Two engagement models, scaled to what you need.
Whether you need a single project completed or ongoing monthly support, the firm offers clear engagement structures with written scope and fixed pricing. Choose the model that fits your situation.
For employers who need a specific deliverable completed without an ongoing commitment. Each project is scoped in writing with a fixed fee before work begins.
HR Policy Audit and Recommendations
Employee Handbook Build
Compliance Gap Assessment
Performance Management System Build
Single Investigation Support
For employers who need ongoing HR advisory and support without hiring a full-time professional. Retainer engagements provide predictable cost, documented hours, and credentialed judgment on call.
Foundation Retainer
- Up to 5 advisory hours per month
- Email and phone access during business hours
- Document and policy review
- Basic compliance questions and guidance
- Employee relations advice on an as-needed basis
Operational Retainer
- Up to 10 hours per month
- One monthly strategy call
- Document and policy drafting
- Ongoing policy maintenance and updates
- Employee relations and performance management guidance
- Compliance monitoring and regulatory updates
Embedded Retainer
- Up to 20 hours per month
- Fractional HR leadership with site or virtual presence
- Full employee relations management and investigation support
- Strategic planning and organizational development
- Manager coaching and leadership development
- Compliance program oversight and audit preparation
- Priority response within one business day
Transparent fees. Written before work begins.
Fees are quoted in writing after the initial consultation, based on scope. All engagements are governed by a signed engagement letter. The structures below cover retainer, project, payroll, standalone, à la carte, and fractional engagements.
Small and mid-sized employers carry the same legal obligations as larger employers without the in-house team to manage them. A retainer provides credentialed HR judgment on call, with documented hours and predictable monthly cost. Most clients reach the value of a year's retainer with a single avoided dispute.
Essential Tier
- Up to 3 hours of advisory per month
- Email access for HR questions during business hours
- Basic policy review and compliance checks
- New hire and termination documentation review
- Handbook compliance spot-checks
Foundational Tier
- Up to 6 hours of advisory per month
- Email and phone access for HR questions during business hours
- Policy and document review as needed
- Employee relations guidance and conflict resolution advice
- Compliance updates for federal and state regulatory changes
- Job description review and classification guidance
Standard Tier
- Up to 10 hours of work per month
- Investigation intake and documentation support
- Performance management guidance and PIP review
- Employee relations and grievance support
- Policy drafting and annual handbook review
- Manager coaching on HR best practices
- Quarterly compliance check-in call
Comprehensive Tier
- Up to 18 hours of work per month
- Full employee relations management
- Drafting, documentation, and manager coaching
- Priority response within one business day
- Investigation support including interviews and findings
- Training development and delivery coordination
- Compensation benchmarking and classification audits
- Monthly strategy call with leadership
Strategic Partner Tier
- Up to 30 hours of work per month
- Dedicated senior HR advisory and strategy
- Full compliance program management
- Executive coaching and leadership development
- Same-day priority response
- Workforce planning and organizational design
- End-to-end investigation management
- Accreditation support and audit preparation
- Bi-weekly strategy calls with executive team
Complete Partner Tier
- Up to 45 hours of work per month
- Full-scope HR partnership and strategic advisory
- End-to-end employee lifecycle management
- Comprehensive compliance, policy, and audit oversight
- Dedicated senior advisor with same-day priority response
- Organizational development and workforce planning
- Leadership succession planning and talent strategy
- Complete investigation and employee relations program
- Weekly strategy calls and executive reporting
- Custom training program development and delivery
For employers with fewer than 50 employees who need immediate, focused HR guidance without a retainer commitment. This single-use daily consultation is billed at a flat hourly rate and is ideal for addressing urgent questions, resolving a specific situation, or getting a professional second opinion before making a personnel decision.
Daily Consultation
- Flat-rate hourly consultation
- Phone, video, or email-based advisory
- One-time use per engagement
- HR compliance questions and guidance
- Policy interpretation and employee relations advice
- Billed in one-hour increments
The firm does not run your payroll. The firm reviews, oversees, and corrects it. Most small employers have a payroll provider but no one watching whether classification, garnishments, multi-state tax, and year-end reporting are actually being handled correctly.
