Your Guide to Whirks Payroll: What's Included and What’s Not

Have you ever tried to decipher a payroll agreement only to feel like you need a law degree? Are you tired of getting halfway through a sales process only to discover the basic package doesn't include basic features?

Why do payroll providers make it so hard to understand what you're actually buying?

At Whirks, we believe transparency beats confusion every time.

That’s why we want to give you a clear picture of what’s included in your base package, what’s available as optional add-ons, and the warning signs in agreements that indicate hidden fees and forced bundles are lurking ahead.

What's Included in Our Core Payroll Package

Our Core package is designed for growing small businesses that need reliable, professional payroll processing without unnecessary complexity. Here's what comes standard:

Essential Payroll Processing

Complete payroll processing at your preferred frequency, whether that’s weekly, bi-weekly, or semi-monthly. This includes calculating wages, withholding taxes, and handling direct deposits or check printing. And you pay one monthly fee regardless of how often you process payroll.

Electronic Onboarding

With electronic onboarding, new employees can complete all their paperwork digitally through our onboarding system. This includes W-4s, I-9s, direct deposit forms, and any company-specific documents. And it’s all tracked and stored electronically.

Employee Self-Service Portal

Every employee gets access to their personal payroll information through a self-service portal. You control what they can see and do, such as viewing paystubs and W-2s, checking PTO balances, or updating their direct deposit information.

General Ledger Integration

We map your payroll data to your existing chart of accounts, so wages, taxes, and deductions flow seamlessly into your accounting system. This means no more manual data entry or reconciliation headaches.

Basic Reporting and Executive Dashboard

Instead of wrestling with confusing PDF reports, you get clear, visual dashboards that show your payroll data in easy-to-understand graphs and charts.

Year-End Tax Administration

We handle all federal and state tax reconciliation plus W-2 and 1095 filing with the appropriate agencies. This service does include additional filing fees. You’ll pay $75 annually plus $7 per form to cover processing costs.

Ongoing Support

You get a dedicated Customer Success Specialist as your main point of contact, but our entire support team is trained on your account. This means no waiting on hold, no re-explaining your situation, and no service gaps when your specialist is unavailable. We respond to questions within one hour and resolve issues within four hours during our normal business hours.

As part of our ongoing support, you get exclusive access to weekly office hours, where you can get face-to-face time with our team as they cover a variety of topics that impact your business.

Transparent Monthly Pricing

Our Core Package costs $125/month for businesses with up to 13 employees. After that, it shifts to $10.25 per employee per month (PEPM) as you continue to grow. 

There is also a one-time investment of 15% of your annual cost to get you set up, trained, and running smoothly. We take care of converting your historical payroll data, adding your employees into our system, and scheduling training with your team. This investment is charged with your first payroll run with us.

Complimentary Add-Ons That Provide Value (at No Extra Cost)

These services are included free with any of our payroll packages because they make payroll more efficient for everyone:

PTO Management and Accrual Tracking

You’ll be able to automatically track paid time off (PTO) accruals based on your policies. Employees can request time off through the system, managers get notifications to approve or deny requests, and everything syncs with payroll processing. Voila! 

Pay-As-You-Go Workers' Compensation

When we're your workers' comp broker, we automatically deduct premiums from each payroll and handle your year-end audit. No large upfront payments or surprise adjustments.

Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) Services

We handle all the paperwork to claim federal tax credits through the WOTC for hiring employees from certain protected categories. These credits can be worth $2,400-$9,600 per qualifying employee.

Giving and Volunteering Platform

Employees can donate to any 501(c)(3) organization through payroll deduction, and you can track volunteer hours and community engagement initiatives.

What's Available À La Carte: Optional Services with Clear Pricing

Rather than forcing expensive bundles, we offer optional services when you need them:

Time & Attendance Tracking – $3.25 PEPM

Our Time & Attendance offering includes digital time clocks (biometric, PIN, or mobile), overtime calculations, and scheduling integration. It’s perfect for businesses with hourly employees who don't track time through point-of-sale systems.

