What Is Amplify HR?
Amplify is one of the best PEOs that provides HR, payroll, benefits administration assistance and more to small and medium-sized businesses of five to 500 employees. Services and products can be purchased separately or bundled together for savings and more integrated data flow between functions.
Featured Partners
1
Rippling
Yes
Yes
$35/month plus $8 PEPM
2
OnPay
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Yes
$40 per month + $6 per user
3
Paychex Flex
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Yes
$39-plus per month, depending on company size and needs (6 month free offer)
4
Gusto
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Yes
$40 per month plus $6 per user
How Does Amplify HR Work?
Amplify HR frees up your HR team’s time and efforts to focus on more value-added activities while certified HR experts at Amplify take care of:
- HR
- Payroll
- Benefits administration
- Risk management
- Compliance
Amplify HR also offers an integrated technology solution that serves as a one-stop shop to manage employee information, payroll, benefits, time tracking and more.
What Sets Amplify HR Apart
Amplify HR features a document library that includes templates for an employee handbook and job descriptions for more than 100 common roles. The library also contains guides for things such as healthcare reform and wage and hour law.
Amplify HR also provides 24/7 employee support for anything from onboarding to payroll to benefits changes or enrollment.
Amplify HR Features
Amplify HR helps your business with HR services, payroll, benefits administration and more.
HR Services
Amplify HR’s certified HR consultants work with you to create a service plan that meets your needs and help you navigate communicating any changes to your employees.
Your dedicated team of HR experts will help you stay on top of the regulations that affect people management, such as ACA, COBRA, workers’ compensation and more. They’re also available to help with sensitive matters, such as terminations or sexual harassment investigations. You also get Employer Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) coverage to protect your business in complex scenarios, such as discrimination, wrongful termination, unlawful termination and harassment.
Payroll
Amplify HR handles payroll as well as unemployment taxes and claims. In addition, Amplify HR’s payroll experts calculate and withhold local, state and federal taxes. You can pay your employees through direct deposit or debit card, and they can enroll in direct deposit, access pay stubs and more in the self-service portal. Amplify HR also provides more than 20 different detailed payroll, billing and HR reports.
Benefits
Amplify HR clients work with their dedicated account manager to create a competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental and vision insurance and a 401(k) plan. However, Amplify HR doesn’t offer other common fringe benefits, such as commuter benefits, dependent care savings accounts or employee perks and discounts.
Employees can enroll in benefits in the self-serve portal or contact customer support 24/7 to get guidance on how to choose the right benefits for them. You’ll also get expert help navigating ACA compliance and COBRA administration.
Time Tracking
Employees and managers can use Amplify’s HR self-service portal to manage time off and attendance.
Employees can track their time off and their attendance in the portal that shows time-off data in real time, broken down by accrued, planned and used time off. Managers also have access to the portal to get an overview of which employees are taking time off, and when. In fact, Amplify HR has a visual scheduling tool to help managers create schedules based on approved time off and your company’s scheduling policies.
For time and attendance, employees can clock in and out and access their work schedules in the portal, and managers can view, edit and approve time cards. Managers can also pull up a number of reports to track total hours worked, overtime accruals, overtime and more.
Risk Management
Amplify HR’s risk management consultants will make sure your company doesn’t run afoul of any regulations. Its risk management package includes pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation insurance coverage, EPLI coverage and ACA compliance for benefits.
Amplify HR Pricing and Plans
Amplify HR does not publicly post its pricing, but it allows clients to purchase services separately or bundle them for added savings.
Amplify HR Customer Service and Support
Amplify HR customers receive support from a dedicated account manager and can access customer support via phone. However, the website doesn’t specify support hours. Employees, on the other hand, have access to 24/7 support, but it’s unclear from the website how a client’s employees can reach out to Amplify HR’s support team.
Amplify HR Alternatives and How They Compare
| Amplify HR | AlphaStaff | Engage PEO | Insperity Workforce Optimization | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rating
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Starting Price
|
Custom pricing
|
Custom pricing
|
Custom pricing
|
Custom pricing
|
|
HR Tools
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Included
|
|
Payroll
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Included
|
|
Benefits
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Included
|
|
Time Tracking
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Included
|
|
Recruiting
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Onboarding
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Included
|
|
Performance Management
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Consultation services
|
|
Learning and Development
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Employee Engagement
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Reporting and Analytics
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Compliance
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Risk Management
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
IRS Certified/ESAC Accredited
|
ESAC only
|
ESAC only
|
Both
|
Both
|
|
Third-Party Integrations*
|
Unknown
|
Unknown
|
Unknown
|
No
|
|
Mobile App
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
iOS and Android
|
|
Dedicated Expert
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Customer Support
|
Phone
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Email, phone
|
Phone, support ticket
|
Email, phone
|
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Read Reviews
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*Depending on the app, third-party integrations available via ADP Marketplace may be included or come at an additional fee. Custom integrations cost extra.
Amplify HR vs. AlphaStaff
Amplify HR offers a more stripped-down package of services than AlphaStaff. AlphaStaff has recruiting services, cyber insurance, performance management and leadership development, while Amplify HR does not. However, Amplify HR has a template library, so you don’t have to start from scratch on key company documents. In addition, Amplify HR offers round-the-clock support for employees.
Amplify HR vs. Engage PEO
Engage PEO offers a broader range of services than Amplify HR. It offers recruiting services, performance management as well as compliance training. It’s also ESAC accredited and IRS certified. However, Amplify HR has a team to support your employees around the clock. Plus, for very small businesses, Amplify HR offers the essential HR-related services without unnecessary extras.
Amplify HR vs. Insperity
Insperity is more transparent than other PEOs, Amplify HR included, in terms of how services are packaged. Plus, Insperity is both IRS certified and ESAC accredited and provides recruiting services, employee engagement tools and performance management consultation. Amplify HR doesn’t offer extras beyond the basic PEO services, but that is likely all a small business needs, so it shouldn’t count it out.
Is Amplify HR Right for Me?
If your company needs flexible levels of support for a core set of HR areas and values 24/7 support for employees, you should investigate Amplify HR further.
Amplify HR is best for:
- Small and midsized companies with no internal HR team
- Companies of any size whose growth and needs outpace their internal HR team’s capacity to perform routine HR tasks
- Small and midsized companies that need basic PEO services: HR, payroll, benefits administration, time tracking and risk management
- Companies that need flexible HR support that they can add to or scale down
Amplify HR is not recommended for:
- Companies with large, in-house HR teams that can adequately handle HR responsibilities
- Companies that want recruiting, performance management or learning management from their PEO of choice
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a PEO?
A professional employer organization (PEO) helps out with or takes over HR-related tasks for a company. It essentially becomes a co-employer by administering a company’s payroll.
Why do companies use PEOs?
A company may opt to use a PEO for a number of reasons. For example, some very small companies lack HR personnel to complete HR-related tasks. Others have HR teams that are too small to handle all HR needs and therefore require some outsourced support.
Is Amplify HR a certified PEO?
Amplify HR is accredited with the Employer Services Assurance Corporation (ESAC) but is not IRS certified.
