Prepared for TIFIN Give
For Lauren McLamb
What we heard from you, what Justworks covers, and how SMBHR handles the HR work around it.
What Justworks coversThe two packagesEverything we can help with
By Caleb Sherrill and Lui Prieto, SMBHR. November 4, 2026. SMBHR is the fractional HR firm that works with Pillar PEO Advisors.
What we heard from you.
Six things came up on our calls with Lauren. Each one is covered in what follows.
- 01
Where Give is today
- Moving to Justworks on January 1
- A transition on a tight timeline
- A new director of accounting running payroll
- Seven people in three states
- 02
Compliance in three states
- Pay, leave and notice rules differ in NC, NJ and PA
- A handbook updated for Give
- Required postings and a yearly review
- 03
Someone to run Justworks
- Hires, exits and pay changes handled
- Justworks questions and escalations
- Lauren freed up for operations
- 04
Hard moments done right
- Write-ups and performance plans
- Terminations and final pay by state
- Unemployment claims answered
- 05
Ready for what's next
- Growth to about 10 people next year
- The sales commission plan in writing
- Visa timing with Envoy
- Employee files kept clean and complete
- 06
Quality you can count on
- Senior HR experience behind every answer
- The same people every time
- Work done right the first time
What Justworks does for Give, and what it leaves to you.
Justworks becomes the employer of record for payroll, taxes and benefits. It's a strong platform with self-serve support. The day-to-day HR work stays with Give.
- $114Per employee a month after 3 months free, set as Give's ongoing rate, not a promotion. Placed through Pillar.
- Jan 1Start date. Medical rates hold with no requote, and there's no setup fee.
- Oct 31, 2027Medical rates are set through this date. The first renewal is November 1, 2027.
Justworks covers
- Payroll, payroll taxes and W-2s
- Medical, dental and vision benefits
- Workers' comp, cyber and EPLI insurance
- HRIS technology
- A 1‑800 number for support
Left to Give
- Writing the handbook and policies
- State rules in NC, NJ and PA
- Running Justworks day to day
- Write-ups and terminations
- A person who knows your team
This is where SMBHR comes in.
To start January 1: the letter of intent is signed this week, plan choices are final by December 11, and employees finish enrolling by December 18.
Senior HR people who know Give by name.
Quality and expertise are the reason to bring in an HR team. Here is what Give gets from us.
Over a decade in HR
Lui Prieto, our Co-Founder and Chief People Strategist, leads Give's account.
Built for a team like Give
Lui built HR from the ground up for a company working in six states on a PEO: payroll tax, policies, hiring and exits.
The same people every time
Lui, with Emily Snooks as backup and Caleb on anything big. Our HR leads keep a small client list on purpose.
Justworks, known well
Through Pillar, we place and manage companies on Justworks, so there's no learning curve on day one.
Core HR and HR Partner, line by line.
Priced for Give today: up to 10 employees in three states, with payroll staying with your accounting team. Anything not in Core HR can be added one piece at a time.
| What's included | Core HR$2,000a monthLauren runs HR, with us on call | HR Partner$3,000a monthWe run HR with Lauren, and employees come to us |
|---|---|---|
| Every month | ||
| HR help deskAnswers within one business day | Lauren and managers | Everyone, employees included |
| Handbook and policiesKept current for North Carolina, New Jersey and Pennsylvania | Included | Included |
| Compliance watchLaw changes, required notices, I‑9 tracking and a review once a year | Included | Included |
| Justworks and benefits helpQuestions, enrollment and escalations | Included | Included |
| Hires, exits and pay changes in Justworks | You enter them, with our checklists | Entered for you |
| Check-ins with leadership | Monthly | Monthly, plus quarterly strategy |
| When people issues come up | ||
| Coaching on performance issues and write-ups | Included | Included |
| Performance plansWritten and run with the manager | $1,300 each | Included |
| TerminationsFrom the conversation to final pay, by state rules | $1,040 each | Included |
| Unemployment claimsResponses filed for you | $450 each | Included |
| Hires and exits | ||
| Onboarding new hiresOffer letter, paperwork and a 90‑day check-in | $850 per hire | Included |
| OffboardingExit steps and final paperwork | $750 per exit | Included |
| Performance reviews and growth pathsSet up once, run every year | Quoted when you want it | Included |
| Setup work | ||
| Justworks setup and payroll integrationCoordinated with Justworks and your accounting team, including the 401(k) and HSA deductions. $3,000 on its own | Included | Included |
| Employee handbook updateFor North Carolina, New Jersey and Pennsylvania | $2,250 one time | Included |
| Onboarding process buildOffer letter templates and a file for each person | $2,400 one time | Included |
| Add any time | ||
| Payroll run each pay periodYour accounting team runs it today | $850 a month | $850 a month |
| Recruiting, investigations, layoffs or a buyer's due diligence | Priced before we start | Priced before we start |
As Give grows
Prices step up by headcount. We check headcount each quarter, and a new price starts the month after Give moves into the next band. Each added state is $250 a month.
| Employees | Core HR | HR Partner | Payroll add-on |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 10 Today | $2,000 | $3,000 | $850 |
| 11 to 20 | $2,500 | $3,750 | $1,000 |
| 21 to 30 | $3,000 | $4,500 | $1,000 |
Through Pillar, at no cost to Give: help getting set up on Justworks, a renewal review every year checked against the market, escalation to Justworks leadership, and an admin login so we can pull reports with you.
Ready before January 1.
Give's timeline is tight, so the audit focuses on what has to be in place for January 1. The scope and a fixed monthly fee go in writing, with no hourly billing.
- This week
Send us what you have
Offer letters, agreements, the commission plan and any HR policies you use today.
- Quick turnaround
Audit and recommendation
We review it, talk through the growth plan with you, and put one package and its fee in writing.
- December
Setup
The Justworks setup and payroll integration, plus the handbook and onboarding work you choose.
- January 1
Give moves to Justworks
With the HR basics in place from the first payroll.
Both packages have a 6‑month minimum. Prices step up with headcount, as shown in the packages.
Questions about any of this? Reach either of us.
We're glad to walk your team through it, or to adjust a package to fit what Give needs.