How ExtensisHR Keeps California Small Businesses Compliant, Connected, and Confident
Quick Look: Mastering California’s employment landscape takes more than standard HR; it takes a partner who understands state regulations and your specific needs. Discover how ExtensisHR combines tailored services, white-glove support, and comprehensive industry knowledge to help your team and your business grow.
High living costs, fast-changing regulations, and fierce competitive markets continue to impact California’s small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). While a strong human resources (HR) strategy can help counter these challenges, many SMB teams simply don’t have the bandwidth or specialized expertise in house.
A professional employer organization (PEO) can help lighten that load, providing HR management, expertise, and administration support.
But not all PEOs are the same. Unlike many larger providers in California that rely on quantity over quality, ExtensisHR believes HR should be as unique as your business objectives. Our comprehensive PEO solution delivers tailored services, local insight, and a white-glove approach designed specifically for California employers.
From personalized guidance to proactive compliance, our boutique model gives your business the attention and expertise it deserves: starting with how we serve our customers.
A customer-first approach
Our white-glove, boutique-style service puts your business first. Every customer is paired with a dedicated team, including an Account Manager, HR Business Partner, Payroll Specialist, and Implementation Manager, so you always have experts who understand your needs and workforce.
And the support doesn’t stop there. Our Employee Solution Center (ESC) is available to answer employee questions quickly and efficiently, with an average response time of less than 15 seconds and a 95% same-day resolution rate. Whether it’s payroll inquiries, HR tech support, or benefits guidance, our team is attentive and available when you need them.
Seasoned experts with local experience
HR in California can be complex, but that’s exactly where ExtensisHR shines. With nearly 30 years of PEO experience and a team averaging over a decade in HR and 20 years in benefits management, we know how to keep SMBs running smoothly.
Our deep, local expertise means we understand the nuances of California’s diverse and highly regulated market. From navigating compliance to designing HR strategies that actually work, we provide practical, tailored solutions that help your business and your people thrive.
Scalable HR services
As your business evolves, so do your HR needs. That’s why ExtensisHR offers flexible solutions for every stage, from startups to growing enterprises, including:
- PEO: Comprehensive HR services for payroll and tax, risk management, compliance, benefits, recruiting, and more.
- HRO (HR Outsourcing): Perfect for companies looking to outsource a single HR function, such as payroll or benefits administration
- PEO Premier®: Our all-inclusive HR management solution, with extra layers of customer support and executive-level benefits
- SchoolCloud®: Built for charter, private, parochial, and independent schools, SchoolCloud® combines a user-friendly tech platform with HR services and support designed specifically for a school environment
California compliant
With over 420,000 regulatory restrictions reported in 2023, California has the most complex employment landscape in the United States.
From the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), which covers Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) and Paid Family Leave (PFL), to Cal/OSHA mandates like Heat Illness Prevention and the Illness and Injury Prevention Program (IIPP), employers face a lot of moving parts.
Add in local rules like Los Angeles’ Fair Work Week Ordinance (FWWO) and San Diego’s Living Wage Ordinance (LWO), and keeping your pay practices compliant can quickly become a full-time job.
Our team provides proactive guidance on these regulations, and other key areas like the California Family Rights Act (CFRA)’s leave mandates, minimum wage and hour laws, pay transparency requirements, and employee break regulations, helping HR strategies stay aligned with both compliance and business goals.
This expertise is backed by trusted credentials that demonstrate our commitment to ethical, effective compliance. As an IRS-certified PEO (CPEO), a distinction held by fewer than 10% of PEOs nationwide, we have also earned:
- Employer Services Assurance Corporation (ESAC) approval
- Certification Institute recognition
- A SOC 1 Type II certification
These achievements reflect our ability to help employers reduce risk while keeping their operations running smoothly.
Our flexible support goes beyond California’s market. If your business expands across state lines, we guide you through multistate compliance, payroll and tax administration, and operational standards, helping your HR scale wherever you operate.
Local industry insights
Whether high-growth or mature, every California industry has its own HR trends, challenges, and compliance requirements. Certain sectors, like the gig economy, creative fields, and environmental services, also face additional state mandates, including Assembly Bill 5 (AB5), the California Environmental Quality Act, and intellectual property protection laws.
ExtensisHR helps California SMBs stay ahead of these complexities by providing guidance on best practices and potential risks across more than 18 industries, including professional services, media and entertainment, technology and fintech, financial services, schools, healthcare, and hospitality.
Retention-boosting recruitment support
ExtensisHR’s complimentary recruiting services simplify finding top talent in California’s competitive job market. Whether you’re searching for a creative manager in Los Angeles or a software engineer from the Bay Area, we help SMBs build and keep a healthy talent pool by providing:
- Consultations and check-ins with a dedicated Recruiting Specialist
- Job description creation, samples, and guidance
- Sponsored job ad posting and promotion
- ExtensisHR-led candidate sourcing powered by pragmatic AI tools
- Skills assessments, talent pool analytics, and interview assistance
- Salary surveys
- DEI-focused applicant searches
- Customized outreach drip campaigns
- Offer letter consultations
- Onboarding assistance for new hires
By handling the heavy lifting in recruiting, we reduce hiring friction, strengthen your workforce, and enhance your reputation as an employer of choice in California.
Enterprise-level benefits
Between balancing insurance costs with the diverse health needs of your team, choosing an employee benefits plan is no small feat. ExtensisHR makes it easier by delivering Fortune 500-level benefits at small-business rates, thanks to our large group pricing model. Through our PEO solution, California employers can provide:
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Group life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance
- Flexible spending accounts (FSA)
- Health savings accounts (HSA)
- 401(k) retirement plans
- Commuter benefit programs
ExtensisHR also offers access to Kaiser Permanente health plans, one of California’s most in-demand providers.
We also give California employers a wide range of supplemental and employer-sponsored benefits:
- Personal and family care like Employee Assistance Program (EAP), pet insurance, family-forming services, cancer care and prevention resources, and health advocacy
- Short- and long-term disability coverage, and critical illness, accident, and hospital indemnity insurance
- Employer-sponsored tuition reimbursement, legal services, and identity theft protection
- Discounted perks like personal home and auto insurance, Affinity Federal Credit Union, and special offers on entertainment, travel, retailers, and more
With these premium benefit options, California employers can better attract and retain top talent.
Smooth onboarding, seamless technology
Onboarding with a PEO isn’t just about getting workflows started, it sets the stage for the whole partnership. ExtensisHR’s hassle-free implementation builds trust and collaboration from day one. A dedicated Implementation Manager guides the process, minimizing workforce disruptions and making sure your goals and preferences are fully met.
Our implementation also integrates ExtensisHR’s Work Anywhere® platform, a centralized and mobile-friendly HR portal for both managers and employees. With multi-factor authentication and self-service features, your team can securely manage HR activities like enrolling in benefits, reviewing time-off requests, and checking pay statements and tax forms whether at the office, at home, or on the go.
ExtensisHR: Leveling up HR success for California SMBs
For California SMBs, navigating strict compliance rules and rising business costs is part of everyday life. But overcoming these HR challenges doesn’t have to be a solo mission. ExtensisHR’s PEO solution combines tailored services and white-glove customer support, to streamline your internal operations, keep you compliant, and align HR with your key business goals.
From San Diego to San Francisco, we help California SMBs manage HR smarter. Learn more about our PEO solution or contact our experts for a consultation.
