Human Resources Startup Zenefits Is Laying Off Almost Half Its Employees (buzzfeed.com)

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Human Resources Startup Zenefits Is Laying Off Almost Half Its Employees (buzzfeed.com)

Posted by ryuzaki0 on Thursday February 9, 2017 @05:20AM from the cutting-jobs dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report: Zenefits will lay off 45% of its employees in an effort to slash costs, according to an internal memo this morning that was obtained by BuzzFeed News, a stark acknowledgment by the embattled human resources startup that its onetime expectations for growth were vastly inflated. Roughly 430 workers will be cut, including 250 in Zenefits' San Francisco headquarters and 150 in its office in Tempe, Arizona, leaving the company with about 500 employees, according to the memo and a person briefed on the matter. That's about a third of the size it was a year ago, when it ousted its founding CEO, Parker Conrad, over revelations that it flouted state regulations for selling health insurance. Thursday's announcement, coming on the morning after the one-year anniversary of Conrad's departure, is the third round of layoffs -- and the largest -- to hit the company since the crisis began.

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Poetic Justice by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 05:27 · Score: 5, Insightful

When it comes time to shed employees, corporate HR usually has a mysteriously low (if not the lowest) termination rate, despite being overloaded with redundant workers that have very little to do with the actual production of things. I think their self-entitled protectionism is only second to CEOs and politicians who can vote for their own pay raises.
Kind of sucks to be the #1 target of your own collusive practice, doesn't it?
1. Re:Poetic Justice by xxxJonBoyxxx · 2017-02-09 05:34 · Score: 2
  
  >> corporate HR usually has a mysteriously low (if not the lowest) termination rate, despite being overloaded with redundant workers
  
  Firing workers is a lot of work for HR. There's payouts, COBRA, threats of lawsuits, job placement workshops, etc. It's actually a busy time for them.
2. Re:Poetic Justice by __aaclcg7560 · 2017-02-09 06:05 · Score: 1
  
  There's payouts, COBRA, threats of lawsuits, job placement workshops, etc. It's actually a busy time for them.
  When I got laid off from my job in early 2009, I expected to transfer to a different contract. When I went into headquarters, the HR paperwork said I was being separated from the company. When I pointed this out to the HR person, she started hemming and hawing. When I asked about all the contracts that the company picked up and announced in the previous six months, she admitted that those contracts got cancelled and the company was facing a financial crunch from spending $500K on moving into a new building. HR was worried about being laid off as well. I spent the next two years out of work, underemployed for six months (working 20 hours per month), and filed for chapter seven bankruptcy. That company never rehired me for another contract, which was strange as I have worked for other contracting agencies multiple times.
3. Re:Poetic Justice by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 06:13 · Score: 0
  
  Lunch break is over! Get back to earning your pittance, wage slave!
4. Re: Poetic Justice by DaMattster · 2017-02-09 06:14 · Score: 1
  
  The human resources department is always the first out of the for and headed to the bar for happy hour.
5. Re:Poetic Justice by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 06:33 · Score: 0
  
  > mysteriously low (if not the lowest) termination rate
  This. I work for a start-up in Seattle that's owned by a former SVP of Microsoft, and we have mostly former Microsoft employees here. We went from nearly sixty developers down to five since I started two years ago. Of course, the roadmap hasn't changed and the idiot Microsoft drone that runs the company demands the same amount of work be done. He even made promises to customers. During that time, we went from one full-time HR person that we didn't really need to two full-time people. The HR:dev ratio went from 1:58 to 1:2.5 in two years. How does that make financial sense?
  Also, the new HR person is Pakistani so she's been driving off all of the Indian employees.
6. Re:Poetic Justice by __aaclcg7560 · 2017-02-09 06:33 · Score: 1
  
  Lunch break is over!
  What's that?
  
