Frequently Asked Questions

For the fastest service, please call our main number (801-443-1090) to reach a Client Success Manager. They can answer your questions and connect you to our experts in each department.

Please have new employees complete the new hire paperwork online on or before their first day of work. Managers log into their own Employee Tools account and click on the Onboarding Management in the left side of the screen. The online paperwork will be routed to your Payroll Specialist once it is complete. For more information check out our PDF tutorial.

The link to the new hire paperwork is in Employee Tools on our website. Check out our PDF tutorial here. If you do not have a username and password for Employee Tools, please contact us at service@helpside.com

Included in the new hire paperwork are an I-9 form and a direct deposit form. To complete the I-9 form, employees will need their I-9 list items. Examples are a passport or a drivers’ license and social security card. Please see the List of Acceptable Documents on the I-9 form for other items that can be used for I-9 verification. To enroll in direct deposit, a voided check is no longer needed. It is suggested however to avoid any errors made by the employee when entering account information.

For questions about completing an employee I-9 form, check out our I-9 Online Toolkit or watch the recording of our on-demand webinar.

Payroll is due before 9:00 am, 48 business hours (two business days) before the expected pay date. If payroll data is provided late, a $50.00 express fee may be charged.

To guarantee the change will be made before the next payroll, they need to be submitted to Helpside at least three business days before the expected pay date.

Employees can change their W-4 tax withholding in Employee Tools on our website. The W-4 changed significantly in 2020. Check out our blog for more information.

Employees can add or change a direct deposit account online through their Employee Tools account. Go to helpside.com, click on Employee, then click Employee Tools to reach it.

Employees can request an address update online in Employee Tools.

Employees can access their pay stubs and other employment information online through Employee Tools.

To register for an account:

• Employees can go to tools.helpside.com
• Enter employee information and click “Request Registration Email”
• Click on link in email
• Create a username and password

Helpside is the primary point of contact with Child Support Agencies, the courts, and attorney offices. We will fill out and send all necessary information to them. We will also send copies of the employee’s documents with additional information to the employee’s address.

If the original garnishment paperwork is received, please email a digital copy to Helpside at garnishments@helpside.com. If it is a Utah creditor garnishment, there should have been a $25 check enclosed with the original paperwork for processing the paperwork. Please cash the enclosed check, you do not need to send it to us, and we will add the $25 to your next invoice. This fee is necessary to cover the administrative costs associated with processing the garnishment. All other states creditor garnishment fees will be handled per each state law.

In the event that the courts or attorney’s office contacts you or one of your employees directly, you can ask them to contact Helpside at:

Phone: (800) 748-5102
Email: garnishments@helpside.com
Fax: (801) 769-3708

Laws vary state to state, but the best practice is to follow this timeline and communicate as follows:

How to Communicate:
Use the Separation Notice in Employee Tools, send an email, or call your Payroll Specialist with the termination details.

When to Communicate:

• Involuntary termination (termination of employment that is management-initiated of dismissal, including layoffs of over 30-days): We recommend that you notify your Payroll Specialist before 9:00 am one to two business days prior to the termination. This will allow time for Helpside to process the check and have it available for you to hand to the employee upon dismissal. If payroll data is provided late, a $50.00 express fee may be charged in order to process the payroll within the required state deadlines.
• Voluntary termination (an employee informs you that they are quitting or when an employee is absent from work for three consecutive workdays and fails to contact a supervisor): If the employee provided at least three days’ notice of their resignation, we recommend you notify Helpside before 9:00 am one to two business days prior to their last day of work, so that the check can be prepared and available for the employee on the final day of work. If the employee did not provide notice of their resignation, we recommend that you contact us as soon as possible after the employee’s last day of work and we will process their check within three business days. If payroll data is provided late, a $50.00 express fee may be charged in order to process the payroll within the required timeframe.

What to Communicate:

• Employee’s first and last name
• Last 4-digits of employee’s social security number
• Last date work
• Termination effective date
• Reason for separation

The easiest way to do this is to complete the Offboarding in Helpside’s Employee Tools.

Employees must complete a waiting period to become eligible for benefits. The most common waiting period is 60 days, meaning new employees are eligible for benefits the first of the month after 60 days of employment. Employees who consistently work 30 hours or more per week are eligible to participate in health, dental, vision, and long-term disability insurance. Employees who consistently work 20 hours or more per week are eligible to participate in life insurance and employees who consistently work 15 hours per week are eligible to participate in the Reliance Standard supplemental insurance options.

New employees or employees who move from part-time to full-time status should complete their enrollment forms as soon as possible after their hire date or full-time status date. Employees who do not enroll at least one month prior to their effective date could end up with back collections. If an employee chooses not to enroll, they will have to wait until open enrollment to enroll in coverage unless they have a qualifying event.

