nanny.

No, the money you contribute to your FSA is not subject to federal income tax, Social Security tax, or Medicare tax. This allows you to save on taxes while using pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible expenses.

Yes, for 2025, the contribution limit for a healthcare FSA is $3,300. The dependent care FSA limit remains at $5,000 per household. The money for FSAs cannot rollover to the next year.

You will receive a debit card tied to your FSA, which can be used at the cash registers or online for eligible expenses. Alternatively, you can submit claims for reimbursement by providing receipts for your qualifying expenses through your employer’s FSA portal.

You may need to provide receipts or documentation of care in order to claim some expenses.

The key differences between an HSA (Health Savings Account) and an FSA are:

• Eligibility: An HSA requires enrollment in a high-deductible health plan (HDHP), while an FSA does not.
• Rollover: HSA funds can roll over from year to year, while most FSAs have a “use it or lose it” policy, with only a limited rollover or grace period option.
• Contribution Limits: HSA contribution limits are generally higher than FSA limits.
• Portability: An HSA stays with you even if you change employers or insurance plans. An FSA is tied to your employer and is typically lost if you leave the company.

If your company elected to participate in the Pinnacle Employee Services Retirement Savings Plan, you can contact the Transamerica Participant Center at 1-800-401-8726 to get further information about the plan details and/or enrollment information. Transamerica offers an employee portal where employees can sign into their account, view and make changes to their account, elect contribution amounts, change investments, update beneficiaries, etc. For investment advice, please contact John Buss at JBuss@pinnacle-llc.com or 315-295-3822

There are 3 ways you can enroll in the Pinnacle Employee Services Retirement Savings Plan:

1. Create an account online at Transamerica.com/portal/home
2. Call Transamerica’s participant center 1-800-401-8726
3. Complete enrollment form from your employer

Please reach out to your advisor, John Buss, if you have further questions about the plan or investment advice. JBuss@pinnacle-llc.com or 315-295-3822

Here are the instructions to enroll online:

1. Visit the Transamerica Portal
2. Click “create an account”
3. Enter your information and create a username and password
4. Click “details”, then “let’s get started”, make sure your personal information looks correct, then click “next”
5. Click on “continue with or without managed advice”
6. Choose the percentage you want to contribute
7. Click “more contribution options” if you want to contribute to Roth
8. Click “more investment options”, if you want something other than the Target Date Fund
9. Click “next”, “save”, add your beneficiaries

Please let us know if you aren’t seeing contributions coming out of your paycheck by contacting John Buss at JBuss@pinnacle-llc.com or 315-295-3822. We will check with payroll to confirm deductions are being made and to confirm you have been enrolled properly.

To take money out of your 401(k) account or take out a loan, please contact Transamerica directly for any distribution requests and they will process them for you over the phone. 1-800-401-9726

For specific questions on your employer’s 401(k) plan, please contact your financial advisor, John Buss at JBuss@pinnacle-llc.com or 315-295-3822.

The 2022 401(k) contribution limit is $20,500. For more information on contribution limits, please visit the IRS’ website.

Yes! We will have our financial advisor, John Buss, set up a time with you to stop in and meet with employees. You can contact him at JBuss@pinnacle-llc.com or 315-295-3822.

No, your hire date with your employer will be used for purposes of seniority. We record the date the co-employment arrangement started, but you will always be an employee of your current company. This is a co-employment arrangement in which PES, and your company simply divide various management and administrative responsibilities. Until you leave, you will continue to accrue time.

This information is simply part of your personnel records that PES maintains for employment purposes.

Yes, everyone is completing the same forms. PES will handle the human resources responsibilities for all employees of the company.