  Get back to earning your pittance, wage slave!
  Tell me about it. I work in government IT and get paid significantly less than my private sector counterparts. OTOH, I get a month of time off each year and my contracting agency gave me an extra month of pay as a Christmas bonus last year. Sweet!
7. Re: Poetic Justice by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 08:50 · Score: 0
  
  Government IT and an IT contractor with a government customer are two very different things. You are actually private sector, and as such your compensation is much better than a government employee.
8. Re:Poetic Justice by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 08:56 · Score: 0
  
  Obligatory: what... would you say... you do here?
9. Re:Poetic Justice by hambone142 · 2017-02-09 09:46 · Score: 1
  
  Actually, I saw the opposite with our HR department. This is a large (very large) computer company. We don't even *have* a HR department on site for over 3,000 employees.
  Most of the HR functions were foisted upon management and the HR department is almost nonexistent.
  At one time, they had a fully staffed office. It's used for storage now.
  A lot of the tasks were either outsourced or moved down to Costa Rica for cheap labor.
10. Re:Poetic Justice by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 10:16 · Score: 0
  
  ... the snake eating its tail ...
11. Re: Poetic Justice by __aaclcg7560 · 2017-02-09 10:19 · Score: 1
  
  You are actually private sector, and as such your compensation is much better than a government employee.
  Maybe, maybe not. Some of my fellow government employees are driving Tesla cars. Then again, the Tesla dealership is just around the corner from us.
12. Re: Poetic Justice by luis_a_espinal · 2017-02-09 23:15 · Score: 1
  
  So that's what HR for, to fire people. I was wrong about it all this time.
  Why do stupid indo-chimps do all the headhunting? Isn't it racist and discriminating?
  HR doesn't fire people. They do not make the decision. Management from all the way up down to team leads, they decide who gets canned.
  The degree of power and frequency each layer of management exercises the task of firing, that's for another debate. HR is the one in charged of cleaning up the mess, in addition to manage paperwork, benefits, severance packages, and at times, counseling.
  This mindless hate for HR, me no get it.
I found their problem by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · 2017-02-09 05:29 · Score: 3, Insightful

it ousted its founding CEO, Parker Conrad, over revelations that it flouted state regulations for selling health insurance.
In today's world, you don't sack the CEO for flouting regulations. You do it brazenly, and then complain that regulations are hurting your business model (See, Uber, AirBnB).

--
Your ad here. Ask me how!
1. Re:I found their problem by interkin3tic · 2017-02-09 08:25 · Score: 1
  
  The real pros though make sure one or two other people do it even worse, so when those idividuals are burned at the stake* everyone goes back to thinking everything is just fine. Call it the "Martin Shrekelli" effect.
  
  (* and by "burned at the stake" I of course mean there are a lot of angry social media posts for a week or two before they go back to consequence-free living with the millions they still made.)
2. Re:I found their problem by Puls4r · 2017-02-09 09:40 · Score: 1
  
  There's a reason for that. Large companies are incredibly good at putting startups out of business. The barriers to entry into just about any business are incredible nowdays, between the competition and the regulation.... and the regulation that's been written BY the competition. Uber and Lyft are a perfect example of businesses that are 'illegal' in many places because of regulation put in place by lobbyists and local monopolies. Sort of like what the Cable and Telephone companies do.
3. Re:I found their problem by mjwx · 2017-02-10 00:38 · Score: 1
  
  it ousted its founding CEO, Parker Conrad, over revelations that it flouted state regulations for selling health insurance.
  In today's world, you don't sack the CEO for flouting regulations. You do it brazenly, and then complain that regulations are hurting your business model (See, Uber, AirBnB).
  Ironically enough, this is the fate Uber (and possibly AirBNB) have in store.
  
  Despite flaunting the rules, Uber is losing money hand over fist. Even in places where it's legal like the UK they aren't making any money.
  
  --
  Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
"Human Resources Startup"? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 05:36 · Score: 0

WTF is that? Isn't "human resources" some department of big companies dealing with internal company drama? What would a dedicated company just for this do?!
1. Re:"Human Resources Startup"? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 05:41 · Score: 0
  
  Small companies contract out their HR.
2. Re:"Human Resources Startup"? by __aaclcg7560 · 2017-02-09 05:57 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Small companies contract out their HR.
  I work for a small contracting agency. They outsource everything online. Google Mail for email, Intuit QuickBooks for bookkeeping, and an HR provider for benefits and payroll. The 20 or so people at the NYC headquarters is to keep tabs on hundreds of contractors throughout the U.S. and maintain onsite records for government inspectors.
3. Re: "Human Resources Startup"? by dougdonovan · 2017-02-09 06:13 · Score: 1
  
  my g/f is still a f/t employee @ the tempe location. yeah, she is looking.
4. Re:"Human Resources Startup"? by Salgak1 · 2017-02-09 06:41 · Score: 1
  
  WTF is that? Isn't "human resources" some department of big companies dealing with internal company drama? What would a dedicated company just for this do?!
  I know that my employer uses a dedicated payroll company. I've worked for others that had everything but hire/fire outsourced to an external company. For really small outfits, or heavily virtualized ones, third party HR does make sense, especially if it's pay-as-you-go. HR law is apparently a minefield these days. . .
Friends with Zenefits by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 05:38 · Score: 2, Funny

wasn't what it was cracked up to be
1. Re:Friends with Zenefits by Motherfucking+Shit · 2017-02-09 08:03 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  All kidding aside, this is the company where being drunk on the job and having sex with coworkers on company property became such a problem, they had to send out an official memo telling their employees to stop getting drunk and fucking each other at work. At an HR company!
  