To enroll in benefits, employees will need to complete the benefits enrollment online. Instructions can be found here. If employees have questions about enrolling in benefits, they should contact us at (801) 443-1090 or at service@helpside.com.

Employee should receive their benefits cards from EMI Heath about 12-18 business days after submitting their completed enrollment to Helpside. Employees who have requested a debit card for the flexible spending account can expect to receive their debit card about 10-13 business days after submitting their request to Helpside.

Helpside conducts an annual open enrollment that allows individuals to add, drop, or change coverage options. Outside of open enrollment, individuals are not able to add, drop, or change coverage. However, individuals can drop coverage, add dependents, or drop dependents outside of open enrollment if they have a qualifying life event. Examples of qualifying events include: gain or loss of other group coverage, birth of a dependent, death of a dependent, adoption of a dependent, and divorce.

Premiums are deducted a month in advance. Monthly premiums are divided over two checks if paid bi-weekly or semi-monthly and four checks if paid weekly. Premiums are deducted on a pre-tax basis (for most benefits).

Because premiums are deducted a month in advance, employees can get behind on premium when they first enroll. This occurs when premium is missed due to the employee enrolling within 30 days of their effective date. To avoid a back premium, employees should submit an enrollment form to Helpside at least one month prior to their benefits effective date.

Helpside uses multiple vendors to help manage benefits. Each vendor can be contacted at the numbers listed below. Employees can create an account on each vendor’s website to allow them to view their insurance information and claims.

Health Insurance:  EMI Health- (800) 662-5851  www.emihealth.com

FSA Accounts: National Benefit Services- (800) 274-0503  https://mywealthcareonline.com/nbsbenefits/

HSA Accounts: Optum Bank- (866) 234-8913  www.optumbank.com

Reliance Standard Benefits: (800) 351-7500  www.reliancestandard.com/helpside

Employees who have questions regarding 401(k) through Transamerica, or life and disability insurance through Reliance Standard can contact an Account Representative at (801) 443-1090.

Employees will lose coverage for most benefits the end of the month in which they last met the eligibility requirements. If an employee works a day in a month, they will have coverage until the end of that month. If an employee has a qualifying event, such as obtaining new group coverage through spouse’s employer, their coverage will end the day before the new coverage begins.

Employees should contact the Department of Workforce Services by phone:  Salt Lake – (801) 526-4400, Ogden – (801) 612-0877, Provo – (801) 375-4067, elsewhere and out-of-state – (888) 848-0688.  You can also access DWS on the web www.jobs.utah.gov. All unemployment decisions are made by the Department of Workforce Services.

Unemployment paperwork and questions about unemployment claims can be sent via email to humanresources@helpside.com.

Employees can request FMLA through their Employee Tools account. Go to tools.helpside.com, click on Employee, then under Benefits, click on FMLA Request Form.

Helpside can run E-Verify on your behalf free of charge. To get started, you will need to complete an intake form and submit it to our HR team via email at humanresources@helpside.com. The E-Verify Intake form can be found at helpside.com/human-resources-library/

There are fees associated with background checks and your new hire will need to fill out an authorization form before we can run the background check. The pricing sheet is available at helpside.com/human-resources-library/. The employee authorization form is online at helpside.com/document-center/. Fees will be charged on your regular payroll invoice.

We encourage clients to find a local vendor who specializes in employee drug screens. In Utah, we recommend WorkMed. Their locations can be found here: https://intermountainhealthcare.org/services/occupational-medicine/workmed/workmed-locations/ 

You may send all recruiting inquiries to humanresources@helpside.com.

Please send salary survey requests to humanresources@helpside.com. There is a request form available online here. Please note there is a $25 fee for each salary survey request. Fees will be charged on your regular payroll invoice.

Please send VOEs directly to our HR team at voe@helpside.com. If you are ever contacted by a lender or government agency trying to complete a verification of employment, they can be directed to Helpside (801-443-1090) for the information they need.

You can expect it to be completed by the end of the following business day. If for some reason, your VOE is not returned by the end of the following business day, please contact us again.

Please send these forms to us via email at service@helpside.com

You can expect it to be completed by the end of the following business day.

Our HR team does its best to respond to all client inquiries on the same business day questions are asked or inquiries are made. However, sometimes our HR team members are in the field working with a client onsite, which may prevent them from getting back to you on the same day. If your matter is urgent, please 801-443-1090 and speak to a member of our Client Success Team.

If you participate in the Helpside workers’ compensation policy, you can request a copy of your workers’ compensation certificate online here.

Clients on the Helpside workers’ compensation plan must complete the Supervisor Incident Report available in both the Employee Document Center and Employer Resource Center on the Helpside website. The online form must be completed during the same shift the injury occurred. If you have any questions, you can contact Tom at (801) 443-1338 or twood@helpside.com.

All employees who are injured through a work-related event must follow the injury reporting procedure as outlined below:

1. All work-related injuries, no matter how minor, must be reported to the employee’s supervisor during the same shift the injury occurred.