Attract & Hire (Applicant Tracking) – Starting at $150/month

This applicant tracking system (ATS) add-on allows you to post jobs to unlimited job boards, manage candidates, schedule interviews, and conduct background checks. It’s ideal for restaurants, hospitality, and other high-turnover industries.

Benefits Administration – Starting at $150/month

Our benefits features provide a complete concierge service for health insurance enrollment, COBRA compliance, ACA reporting, and employee benefits support. It’s like having a dedicated benefits specialist without the overhead.

ACA Compliance Reporting – $3.25 PEPM

ACA Compliance Reporting is ideal for businesses with 50+ full-time employees who must offer health insurance and file 1095 forms. We handle all reporting requirements and form submissions.

Learn & Grow (Training Platform) – $5.25 PEPM

This learning management system (LMS) gives you an online training platform with 160+ pre-built courses, with the ability to upload your own content as well. It includes tracking, certifications, and compliance training.

Expense Management – $1.75 PEPM + $100 setup fee

Employees can request expense reimbursements through the expense management system with automated approval workflows. This is particularly useful for home care companies and sales teams.

Retirement Plan Integration – $50/payroll + $125 setup fee

This module allows you to automate 401(k) contributions and submissions to your retirement plan provider (with select compatible plans).

Our Upgrade Packages: People and The Whirks

Our People Package is our most popular package. It is designed for businesses that want HR guidance and support, and that want to stay compliant with federal and state regulations by outsourcing their payroll and HR to trusted experts. It costs $15.25 PEPM with a minimum of $250/month.

It includes everything in our Core Package, with the addition of comprehensive HR support:

• Living employee handbook (updated as laws change)
• On-call HR support experts for compliance questions
• Labor law posters delivered to your door
• Monthly HR Whirkshops
• Annual HR risk assessment

The Whirks Package is perfect for businesses that want to simplify workforce management by combining payroll, recruiting, onboarding, time tracking, and HR support through one reliable partner. It costs $21.75 PEPM, with a minimum of $350/month.

The Whirks includes everything in People, plus:

• Time & Attendance tracking
• Attract & Hire ATS

Payroll Agreements: What to Look For and What to Look Out For

When evaluating any payroll provider, here are the key things to be aware of:

What Should Be Clear Upfront

• Exact monthly costs with no hidden per-payroll processing fees
• One-time setup costs stated as specific amounts or percentages
• Year-end filing fees broken down by form type
• Cancellation terms that don't trap you in long-term contracts

Red Flags to Watch Out For

• Per-payroll processing charges on top of monthly fees
• Essential features listed as "premium" add-ons (like employee self-service or basic reporting)
• Vague pricing like "starting at" without clear breakdowns
• Forced service bundles where you can't get basic payroll without buying HR or benefits
• Annual contracts that lock you in regardless of service quality
• Hidden implementation fees not disclosed until after you sign

What Good Agreements Include

• Month-to-month terms showing confidence in service quality
• Clear service descriptions so you know exactly what each package includes
• Transparent add-on pricing with no surprise charges
• Straightforward cancellation process if the relationship isn't working

Questions to Ask Any Provider

• What exactly is included in the base price?
• Are there any fees beyond what's listed here?
• Can I add or remove services without penalty?
• What happens if I need to cancel?

The best payroll agreements read like a straightforward business proposal, not a legal trap. If you need a lawyer to understand what you're buying, you probably want to find a different provider.

Take the Guesswork out of Payroll Decisions

Understanding the difference between transparent service packages and confusing industry tactics helps you choose a provider you can trust and who truly supports your business growth.

The goal isn't just finding the cheapest payroll provider. You want to find one that offers clear services, honest pricing, and the flexibility to grow with your business.

At Whirks, our goal is to simplify your people complexities. We're dedicated to helping businesses like yours get one step better every day through clear payroll packages and transparent pricing.

Ready to see what straightforward payroll service looks like? Contact our team to review our clear package options. You'll know exactly what you're getting and what you'll pay before you commit.

Is Whirks Payroll Right for You? Find out the types of businesses we serve best (and the ones we don't).