  --
  "BSD: Free as in speech. Linux: Free as in beer. Windows 10: Free as in herpes." --Man On Pink Corner in #52607549.
2. Re:Friends with Zenefits by tehcyder · 2017-02-10 03:44 · Score: 1
  
  All kidding aside, this is the company where being drunk on the job and having sex with coworkers on company property became such a problem, they had to send out an official memo telling their employees to stop getting drunk and fucking each other at work. At an HR company!
  Sounds like a clever bit of free advertising to me. I imagine job applications rocketed after the 'leak' of that memo.
  "So, Mr Jones, what do you feel you could bring to the zenefits table?"
  "Well, I'm certainly excited by the drunken-sex-in-a-stairwell opportunities."
  
  --
  To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
Startup failure stories are more fun when by Spy+Handler · 2017-02-09 05:41 · Score: 1

cocaine, hookers and casinos are involved. And a chair throwing incident (or at least baguette throwing)
Yesterday's Fling story was way more interesting. This one is pretty much "meh".
1. Re:Startup failure stories are more fun when by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 08:42 · Score: 0
  
  This company thought they could pull an uber, but instead of ignoring the laws and getting a bunch of taxi drivers mad, they ignored the laws and got insurance companies that pay their CEOs billion dollar bonuses mad. Their ignorance was quite willful (when I last heard about them, after being caught selling insurance without the appropriate license, they started getting their people licenses by writing a script that logged into the mandatory education class website and pretended to be present for the employees)
Has anyone cleared this with HR? by jfdavis668 · 2017-02-09 05:41 · Score: 1

How is HR going to fire people, if you fire 1/2 of the HR people? They won't have time to process all that paperwork.
1. Re:Has anyone cleared this with HR? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 05:48 · Score: 1
  
  They will if they work unpaid overtime. Pulling together!
2. Re:Has anyone cleared this with HR? by Nidi62 · 2017-02-09 05:52 · Score: 1
  
  How is HR going to fire people, if you fire 1/2 of the HR people? They won't have time to process all that paperwork.
  Easy. 1st person gets fired. 2nd person processes 1st person's paperwork, then gets fired. 3rd person processes 2nd person's paperwork then gets fired as well. So on down the line. Problem solved.
  
  --
  The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
3. Re:Has anyone cleared this with HR? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 05:57 · Score: 0
  
  Your final assignment is to fire yourself, or you don't get your severance package.
4. Re:Has anyone cleared this with HR? by TWX · 2017-02-09 05:58 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  How is HR going to fire people, if you fire 1/2 of the HR people? They won't have time to process all that paperwork.
  Simple. You outsource it to an third-party HR firm.
  
  --
  Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
5. Re:Has anyone cleared this with HR? by nospam007 · 2017-02-09 06:03 · Score: 1
  
  "How is HR going to fire people, if you fire 1/2 of the HR people?"
  Just as IT people have to train their Indian replacements, these HR people have to fire themselves.
6. Re:Has anyone cleared this with HR? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 06:04 · Score: 1
  
  How is HR going to fire people, if you fire 1/2 of the HR people? They won't have time to process all that paperwork.
  Easy. 1st person gets fired. 2nd person processes 1st person's paperwork, then gets fired. 3rd person processes 2nd person's paperwork then gets fired as well. So on down the line. Problem solved.
  I'd prefer an O(log n) algorithm.
7. Re:Has anyone cleared this with HR? by lq_x_pl · 2017-02-09 06:05 · Score: 2
  
  Like deconstructing a human linked list! This is amazing.
  
