You stop paying for empty months
A retainer bills the same in a month with a termination, two hires and open enrollment as it does in a month with nothing. Hourly billing only charges for the first one.
Compare
King & Co. vs. the typical HR firm.
Side by side, no spin.
Retainer firms, PEOs and full-time hires all charge you the same in a quiet month as a busy one. We do not. Here is how the options compare.
- $0 in quiet months
- No co-employment
- On site across New England
The comparison
Four ways to get HR done.
| Question | King & Co. | Typical HR retainer firm | PEO | Full-time HR hire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Hourly, for work actually done | Fixed monthly retainer, often with an hours cap | Per employee per month, or a percent of payroll | Salary, benefits and payroll taxes |
| What a quiet month costs | $0 in hours. Optional tools under $150 | The full retainer | The full per-employee fee | The full salary |
| Commitment | Simple service agreement, no monthly minimum | Six to twelve month terms are common | Annual agreements, plus a benefits transition to leave | Recruiting, ramp-up and severance risk |
| Who employs your staff | You do | You do | The PEO becomes co-employer | You do |
| Payroll system and benefit plans | Keep yours, or we help you switch | Usually yours | Usually moved onto the PEO's platform and plans | Yours |
| Who you talk to | A dedicated specialist plus a backup team | Often a shared queue or rotating consultants | Usually a service center | One person, with no backup when they are out |
| After-hours help for leadership | Call or text nights and weekends | Business hours | Business hours, by ticket | Depends on the person |
| On-site support | Across New England and New York | Often remote only | Rarely | Yes |
| Recruiting | Hourly, no placement fee | Extra, or referred out to an agency | Usually an add-on | Their time, if they have it |
| Scaling up or down | Month to month, as needed | Change tiers, often at renewal | Tied to headcount | Hire again, or let someone go |
Competitor terms vary. These reflect common arrangements, not any specific company.
Why hourly
Why hourly beats a retainer for most businesses.
Nobody is rationing your hours
Retainers often come with an hours cap. When you hit it, you either wait or pay overage. With hourly support you just call.
The work stays visible
Every hour on an invoice ties to real work: a handbook update, a payroll fix, a hire. You can see exactly what you are paying for.
What every client gets
Big-firm coverage, small-firm attention.
- A dedicated HR specialist who learns your business, with a backup team for coverage
- Owners and managers can call or text nights and weekends
- Employees reach us by email, ticket, text, video call or on site
- We work in the tools you already use: ADP, Paychex, Gusto, Paylocity, Rippling, QuickBooks, BambooHR, Slack and Teams
- A quarterly leadership review with clear, prioritized recommendations
- Kickoff within days, sooner when something is urgent
- Recruiting billed by the hour instead of a 20 to 25 percent placement fee
- You keep your company, your payroll provider and your benefit plans
When another option is the better fit
- A PEO can make sense for a very small team that wants big-company benefit pricing and is comfortable with co-employment.
- A full-time HR hire makes sense once there is full-time HR work every single week, usually well past 150 employees. We help you hire and onboard that person when you get there.
- If you already have an HR person, we work as their backup and bench, so they are never alone on a hard call.
Common questions
What is a typical HR firm?
Most outsourced HR firms sell a monthly retainer, often in tiers by headcount and with a cap on hours. You pay the same every month whether you use it or not. Some route calls to a shared queue instead of one consultant who knows you.
Are you cheaper than a PEO?
For most employers who do not need HR help every week, yes. A PEO charges per employee every month for as long as you stay. We bill only for the hours we spend, and a quiet month has no hourly bill.
Is there a contract?
Yes, a simple service agreement. It puts the scope, your team and the hourly rate in writing so both sides know what to expect. It does not lock you into a monthly minimum or a retainer.
Why don't you publish your hourly rate?
Rates depend on the work. Payroll cleanup, a multi-state handbook and a workplace investigation are different jobs. On the free 15-minute call we give you a clear estimate for your situation, and the rate goes in writing before anything starts.
Free 15-minute call
Not sure which option fits?
Book a free 15-minute call. We will tell you honestly, even if the answer is not us.