Service A-1 · HR Audit · any state
Nine areas. Every state. One fixed price.
A structural inspection of your firm's HR: hiring, classification, handbook, payroll, benefits, leave, records, safety, and offboarding, checked against federal rules and the rules of every state where you have an employee. You get the Load Report and a 90-day plan.
3 interviews · report in 2 weeks
4 interviews + manager survey · ACA and ALE modelling
6 interviews · department sampling · comp band review
Every state you employ in is priced into the band. No per-state add-on. Over 150 people, we quote it on the call.
| Area · rule checked | Pass | Watch | Fail | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Hiring, I-9, E-VerifySC Code §41-8-20 · 8 USC 1324a | Fail | ||
| 02 | Classification, wage-hour29 CFR 541 · NCGS 95-25 | Fail | ||
| 03 | Handbook, policiesNCGS 95-241 (REDA) · SC §41-10-30 | Watch | ||
| 04 | Payroll, tax registrationsNC-BR · SC WH-1605 · new-hire reporting | Pass | ||
| 05 | Benefits, ACA, COBRAIRC 4980H · ERISA notices | Watch | ||
| 06 | Leave, accommodationsFMLA 50+ · PWFA · SC Pregnancy Act | Pass | ||
| 07 | Records, retention, privacyADA confidential files · 29 CFR 1602 | Fail | ||
| 08 | Safety, workers' compNCGS 97 (3+) · SC §42 (4+) · OSHA 300 | Pass | ||
| 09 | Offboarding, final paySC §41-10-50 (48 hrs) · NC next payday | Watch | ||
3 fail · 3 watch · 3 pass
Who it is for
Book the audit if
- You have 10 to 150 employees, in one state or twenty.
- No one on staff has "HR" in their title, or one person has everything.
- You are about to hire fast, hire remote in a new state, or leave a PEO.
- A partner, board, or buyer has asked "are we compliant?" and nobody could answer with a document.
Don't book it if
- You have under 10 employees. Call (704) 787-1261 and we'll send the multi-state checklist instead of selling you an audit.
- You need a workplace investigation or litigation support. We refer to employment counsel; ask on the call and we'll make the introduction.
- You want a PEO quote and nothing else. That is free either way: start at how we get paid.
Sample · anonymized
What a Load Report looks like.
A 42-person CPA firm, Charlotte HQ with a Fort Mill, SC office and two remote staff in Georgia. Three fails, three watches, three passes. Open any line to see the finding, the rule, the fix, who owns it, and how big it is.
01
Hiring, I-9 and E-VerifySC office not enrolled in E-Verify
Fail
- Finding
- Six hires made from the Fort Mill office with no E-Verify case; three I-9s missing a Section 2 date.
- Rule
- SC Code §41-8-20 (all SC employers, within 3 business days) · 8 USC 1324a
- Fix
- Enrol the SC location, run an internal I-9 audit, correct and memo every error found.
- Owner
- Office manager, with Pillar
- Size
- Project · week 1
- Exposure
- Priced in your report from the current federal per-form penalty table.
02
Classification and wage-hour2 paralegals exempt without a duties test
Fail
- Finding
- Two paralegals treated as exempt on title alone. No duties test on file; timekeeping stopped at salary.
- Rule
- 29 CFR 541 (salary and duties) · NCGS 95-25
- Fix
- Run the duties test, reclassify, reconstruct hours, pay the back overtime, brief the managers.
- Owner
- Managing partner + payroll
- Size
- Project · week 2
- Exposure
- Back overtime for two staff, calculated in the report.
03
Handbook and policies2019 handbook, no REDA or SC wage-notice language
Watch
- Finding
- Handbook last revised 2019. No NC REDA language, no SC seven-day pay-change notice, no remote-work or AI-use policy.
- Rule
- NCGS 95-241 (REDA) · SC §41-10-30
- Fix
- One handbook, two state addenda, acknowledgments re-signed by everyone.
- Owner
- Pillar drafts, partners approve
- Size
- Project · week 4
04
Payroll and tax registrationsBoth states registered, withholding current
Pass
- Finding
- NC and SC withholding and unemployment accounts active. New-hire reporting filed in both states. Georgia registered for the two remote staff.
- Rule
- NC-BR · SC WH-1605 · state new-hire reporting
- Fix
- None. Re-check at the next out-of-state hire.
- Owner
- Controller
- Size
- DIY · ongoing
05
Benefits, ACA and COBRA48 FTEs · ALE status within one hire
Watch
- Finding
- 48 full-time equivalents. One more hire makes the firm an applicable large employer, with offer, affordability and 1095 duties nobody has scoped.
- Rule
- IRC 4980H · ERISA notice requirements
- Fix
- Monthly FTE count, affordability test, 1095 process ready before the 50th hire.
- Owner
- CFO, with the benefits broker
- Size
- Project · week 6
06
Leave and accommodationsLactation space documented
Pass
- Finding
- Under 50 employees, so no FMLA duty yet. PWFA and SC accommodation practice documented; lactation space named and private.
- Rule
- FMLA at 50+ · PWFA · SC Pregnancy Accommodations Act · Lactation Support Act
- Fix
- None. FMLA policy drafts at 50 employees.
- Owner
- Office manager
- Size
- DIY · ongoing
07
Records, retention and privacyMedical files mixed into personnel files
Fail
- Finding
- Health forms, accommodation notes and one FMLA certificate filed in the general personnel folders. No retention schedule.
- Rule
- ADA confidential file rule · 29 CFR 1602
- Fix
- Split the files, restrict access, apply a written retention schedule to applications, payroll and terminated files.