2. Helpside must be notified of all work-related injuries within 24 hours. Helpside can be notified by completion of the Supervisor’s Incident Report (SIR). This form can be completed together by supervisors and employees online.

3. If the work-related injury requires medical treatment, the employee must first call 1-844-581-0831 and speak with nurse triage, to discuss their injury and treatment options. If medical treatment is advised, the employee must use a designated medical provider. Links to designated providers can be found below:

• Utah Designated Work Comp Injury Providers
• Idaho Designated Work Comp Injury Providers
• Nevada Designated Work Comp Injury Providers
• All other states, please contact Raul at rontiveros@helpside.com or (801) 443-1338.

4. If the employee’s injury is life or limb threatening, please seek emergency treatment at the nearest emergency facility or call 911.

5. All employees seeking medical attention are required to complete a post-accident drug screen. Employees with work injuries who do not seek medical attention may also be drug tested at their employer’s discretion.

6. After receiving medical treatment, employees are required to report back to their immediate supervisor. If work restrictions are given by the doctor; the employee is required to contact their immediate supervisor to determine if modified work is available to meet the restriction given by the attending physician.

Contact info for Claims Director: Tom Wood
Email: twood@helpside.com.
Call: 801-443-1338
Fax: 801-841-3538

Our Safety Director, Josh Hancey has more than a decade of experience in safety and human resources at companies like Vivint Solar and Intermountain Healthcare. Josh also has an MBA from Westminster College. He also has over 12 years of experience in the construction industry and holds several certifications in both safety and human resources. As Safety Director at Helpside, Josh assists hundreds of companies each year with developing safety programs that are cost-effective and get employees home to their families after each shift.

Here are just a few of the tools that you have access to:

Forklift Training
Did you know that all employers who have forklift operators must ensure that they are trained and evaluated prior to operating forklift equipment according to OSHA’s Powered Industrial Trucks standard 1910.178 (I) (6)? Additionally, operators who have had a near-miss incident, an accident, or those that are seen doing unsafe acts are required to undergo refresher forklift training.

Helpside has developed two forklift certification courses available to clients at competitive prices to help employers ensure safe operation of forklifts in their workplace. Both types of training are conducted at your workplace with your equipment to maximize learning and reduce cost and time associated with employee travel.

First Aid CPR Training
OSHA standards require that an employer ensure prompt first aid treatment for injured employees, either by providing for the availability of a trained first aid provider at the worksite, or by ensuring that emergency treatment services are within reasonable proximity of the worksite. One option these standards provide employers is to ensure that a member of the workforce has been trained in first aid. This option is, for most employers, a feasible and low-cost way to protect employees, as well putting the employer clearly in compliance with the standards.

Helpside has three different First Aid Training courses available through the Utah Safety Council. Training can be conducted at your workplace reduce cost and time associated with employee travel

In-Person or Web-Based Safety Training
OSHA compliance training for all your employees with our Safety Director.

Additional Training Resources
Access to hundreds of videos, training PowerPoints, Toolbox Talks, and other training documents to make safety training a breeze.

Reach out to Josh at (801) 443-1339 or jhancey@helpside.com to learn more.

As part of our continued effort to protect your company’s privacy and keep your employees’ data secure, Helpside employs information security management systems that are consistent with industry standards and best practices. We work diligently to protect from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction of sensitive information.

Information security best practices require that we shield some specific details about our processes in order to prevent potential attacks, but here is the information we can share:

Digital Data Security Measures

• All Helpside devices are corporate-managed and kept up to date with the latest security patches and access to Helpside systems are properly restricted.
• All Helpside devices and servers are updated regularly with current anti-virus and malware protection. Firewalls are configured for least privileged access and include malware, virus, and intrusion detection and prevention.
• Helpside utilizes message and attachment encryption to secure and encrypt sensitive data transfers via email.
• Sensitive data, such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII), is transferred securely and is encrypted in transit and at rest. Our database is separate from our web servers and is not web accessible.
• Helpside uses various coding techniques to prevent Cross-site Scripting (XSS) and SQL Injection attacks.
• All Helpside Web applications use SSL encryption and cookie encryption with lock-and-key strategies, and other security measures, to prevent Session Hijacking/Spoofing.

User Data Security Measures

• All Helpside accounts, including the online self-service tools in Helpside Tools require a two-factor authentication process for users.
• Change notifications are sent to users when any account information is changed through Helpside Tools.

Physical Data Security Measures

• Access to the Helpside buildings require a key card.
• Security cameras are in place at all entry points and high-traffic areas in the Helpside office. Server and networking equipment is secured in private areas that are locked 24/7.

Employee Data Security Training

• Helpside has systems in place to help employees detect and prevent unauthorized account access.
• Helpside provides employees with continued education on data security and phishing awareness.

If you have questions about data security, reach out to us at service@helpside.com.