W-2 Engagements
To comply with workplace regulations, some Priori clients require attorneys to agree to being employed (on a W-2 basis) by a workforce solutions company for the duration of any temporary engagements (typically secondments).
Priori has partnered with a workforce management company (Precision Global Consulting (view website) (PGC)) to provide this service to our clients and attorneys.
The process for W-2 engagements is set out below.
The process to apply and interview for W-2 opportunities are the same as for the standard engagements on our platform, explained here (Stream 2 of "Getting Work") and here ("Consultations").
If you are selected to move forward with a W-2 engagement, PGC will be your employer of record for the duration of the engagement.
The process for you to be onboarded to PGC is very straightforward:
If required by the end client, Priori will run a preliminary background check through GoodHire (view website).
Following completion of the background check, Priori will submit your information as a new worker on PGC's web portal. The information submitted includes your name, home/work address and the agreed pay rate.
PGC prepares your employment contract and sends you an email with a link to sign in to their web portal to take the following steps:
Review and e-sign the required employment contracts.
Enter your personal information.
Enter your banking information for payment purposes.
Opt into any additional benefits (e.g. health insurance and ancillary benefits). PGC provides details on those items here.
PGC will also schedule an onboarding call with you to make sure you are comfortable using the PGC web portal and to answer any questions.
Once those employment documents are signed you will be set up as a W-2 employee with PGC and will be ready to work with the end client.
For W-2 engagements, attorneys are not required to submit invoices through the Priori platform, rather time entry and payment are handled through PGC. Priori separately invoices the end client for providing the W-2 service.
The following are some key items to be aware of in the W-2 process:
Benefits. As noted above, attorneys can opt into additional benefits (e.g. health insurance and ancillary benefits) through PGC. Attorneys should ensure that they are comfortable with those items before moving forward. If you have any questions about the benefits, please contact Priori and we will engage a PGC representative to assist in answering your questions.
Pay Rate. W-2 engagements through Priori and PGC are structured on an hourly rate basis. If you have applied for an opportunity at a weekly rate, PGC will pay you at the equivalent hourly rate for time worked.
Importantly, under the hourly rate structure, attorneys are not entitled to paid sick leave, annual leave or pay for any office closures. Attorneys are paid only for hours worked in a given week.
For full-time engagements, the expectation is that attorneys will work 40 hours per week. For any applicable week during the term, the 40 hour commitment will be reduced by the number of hours of any client office closures and any sick, vacation or other leave taken by the attorney in that period.
Hours. Clients typically stipulate that attorneys must not work more than 40 hours per week without prior authorization in writing from the client. This is to ensure they can track the project against their budget. To the extent you do work more than 40 hours per week, those hours will be paid at the agreed hourly rate.
Payment Timetable. During the engagement you will submit simple timesheets on the PGC web portal every two weeks and your pay will be deposited in your bank account 3-5 days later. The exact payment schedule (i.e. whether pay is deposited 3 or 5 days after submission of the timesheets) will be confirmed once the employment documents have been signed, as the timetables vary by state.
The timesheets on PGC are very simple documents, requiring only that attorneys enter the number of hours worked each day. For example, you would enter that you worked 8 hours on Thurs, July 1. There is no requirement on the PGC web portal to submit detailed time entries, however the end client may ask you to track your time on their systems in a more comprehensive manner, for the client's own records.
Taxes. As your employer of record, PGC deducts applicable taxes (e.g. federal and state income tax) before pay is deposited in your account each pay cycle. The after tax pay rate will therefore be the agreed hourly rate less taxes and other required deductions.
A Priori team member will be available to guide you through the W-2 process outlined above, but please email [email protected] if you have any questions.