- Owner
- Office manager
- Size
- DIY · week 3
08
Safety and workers' compPolicy current in both states
Pass
- Finding
- Coverage in force above both state thresholds. Posters current at both offices; no recordable injuries in the period.
- Rule
- NCGS 97 (3+ employees) · SC §42 (4+) · OSHA 300
- Fix
- None. Add the GA remote staff at renewal.
- Owner
- Controller
- Size
- DIY · ongoing
09
Offboarding and final paySC 48-hour final pay not in the checklist
Watch
- Finding
- One separation checklist for both states. It follows the NC next-payday rule, which is late in South Carolina.
- Rule
- SC §41-10-50 (48 hours or next payday) · NC next regular payday
- Fix
- Two-state separation checklist: final pay timing, device return, access removal, waiver language reviewed.
- Owner
- Office manager
- Size
- DIY · week 5
Findings reviewed with your counsel
What it is worth
The report prices what it finds.
Adjectives are free. The Load Report puts a figure beside the two findings that carry one, so the fee has something to be compared against.
- Two misclassified staff carry back overtime, calculated from the reconstructed hours, not estimated.
- Nine I-9 errors carry a per-form civil penalty range, multiplied by the number of forms.
- The audit that found both is $4,000, fixed, quoted before it starts.
Sequence
Scope call to Load Report in three weeks.
Twenty-one days end to end. Four hours of your team's time, total, and we tell you which four people we need.
Twenty minutes. Headcount, states, systems, and what keeps you up. You get the fixed price on the call, not in a proposal next week.
Secure upload: handbook, payroll registers, I-9s, benefit plans, job descriptions, separation files. We send the list; you assign one person.
Nine-area review against federal rules and every state you employ in. Four 30-minute interviews with the people who actually run HR.
Ninety-minute walkthrough with the owners. Every finding has a rule, a fix, an owner, and a week. Free PEO comparison if that turns out to be the fix.
Your team's time: about 4 hours, total
Checklist · what we actually open
41checks, by area.
01Hiring, I-9 and E-Verify3 checks
- I-9 on file for every active employee, and E-Verify enrollment against each state's threshold (mandatory in 20+ states for some or all employers).
- New-hire reporting filed within 20 days in each state.
- Background-check consent and adverse-action letters (FCRA).
02Classification and wage-hour6 checks
- Exempt roles pass both the salary and the duties test.
- Overtime, comp time, and on-call practices for non-exempt staff.
- Independent contractors tested against IRS and state standards.
- Written wage notice at hire and on change, per state (SC 7 days; NY, CA and others have their own forms).
- Pay frequency, paystub content, and paid-sick-leave rules per state.
- Compensation bands exist and pay equity was checked in the last 2 years.
03Handbook and policies4 checks
- Handbook: at-will, anti-harassment, complaint path, state addenda, leave, remote work, AI use.
- Acknowledgment signatures on file for the current handbook.
- Job descriptions exist and match what people actually do.
- Performance and discipline documentation is consistent across managers.
04Payroll and tax setup2 checks
- Withholding and unemployment registrations active in every state with an employee.
- PEO or payroll vendor contract: renewal date, fees, exit terms.
05Benefits, ACA and COBRA3 checks
- ACA applicable-large-employer count and 1095 filings.
- COBRA or state continuation notices issued on every qualifying event.
- Section 125 plan document exists and is current.
06Leave and accommodations2 checks
- FMLA eligibility (50+) and posted notices.
- Pregnancy and lactation accommodation practice, and the space itself.
07Records, retention and privacy2 checks
- Personnel, medical, and I-9 files kept separately.
- Retention schedule applied to applications, payroll, and terminated files.
08Safety and workers' comp2 checks
- Workers' comp policy in force per state threshold (NC 3+, SC 4+, most states 1+).
- OSHA 300 log and required posters, in every state.
09Offboarding and separation2 checks
- Termination checklist: final pay timing, device return, access removal.
- Separation agreements reviewed for age-discrimination waiver language.
Twenty-six of the 41 are listed here. The rest are state addenda, one set for every state you employ in, and they arrive with the Load Report. Findings are reviewed with your counsel; Pillar is not a law firm.
Money, in plain terms
How we get paid on this one.
No hourly rate, no line items added later, and one place where somebody else pays us.
Questions before booking
01How much does an HR audit cost?
A fixed fee: $2,500 for 10 to 25 employees, $4,000 for 26 to 75, $6,000 for 76 to 150. Quoted on the scope call, never changed mid-engagement. Every state you employ in is priced into the band. Firms over 150 employees get a custom quote.
02Is the audit privileged?
No. If you want privileged findings, we run the audit under your employment counsel's engagement, at the same fee. Ask on the scope call and we'll set it up that way.
03How long does it take?
Two to three weeks from document upload to the Load Report walkthrough. Your team's total time is about four hours.
04Will you tell us to buy a PEO?
Only when it is the cheapest fix for what we found, and we will show the math. The PEO comparison is free and provider-paid; the audit fee does not change either way. Our commission disclosure is in every engagement letter.
05What if we already use a PEO?
The audit still applies. A PEO handles payroll and benefits; classification, handbook practice, manager behaviour, and records are still yours. We also audit the PEO relationship itself: fees, renewal terms, and service gaps.
Book
Get your fixed quote on a 20‑minute call.
Pick a time on the right. The calendar lives on this site, so nothing gets lost between here and your inbox.
Or call (704) 787-1261 · Mon–Fri 8–6 ET
Not ready to pick a time? Email info@pillarpeo.com and we'll send the scope questions first.
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Headcount, states, and trigger post into the booking as hidden fields so the calendar does not fill with 8-person firms.
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