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Inspired by nature's best record-keeper

The smarter way to manage employee benefits on leave

Piñon handles the complexity of tracking benefit payments for employees on leave — so your HR team never has to chase checks, spreadsheets, or missed deadlines again.

FMLA compliant
Encrypted payments
Autopay with stop date
Return-to-work tracking
Employer / HR admin
Manage LOA rosters, costs & payments
Demo: any email/password works
Employee portal
Pay benefits, set up autopay, view coverage
Demo: any email/password works
FMLA compliant
End-to-end encrypted
Autopay with stop date
Return-date alerts
Custom reporting
Why Piñon

Everything HR needs for leaves of absence, in one place

Before Piñon, HR teams managed LOA benefits through emails, spreadsheets, and mailed checks. Piñon replaces all of that.

1
Employee goes on leave
HR enters the record or Piñon pulls it from your HRIS automatically.
2
Employee pays online
Pay by card or ACH. Autopay stops automatically on their return date.
3
Alerts keep everyone on track
Return-date reminders, overdue alerts, grace-period warnings — automatic.
4
Reports in one click
Balances, costs, payroll-ready exports — available any time.
Our services

Everything covered, from day one of leave to return to work

Purpose-built for payroll and HR professionals — every benefit type, payment method, and compliance requirement.

LOA benefits tracking
Medical, dental, vision, HSA, FSA calculated per pay period automatically.
Employee payment portal
Pay by card or ACH. Autopay stops on the return date — no refunds needed.
Return-to-work tracking
Automatic countdown to each employee's return date, with autopay that stops exactly when they come back — no overpayments, no refunds.
Automated notifications
Return-date alerts at 30, 14, 7, and 3 days. Payment reminders. Grace period warnings.
Custom reporting
Six standard reports or build your own with field picker, filters, and CSV export.
Compliance & audit trail
Every payment, document, and status change is logged. Full leave history available for audits.
Pricing

Choose how Piñon fits your team

Start with Self-Serve and upgrade to Connected when you're ready to automate. Both tiers include every feature on this page.

Piñon Self-Serve

Self-Serve

For HR teams managing leaves manually. Enter employees as they go on leave — Piñon handles the rest.

$149/month after first 30 days
First 30 days free · Up to 25 active employees on leave · $4 per additional employee
  • HR enters employees manually through Piñon
  • Full LOA benefits tracking
  • Employee payment portal (card & ACH)
  • Autopay with return-date stop
  • Flexible payment plans for employees
  • Coverage verification letters
  • Document storage per employee
  • Payroll reconciliation export
  • Email support, 1 business day response
Piñon Connected

Connected

For organizations with frequent LOA. Piñon syncs directly with your HRIS — when employees go on leave, they appear automatically.

Contact us
Tailored pricing based on size & integration scope
  • Everything in Self-Serve
  • Direct HRIS sync — no manual entry
  • Auto-pulls employees with "Leave" status
  • Auto-populates benefits & premium amounts
  • Return-date triggers automated autopay stop
  • Supports all leave types — FMLA, parental, medical, STD & LTD
  • Dedicated implementation specialist
  • Priority phone & email support
  • SSO & advanced compliance reporting

Connected integrates with the systems you already use

ADP
Workday
UKG
Paycom
Rippling
BambooHR
How Connected works

From HRIS to Piñon in four automatic steps

1
Employee status changes
HR marks an employee as "On Leave" in your existing system.
2
Piñon receives the update
Secure sync pulls in name, ID, benefits, and return date.
3
Account is ready
Employee receives login email. Coverage and autopay are set up.
4
Return triggers stop
When status flips back, autopay stops and the record archives.
What's included

Four features your team will use every week

These aren't add-ons. Every Piñon plan includes the full set of capabilities below.

