FAQs

We’ve put together these frequently asked questions about ARI and its HR-Flex Services™ as a quick reference. For more information about ARI or its services, call 800.753.6939 and speak with one of our HR Professionals.

Q: How can ARI get my medical costs under control?
A: Small to mid-size companies have very few levers to negotiate and manage health costs—re-design the plan, lower contributions, or reduce coverage. ARI serves as your “administrative employer of record,” which means your company is allowed to join ARI’s group health pool. Together we operate as one entity, spreading the rates over many other companies, a huge economic and competitive advantage.
Q: What is a PEO anyway?
A: A Professional Employer Organization provides outsourcing of payroll, workers’ compensation, human resources, and employee benefits administration. It is an arrangement in which you still maintain rights as the employer for your business and employees, but as a third party company, we become the “administrative employer of record.” ARI is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a leading Tennessee PEO.
Q: What does HSA mean?

A: If you have a qualified high deductible plan, you can create a Health Savings Account, or HSA, for your employees. Employees and/or the company may contribute to the account for use in medical related expenses. Employees receive an HSA "ATM" kind of card that would draw from their personal HSA account. Because the higher deductible is often less expensive, dollars go directly to employees instead of to a fixed higher premium. HSA accounts are transportable to other company plans.

Q: I got a workers’ compensation audit and had to make a special payment. Why is that?
A: You were probably audited because Workers Compensation insurers track your payroll and classifications on a fixed period basis. The audit helps them determine if they over-charged or under-charged you. ARI helps you avoid audits because we have a pooled rate that is often 28% reduced from state rates. Additionally, it is paid monthly with no surprises…ever. We call it pay-as-you-go workers compensation.
Q: What size company is the best fit for ARI’s PEO services?
A: If you have 2-100 employees, your company should definitely explore ARI’s services from both a strategic and economic perspective. Unbundled and fragmented costs and services for HR, Group Health, Compliance and Payroll related matters are expensive and inefficient. With ARI as your PEO, you’ll immediately begin to enjoy lower costs and our personal, one-stop service.
Q: Can I just purchase payroll service from ARI?

A: Yes. ARI has two payroll services that make payroll management easy, secure and affordable: HR-Flex PayBasic™ and HR-Flex PayPlus™

Q: How do I handle non-exempt and exempt status?
A: Small to mid-size companies must conform to the Fair Labor Standards Act regarding overtime, exempt status, non-exempt status and hundreds of employment related laws. ARI provides OnCall services for all FLSA compliance matters. On call or on site—ARI helps you streamline the business of doing business.