Payroll Review
- Monthly payroll register review for accuracy
- Classification audit (exempt versus nonexempt)
- Garnishment and child support order verification
- Payroll provider configuration review
- W-2 and 1099 year-end review
- Quarterly tax filing verification
- Annual minimum wage and overtime threshold update
Payroll Compliance
- All Payroll Review features
- Bi-weekly payroll oversight
- Multi-state tax registration and nexus tracking
- Workers' compensation classification review
- Paid sick leave and PTO accrual audit
- Year-end W-2, 1099, ACA, and state filing review
- Final pay calculation review on terminations
- Direct response to payroll provider on configuration
Payroll Full Management
- All Payroll Compliance features
- End-to-end payroll oversight, all pay periods
- Active garnishment, levy, and child support management
- Quarterly payroll audit with findings report
- 401(k) and benefits deduction reconciliation
- Reasonable accommodation pay adjustments
- Acquisition or transition payroll planning
- Direct coordination with accountant or CPA
| Deliverable | Fee Range |
|---|---|
| Employee Handbook · Single State Drafted to current federal and state law. Covers conduct, compensation, leave, accommodations, technology, safety, and separation. Delivered for legal review. | $800 to $1,500 |
| Employee Handbook · Multi-State State-by-state policy addenda. Includes leave law variations, paid sick leave, final pay, notice requirements. | $1,500 to $2,800 |
| Stand-Alone Policy Series Focused policy bodies for targeted areas when a full handbook is not needed. | $400 to $1,200 |
| Workplace Investigation Intake, interviews, evidence review, findings of fact, recommendations, written report. | $800 to $2,200 |
| Performance Improvement Plan Package PIP drafting, manager coaching, follow-up schedule, closing documentation. | $295 to $495 |
| Termination Preparation Package Decision review, documentation audit, final pay coordination, communication scripts, separation agreement review. | $350 to $650 |
| Training Module Development · Single Module Built using ADDIE methodology. Facilitator guide, participant materials, assessments, tracking. | $800 to $1,800 |
| Compliance Audit and Gap Analysis Full HR, training, and compliance review with prioritized findings and remediation roadmap. | $1,200 to $2,800 |
| HR Department Buildout Charter, staffing model, policy infrastructure, technology recommendations, ninety-day implementation plan. | $4,500 to $10,000 |
| Operations Manual Comprehensive operational documentation by function and role. | $2,500 to $7,500 |
One-time deliverables outside of a retainer or project engagement. Fixed fees, fixed scope.
For employers who need a single question answered, a document reviewed, or short-scope conversation. Billed in fifteen-minute increments with one-hour minimum.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Hourly advisory | $175 per hour |
| Document review (per document) | $125 per document |
| Phone or video consultation (30-minute block) | $95 per block |
| Manager coaching (per hour) | $195 per hour |
| Investigation consultation (per hour) | $195 per hour |
| Expedited turnaround surcharge (24 hours or less) | +25% on quoted fee |
For organizations needing senior HR direction without a full-time executive. Engagements typically run three to twelve months with scheduled availability, defined deliverables, and direct executive-level access.
| Hours per Week | Monthly Fee |
|---|---|
| 5 hours per week | $3,200 per month |
| 10 hours per week | $5,800 per month |
| 15 hours per week | $8,100 per month |
| 20 hours per week | $10,000 per month |
| Custom scope | Quoted on request |
The financial case for building HR infrastructure before you need it.
Outsourced HR pays for itself in two places. First, in what you avoid: lawsuits, audits, turnover, regulatory findings, and operational drag from undocumented decisions. Second, in what you gain: faster hiring, lower turnover, better-trained supervisors, and accreditation that protects revenue. The figures below are drawn from published industry research and federal data.
Median cost of an employment-related lawsuit to a small employer, including defense and settlement.
Estimated cost to replace a departing employee, including hiring, onboarding, lost productivity, and training.
Reduction in turnover at companies using outsourced HR support versus peer organizations.
Year-over-year revenue growth advantage for companies with outsourced HR versus non-users.
Share of small employers facing an employment-related charge or lawsuit each year.
Average cost to defend and resolve an EEOC charge, even when the employer prevails.
Estimated cost of a single bad hire, including recruiting, onboarding, severance, and lost productivity.
Return range on properly designed training programs measured against productivity, retention, and quality gains.
Without infrastructure
- Termination decisions made without documentation, defended later with memory and conjecture
- PIPs written after the decision to terminate, weakening the legal posture
- Investigations conducted by managers without training, producing inconsistent findings
- Handbooks that have not been reviewed since adoption, citing repealed statutes
- Training records that cannot be produced when an auditor or attorney asks
- Job descriptions that misclassify positions and trigger wage and hour liability
With infrastructure
- Documented progressive discipline that supports the decision when challenged
- PIPs that function as legitimate performance tools and create defensible records
- Investigations conducted under written procedures with consistent outcomes
- Current handbooks reviewed annually against federal and state law
- Training records produced on demand, with completion dates and content versions
- FLSA-compliant job descriptions that align classification with actual duties
Practical payment options built for how small businesses actually pay invoices.
Invoices are issued through QuickBooks Online with multiple payment methods supported. Net terms are available on request. Long-term engagements and project work can be split across monthly billing schedules. The firm extends prompt-pay discounts and prepay options on retainers.
Net Terms Available
- Net 10 (standard for retainers)
- Net 15 (standard for projects)
- Net 20 (available on request)
- Net 30 (available for established clients)
- 1.5% monthly finance charge on past-due balances after thirty days
Accepted Payment Methods
- ACH bank transfer (preferred, no fee)
- Credit and debit card via QuickBooks
- Check by mail
- Wire transfer on request
- QuickBooks Online direct invoice payment
- All invoices issued through QuickBooks Online
Discounts and Payment Plans
- 5% discount on quarterly prepay
- 10% discount on annual prepay
- Monthly installment plans available for projects over $5,000
- 20% deposit required on projects over $7,500
- No-cost engagement letter, scope, and proposal review
All payment terms are documented in the engagement letter signed before work begins. Discounts apply only when invoices are paid in full by the prepay schedule. Late or partial prepay forfeits the discount.