  --
  An internal system operation returned the error "The operation completed successfully.".
8. Re:Has anyone cleared this with HR? by g01d4 · 2017-02-09 06:21 · Score: 1
  
  Funny, but outsourcing their HR might not have been a bad idea, along the lines of a man who is his own lawyer...
9. Re:Has anyone cleared this with HR? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 06:30 · Score: 0
  
  This is also known as the linked list firing algorithm. Unfortunately it has a runtime of O(employees), and the C*O's need everyone fired before we fly to the Virgin Islands for a two-week team-building exercise. You understand, right?
  So can you improve the algorithm to reduce the runtime? If so, great! You're in charge of implementing it. If not, BAD NEWS(TM), here's your pink slip. X^D
10. Re:Has anyone cleared this with HR? by paiute · 2017-02-09 06:49 · Score: 1
  
  In 1925, Casey Stengal was playing for the Worcester Panthers. He was also general manager and a player. When he wanted to move to Toledo, he fired himself as manager, released himself as a player and resigned as president.
  
  --
  If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
11. Re:Has anyone cleared this with HR? by Hognoxious · 2017-02-09 10:16 · Score: 1
  
  That doesn't make sense, at least in that order. Once he resigns as manager he has no authority to release himself as a player.
  
  --
  Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
12. Re:Has anyone cleared this with HR? by thegarbz · 2017-02-09 11:24 · Score: 1
  
  Okay okay, you win this round.
  Bonus question: How do you replace lawyers specialising in immigration with H1B workers?
13. Re:Has anyone cleared this with HR? by CanadianMacFan · 2017-02-10 15:25 · Score: 1
  
  From the group of possible people to be fired, everybody partners up with another employee and whoever has the lower employee id does the paperwork for the other employee who will be let go. If odd number of employees the person left out of pairing process keeps job. You can also have people with the higher employee id stay or have them flip a coin to mix things up.
  O(1) since it's a constant amount of time no matter how many many people get fired.
14. Re:Has anyone cleared this with HR? by paiute · 2017-02-11 18:09 · Score: 1
  
  He was the president of the club. Once he resigned as GM, the power over players reverted to the president.
  
  --
  If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
"revelations that it flouted state regulations" by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 05:55 · Score: 0

Just hire KellyAnne Conway as the new CEO, problem solved! FACTS DO NOT MATTER! "No, we didn't flout regulations, in fact we stood up for American freedom from oppression."
1. Re:"revelations that it flouted state regulations" by Desler · 2017-02-09 06:30 · Score: 1
  
  How dare you make light of the Zenefits Massacre!
2. Re:"revelations that it flouted state regulations" by Motherfucking+Shit · 2017-02-09 08:09 · Score: 0
  
  "Also you should go buy Zenefits stock! I have some, and I'm going to buy more today! By the way, ignore that I'm speaking to you from the White House briefing room during an official interview as counsel to the President! I'm not violating federal ethics laws at all, no way!"
  
  --
  "BSD: Free as in speech. Linux: Free as in beer. Windows 10: Free as in herpes." --Man On Pink Corner in #52607549.
remember that time when job offer was yanked? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 06:07 · Score: 0

Remember that time when some kid got his job offer yanked by the CEO because he dared to ask a question about which job offer he should take? His choice was Zenefits vs Uber.
When the Zenefits CEO saw the question posted, he yanked the job offer to the kid.
Looks like that kid just dodged a major bullet anyway. That CEO was batty.
Weird company... by Moridineas · 2017-02-09 06:21 · Score: 5, Insightful

I work at a small company (~30 employees) total that's been around for around 35 years. We don't have anyone dedicated to HR, it's just part of the jobs duties for one of the founders. About two years ago I heard bout Zenefits and went through a sales call with them.
The sales guy sounded like he was about 21 years old, didn't know anything, and was a total Bro.
Everything in the call was like "Ohh man, you're still doing it that way, bummer! That sucks man, check this out..."
"Yeah, what we're doing is rethinking HR from the ground up, and we're like Amazon disrupting all those legacy companies out there! We're so innovative you won't believe!!" (no, actually you're just fancy insurance brokers....)
"Yeah man, I hear you, , right man??"
It was an incredible turnoff.
I do think that HR, benefits management, payroll, etc., is totally ready for disruption and a good product, but Zenefits definitely is not it.
1. Re:Weird company... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 06:34 · Score: 0
  
  The thing is... it's absolutely ready for a new HR-as-app-service BUT the actual job can only be reasonably accomplished by a large, already-trusted and successful corporate service to address the SCALE of concerns and day to day operations for even just a few medium sized clients. If these services don't offer specific locality-based services like complying with SF's employment laws specifically, AND is able to do that for the multiple office locations of their clients around the country and around the world, then I don't see it being overall a viable option for consideration. There's just too much surface area to screw up and get sued over.
2. Re:Weird company... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 07:00 · Score: 0
  
