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.

I'm going through something similar with Paychex right now! My actual employer is a small marketing firm but Paychex handles all the HR stuff. Reading through this thread has been super helpful - I was about to make the same mistake and put my actual company name. Sounds like I need to use whatever's on my W-2 (which would be Paychex) and then explain the real work situation later. It's crazy how many companies use these PEO services now and how confusing it makes the unemployment process!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation with ADP TotalSource at my previous job. I was about to put my actual employer's name but after reading everyone's experiences, I'm definitely going with what's on my W-2. It's frustrating that this isn't explained anywhere on the TWC website - you'd think they would mention this common scenario since so many companies use PEOs now. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and saving me from a potential 6-week delay!

This is such valuable information! I work for a tech startup that uses Justworks as their PEO, and I was wondering what would happen if I ever needed to file for unemployment. Now I know to look at my W-2 and use Justworks instead of my actual company name. It's really helpful seeing all these different PEO examples (TriNet, ADP, Insperity, Paychex) because it shows this is a widespread issue that affects tons of workers. Definitely bookmarking this thread in case I ever need it. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - you're potentially saving people weeks of delays!

This thread is a goldmine of information! I'm currently dealing with this exact same situation but with Gevity HR (another PEO). My actual employer is a small consulting firm but Gevity handles all the payroll and benefits. I was literally about to submit my TWC application with my actual employer's name until I found this discussion. Reading about all the 6+ week delays people experienced really opened my eyes. I checked my W-2 and sure enough, it shows Gevity as the employer. Going to use their information now and explain my actual work situation when prompted. It's crazy how this PEO setup is so common now but there's zero guidance from TWC about how to handle it. You all just saved me from what could have been a major headache! Has anyone else dealt with Gevity specifically, or do all PEOs pretty much work the same way for unemployment purposes?

This entire discussion has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm currently employed but my company just switched to using a PEO (TriNet actually) about 6 months ago, and I had no idea this would affect unemployment claims if I ever needed to file. Reading through everyone's experiences with the 6+ week delays from using the wrong employer name is honestly terrifying. It seems like this is such a common issue now with so many companies outsourcing HR and payroll, but there's literally no warning about it anywhere in the TWC system. I'm definitely saving this thread for future reference and will remember to check my W-2 if I ever need to file. Thanks to everyone who shared their horror stories - you're potentially saving thousands of people from major delays! It's wild that something as simple as employer name confusion can derail your unemployment claim for over a month.

Wow, this thread has been a lifesaver! I'm currently filling out my TWC application and ran into the exact same issue with TriNet vs my actual employer. I was about to spend hours trying to figure out which one to use, but after reading everyone's experiences here, it's crystal clear - go with what's on the W-2 (TriNet in my case). The stories about 6+ week delays are honestly nightmare fuel, so I'm really grateful everyone shared their experiences. It's frustrating that TWC doesn't have any guidance about this PEO situation on their website, especially since it seems to affect so many people now. This community discussion probably just saved me weeks of headaches. Quick question though - when they ask about reason for separation, do I explain the circumstances at my actual workplace (not TriNet), right? That part still seems a bit unclear to me.

This whole thread has been incredibly educational! I'm a newcomer to this community and just went through a similar PEO situation with my unemployment claim about 2 months ago. I used ADP as my employer (per my W-2) instead of my actual company name, and thankfully everything went smoothly - claim was approved within 2 weeks. Reading all these horror stories about 6+ week delays makes me realize how lucky I was to get it right the first time! What really strikes me is how this seems to be such a universal problem across all the major PEOs (TriNet, ADP, Insperity, Paychex, Justworks, etc.) but there's zero guidance from TWC about it. You'd think they would at least put a FAQ section on their website about PEO situations since it's clearly affecting thousands of workers. This thread should honestly be required reading for anyone whose company uses a PEO service. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - you're definitely helping people avoid major headaches!