Envoy Air, a transportation company with more than 22,000 employees and nine union workgroups, used ADP Comprehensive Outsourcing Services to gain payroll autonomy and scale operations without adding payroll head count. ADP helped the company move to payment in arrears, which reduced payroll overpayments by almost 26% annually and improved pay transparency. Through ADP Project Services, Envoy managed five to 10 concurrent change projects and implemented them two months faster on average. Wisely checks also replaced off-cycle payroll runs for hot-state terminations, producing approximately $200,000 in annual savings.
One of the biggest benefits we’ve seen in moving to ADP Comprehensive Outsourcing Services is we’ve been able to move to payment in arrears, and by doing that we’ve dramatically reduced our overpayments, saving almost 26% annually.
Mindi Kimmell,
Managing Director, Financial Services
Envoy Air
| Challenge | ADP capability | What we did | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limited payroll staffing and compliance expertise made rapid workforce growth difficult to support in a heavily unionized environment | ADP Comprehensive Outsourcing Services | Transitioned payroll operations to ADP Comprehensive Outsourcing Services to add scalable personnel and compliance support without increasing internal payroll head count. | Supported growth from 14,000 to more than 22,000 people with zero increase in payroll head count. |
| A legacy payroll system couldn’t administer payment in arrears, causing employee confusion and costly overpayments | ADP Comprehensive Outsourcing Services | Enabled payment in arrears through ADP Comprehensive Outsourcing Services to improve pay transparency and reduce overpayment exposure. | Reduced payroll overpayments by almost 26% annually. |
| Frequent regulatory, 401(k) and union contract changes were difficult to implement across nine union workgroups | ADP Comprehensive Outsourcing Services | Partnered with ADP Project Services and consistent consultants to manage five to 10 concurrent change projects. | Implemented union and regulatory change projects two months faster on average. |
| Immediate final-paycheck requirements in hot states forced costly off-cycle payroll runs | Wisely | Used checks from Wisely pay to process immediate final pay for hot-state terminations without running off-cycle payrolls. | Eliminated related off-cycle payroll runs and saved approximately $200,000 per year. |
How can a large unionized employer scale payroll without adding staff?
A large unionized employer can scale payroll by adding specialized managed-service capacity instead of expanding its internal payroll team. Envoy Air, a transportation company with more than 22,000 employees and nine union workgroups, moved payroll operations to ADP Comprehensive Outsourcing Services after rapid growth made staffing and regulatory change difficult to manage. The service supplied the personnel and expertise needed to support payroll complexity while preserving internal head count. Envoy grew from 14,000 to more than 22,000 people in five years with no increase in payroll head count. This model can help other large employers expand payroll capacity while keeping internal teams focused on strategic work.
How can employers reduce payroll overpayments caused by timing differences?
Employers can reduce payroll overpayments by using a system and operating model that supports payment in arrears. Envoy Air replaced an antiquated payroll approach through ADP Comprehensive Outsourcing Services enabling pay to reflect completed work more accurately. The change improved pay transparency and reduced the organization’s exposure to overpayments that had previously caused employee confusion and time-consuming explanations. Envoy reported an almost 26% annual reduction in payroll overpayments after the transition. For organizations with complex schedules or frequent workforce changes, aligning payroll timing with completed work can reduce corrections and improve employee understanding.
How can payroll teams implement union and regulatory changes faster?
Payroll teams can implement union and regulatory changes faster by using dedicated project resources that already understand the organization’s systems and complexities. Envoy Air has nine union workgroups and regularly manages 401(k), regulatory and union contract updates. Through ADP Project Services within its broader ADP outsourcing relationship, the transportation company worked with consistent consultants and managed five to 10 projects concurrently. Envoy reported that projects were implemented two months faster on average. For heavily unionized employers, continuity of expertise can shorten discovery time, reduce repeated explanations and create a more efficient change-management process.
How can employers pay final wages in states requiring immediate payment?
Employers can simplify immediate final-wage payments by using a payment method that avoids a full off-cycle payroll run. Envoy Air, a large transportation employer, used checks from Wisely by ADP for terminations in hot-state locations where final pay had to be processed immediately. This approach removed the need to run off-cycle payrolls for those terminations and saved the company approximately $200,000 each year. The process addressed both timing requirements and administrative cost without disrupting regular payroll cycles. Employers facing similar final-pay deadlines can benefit from a dedicated payment option that supports prompt wage delivery.