  There are providers already such as Workday and SuccessFactors, and plenty of smaller players targeting small businesses. Also, you can go the co-employer route and get a company to handle your HR needs such as TriNet (which uses SuccessFactors for the software). Zenefits claim to fame was they were giving away the service and getting a commission on the insurance products they sold for other companies. That is not exactly a high growth market, nor does it translate into high stock valuation. It is pure smoke and mirrors. I suspect they were hoping to get plucked by a larger player.
3. Re:Weird company... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 07:31 · Score: 0
  
  I'm hearing you on this Zenefits.
  At your company...how is the founder guy at HR type duties?
4. Re:Weird company... by interkin3tic · 2017-02-09 08:32 · Score: 1
  
  The sales guy sounded like he was about 21 years old, didn't know anything, and was a total Bro.
  For selling something as non-technical as HR services, isn't that kind of to be expected? Would kind of be silly to have a CPA or a PhD in economics calling small startups. On top of that, I'm guessing approximately every client they have is fellow 21 year oldish bros who don't really know anything, leading their own startup tech companies in silicon valley.
  
  The real question is why haven't all of us quit our jobs, gone to silicon valley, and launched startups that do something people have been doing for decades, but involving a mobile app with lots and lots of VC money.
  
  Here's a startup idea: a service that lets you hire 21 year old bros in silicon valley to pretend to be leading a company that you're already working in, call it a startup, and helps him find money from fellow bros in the valley.
5. Re:Weird company... by aaarrrgggh · 2017-02-09 08:57 · Score: 1
  
  ADP and some other large companies offer it. The main hurdles are Employer of Record issues (the employees stop being your employees), questions if they are working in your best interests (more CYA like a lawyer), or if the actions they perform are necessary and will ultimately help the company.
  
  We had an internal office manager with HR training that managed to screw a few things up, an outside HR consultant that fixed a few minor issues when we had a labor action, a labor lawyer, and the owners. It is best to just have someone on staff for day to day effort, and use the consultant for periodic audits and review of employee manual. Full compliance is too much work, although over 50 employees in one location you get stuck.
  
  I will say though, if you are starting your own company (with employees) from scratch, you should sit down with at least your payroll processing representative to make sure you have your basic policies correct (and understand when you are in grey areas). You don't want to screw up paychecks or PTO.
6. Re:Weird company... by radish · 2017-02-09 09:02 · Score: 1
  
  I have used Zenefits, it's fine. Certainly better than most of the in-house benefits systems that I've used at larger companies (from an employee point of view). Nice slick web site which lets you do pretty much everything you need in one place.
  
  --
  ---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"
7. Re:Weird company... by tehcyder · 2017-02-10 03:50 · Score: 1
  
  No offence, but how or why the fuck would you want to disrupt payroll?
  You can mis-manage a company in every single way for years at a time, paying taxes late, exasperating suppliers and pissing off customers, but the first pay day when things go wrong and your staff aren't paid you're dead.
  
  --
  To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
Oh another failing startup by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 06:23 · Score: 0

Imagine my surprise at another failed startup. Without giving too much away, I've personally seen several "startups" fucking implode because these morons don't know what the fuck they are doing. i'll just generalize and assume these asshats are doing the same thing.
I.E. They have the idea. The idea seems solid, so they look for investors and funding. They go to incubators. They fly all over the world. They never produce a good god damn thing other than speeches and blurbs they shit all over other up and coming "startups".
Literally, one of these companies has still not put the product into motion, the product exists solely as a graphic mockup. The guy running the thing? Driving around in a fucking lambo.
there's a reason most startups fail, and it's not that the idea sucks, or the follow through sucks. It's that 9/10 startups can't do basic accounting or budgetting and blow every dollar invested on offices and equipment and cars and trips.... then file for bankruptcy.
I guess it is time... by bobbied · 2017-02-09 06:23 · Score: 1

To fire all the people in HR and outsource that function..... It's worked for other companies!

--
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
Re:Poll by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 07:08 · Score: 0

Winblows 7 is just like these R-E-T-A-R-D-E-D start-up names. "Zynga" "Zillow" "Zenefits"
Zets ze zrendy znd zall zurselvez zomething zetarded!
I miss FuckedCompany.com by bigdady92 · 2017-02-09 07:11 · Score: 4, Informative

That site was one of the best places to go for company meltdowns, layoffs, rumors of acquisitions, malfeasance, and other shenanigans. There's nothing like it nowadays.

