TWC application confusion - TriNet showing as employer instead of actual company name

You should use TriNet as your employer. This is actually a common issue with PEO (Professional Employer Organizations) like TriNet, ADP, and Insperity. For unemployment purposes, the legal employer of record is the PEO, not the company where you physically worked. Your W-2 probably shows TriNet as the employer too. Use their information exactly as it appears on your W-2 to avoid delays in processing your claim.

Thanks! You're right, my W-2 does list TriNet. I was just worried because if TWC contacts TriNet, they won't know anything about my day-to-day work history, just that I was on their payroll. But I'll go with what's on my W-2.

i had same issue with ADP but put my actual company name and got denied!! took 6 weeks to fix it when i appealed. definitely use trinet!!!!

Oh wow, that sounds like a nightmare! Thanks for the warning - I definitely don't want to wait 6 weeks for an appeal.

Im actually dealing with the same thing right now but with Insperity! TWC is so confusing sometimes. Do we know why they do it this way? It seems like it would make more sense to list our actual employer since they know our work history.

It's because the PEO (like TriNet or Insperity) is legally considered your employer for tax purposes. They're the ones who paid unemployment insurance taxes on your wages, so technically your claim is against them, not the workplace. TWC follows the tax records, which is why you need to use whoever is on your W-2.

Just to add some clarity - you should absolutely use TriNet as your employer of record on your TWC application. However, when TWC asks about your work history, job duties, reason for separation, etc., you'll need to provide details about your actual workplace (SkylineMedia). \n\nMany people get confused with PEOs like TriNet, but here's what happens: TWC will contact TriNet, who will then verify your employment details with SkylineMedia. This is standard procedure with PEO arrangements, so don't worry about TriNet not knowing your day-to-day work.

This makes so much more sense now. I'll use TriNet as the employer and then explain about SkylineMedia when they ask about my actual work details. Thank you for breaking it down!

kinda off topic but anyone else hate how complicated they make this whole unemployment process? like why cant they just make it simple instead of all these weird technicalities

FOR REAL! I've been trying to figure out my claim for weeks and keep running into stupid issues like this.

I spent 3 days trying to reach someone at TWC to ask about this exact issue. Kept getting busy signals or being disconnected. Finally I tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me connected to a TWC agent in about 20 minutes. The agent confirmed exactly what others are saying here - use the PEO (TriNet) info as it appears on your W-2, and then explain your actual work situation when prompted about job duties and separation reason. There's a video showing how the service works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh

Thanks for the tip! I might try that service if I run into problems. Did you have to explain the whole TriNet/actual employer situation to the TWC agent when you got through?

Yes, I explained the confusion and they immediately knew what I was talking about. Apparently it's super common with PEOs. They said using the W-2 employer info is always the way to go, and they have a process for handling these situations.

My company switched to ADP Totalsource last year and i put my actual company on the TWC application. Big mistake!! My claim was pendign for almost 6 weeks because the employer verification didnt match up. Had to call so many times to get it fixed. Definitely use TriNet info!!!

That's exactly what I want to avoid! I'll definitely use the TriNet information. Thanks for sharing your experience - makes me feel better about my decision.

One more thing to remember - when you're requesting payments every two weeks, you'll report your work search activities based on your occupation and skills, not anything related to TriNet. The PEO relationship only matters for the initial claim filing and employer verification steps.

Good to know! I was wondering about that part too. This whole process is more complicated than I expected.