--
Wheel of Time: Book by Book and Sumview (summary review) Bigdady92 style: http://bigdady92.blogspot.com/
1. Re:I miss FuckedCompany.com by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 12:45 · Score: 0
  
  We are still there. Head to http://www.f169bbs.com The 587 pound man posts as Dunken Pickle Shitter.
2. Re:I miss FuckedCompany.com by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 13:48 · Score: 0
  
  That is racist trash which has nothing to do with FC.
3. Re:I miss FuckedCompany.com by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 16:46 · Score: 0
  
  CafePharma.com extensively covers the pharma / medical device market, including all of the above. It was a fireable offense to access CafePharma.com from your work computer.
Bad Name or Fraud?? by foxalopex · 2017-02-09 07:22 · Score: 1

I'm not sure if it's intentional but wouldn't "Zenefits" translate to "Zero Benefits"? to most folks? Why would anyone want to hire a company called that? Also I seem to recall when you start your company name with "Z" you often end up at the end of the phone book so there's potential that you're doing accounting fraud or something questionable so you want to be the last company folks call? Anyhow, wierd...
1. Re:Bad Name or Fraud?? by __aaclcg7560 · 2017-02-09 07:47 · Score: 1
  
  Your startup isn't a startup unless it has an unpronounceable and/or incomprehensible name.
2. Re:Bad Name or Fraud?? by cant_get_a_good_nick · 2017-02-09 14:13 · Score: 1
  
  Zen + Benefits. didn't you hear that anything Zen is cool? What is the sound of one pink slip dropping?
  Also, the googles means alphabetical order is less important than a single name that's unique. So we get zenefits.
3. Re:Bad Name or Fraud?? by mjwx · 2017-02-10 00:42 · Score: 1
  
  I'm not sure if it's intentional but wouldn't "Zenefits" translate to "Zero Benefits"? to most folks? Why would anyone want to hire a company called that? Also I seem to recall when you start your company name with "Z" you often end up at the end of the phone book so there's potential that you're doing accounting fraud or something questionable so you want to be the last company folks call? Anyhow, wierd...
  Actually to most people it would be a portmanteau of Zen and Benefits.
  
  Of course my experience with benefits/HR outsourcers is that they dont provide any benefits. Here, pay full list price for this outdated laptop... yep, fuck off, I'll go to Amazon. But we've got cheap gym memberships... yeah, 1 pound off at some craphole gym in Birmingham thats still more expensive than local gyms, what are savings.
  
  Also, no-one uses the phone book any more. It's all about your page rank (and even just showing up on Google).
  
  --
  Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
HR for an HR company? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 08:19 · Score: 0

Sooooooo..... Does Zenefits have their own internal HR department or do they sub it out to an outside HR company?
ps: Thanks, Obama. I guess the recovery isn't going as great as your minions in the media have lead us to believe.
This is news for nerds or stuff that matters? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 11:03 · Score: 0

Really? A less than 500 employee tech company doing layoffs making it into the main page? I'm seriously confused if I should have heard of them or if my time was just being accidentally wasted by a slow news day.
1. Re:This is news for nerds or stuff that matters? by cant_get_a_good_nick · 2017-02-09 14:15 · Score: 1
  
  WhatsApp had 55 employees when it sold for billions. Sizing a company by headcount is so last Century.
  I say that last part with a bit of irony. I actually liked it when people actually, you know, made things, instead of piggybacking on free content from others.
haha by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 15:27 · Score: 0

hire fail, get fail
Hiring discrimination made easy by Anonymous Coward · 2017-02-09 18:57 · Score: 1

I used them to do a bunch of the onboarding paperwork for new hires, like getting them set up with insurance, 401k, payroll, etc.
One feature they showed me was that I could estimate the cost of adding someone to our health insurance without actually doing it. Just plug in their age, gender, home zip code, and ta-da. When I asked what the use case was, they said it was for "Hypothetical situations. Definitely not for hiring decisions, but there's nothing to enforce that and we'd have no way of knowing if you did."
So of course, my boss got the hint and wound up using it to decide between two candidates who were equal in everything but age, "just to see." Went with the 31yo over the 45yo, but of course the insurance estimate didn't play into it, he swears...
Tempe, Arizona by dbIII · 2017-02-09 21:09 · Score: 1

Tempe, Arizona - awesome address for a HR company in my opinion :)