Flexible payment plans
Employee feature
Employees who can't pay the full amount up front can split into two or three installments — all within the grace period to protect their coverage.
Split a $400 payment over two scheduled charges
Auto-charges on the dates the employee chooses
HR sees "Payment plan active" flag on the roster
Cannot extend past the grace period — safe by design
Coverage verification letter
Employee feature
Employees can download a PDF letter proving their coverage is current — for doctors, pharmacies, or anyone who needs proof.
One-click PDF from the employee portal
Includes name, EID, dates, carrier, coverage tiers
Email directly to a doctor's office or pharmacy
No more "call HR for a letter" requests
Document storage
Both sides
FMLA forms, doctor's notes, return-to-work clearances — all tied to the employee record. Searchable, audit-ready, never lost.
HR uploads to each employee's profile
Employees upload their own paperwork (HR is notified)
Auto-categorized: FMLA, medical, return-to-work, other
Full audit trail with upload dates and uploader
Payroll reconciliation export
Employer feature
One-click export of LOA payments formatted for your payroll system. Drop it into month-end close — no manual data entry.
Select date range and payroll provider format
Payments mapped to employee IDs automatically
Periods covered, deduction amounts, all included
Compatible with ADP, Paychex, Gusto, QuickBooks
Recon export supports ADP Paychex Gusto QuickBooks + Generic CSV
About us

Built for HR teams who deserve better tools

Why "Piñon"?

The Clark's nutcracker caches up to 100,000 piñon pine seeds across thousands of locations — and remembers where nearly all of them are, months later. We named our platform Piñon because that's exactly what we do for HR teams: track every detail of every employee's benefits during leave. And just like the nutcracker stops when the season ends, Piñon's autopay stops when the employee returns.

The team

Meet the founders

NG
Neha Gundara
Founder & CEO
Bio coming soon.
SA
Sophia Hasan Ahmad
Chief Financial Officer
Bio coming soon.
Our values

How we build

Clarity over complexity
LOA is complicated enough. We strip away everything that doesn't need to be there.
Compliance first
Every feature is built with FMLA and HIPAA in mind.
Respect for employees on leave
People on leave are in difficult situations. We design with empathy.
Privacy by design
Sensitive health and financial data with end-to-end encryption.
Contact us

We'd love to hear from you

General inquiries
hello@pinonbenefits.com
Response within 1 business day
Customer support
support@pinonbenefits.com
Priority for urgent coverage issues
Demo & sales
demo@pinonbenefits.com
Free 30-day trial available
Business hours
Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm ET
Urgent support available outside hours
Send us a message
Piñon
Benefits Platform
HR
HR Admin
Administrator
Sign out
Dashboard

Dashboard

4
On LOA
$1,830
Payments received
$627
Outstanding
2
Returning soon
Active alerts
Marcus Williams returns in 3 days
Autopay stops automatically on return date
Priya Patel overdue — $448
18 days past due · Grace period ends in 42 days
Priya Patel uploaded a new document
Doctor's note · awaiting HR review
James Torres returns in 14 days
Autopay stops Jun 4
Roster snapshot
SJ
Johnson, Sarah M.
FMLA · Returns Mar 15
$179 due
MW
Williams, Marcus
Medical leave · Returns May 24
Urgent
PP
Patel, Priya R.
Parental leave · Returns Jun 10
$448 due
JT
Torres, James
STD · Returns Jun 4
Current

LOA Roster

4
On leave
$2,148
Monthly premiums
$1,521
Received
$627
Outstanding
Click any employee name to see full details, benefits, payment history, and documents.
Last nameFirstEIDDepartmentLeave typeReturnsBalanceStatus
JohnsonSarahEMP-001FinanceFMLAMar 15, 2025$179Due
WilliamsMarcusEMP-002OperationsMedicalMay 24, 2025$0Returning
PatelPriyaEMP-003EngineeringParentalJun 10, 2025$448Overdue
TorresJamesEMP-004EngineeringSTDJun 4, 2025$0Current

Add new employee on leave

Employee identity
Leave details
Benefit premiums (monthly)
Enter the total monthly premium for each benefit. The employee share % is the portion the employee normally pays (the rest is the employer's contribution). Results update as you type.
Enter at least one premium above to see the cost breakdown.

Employee details

SJ
Sarah M. Johnson
EMP-001 Finance sarah.johnson@company.com
On leave (LOA)
Leave details
Leave type
FMLA
Leave start
Jan 15, 2025
Expected return
Mar 15, 2025
Days remaining
15 days
Pay frequency
Bi-weekly
Grace period
30 days
Current coverage
Medical
$162.50 / pp
Dental
$12.00 / pp
Vision
$4.50 / pp
Total per pay period
$179.00
Account balance
Total paid this leave
$537.00
Current balance due
$179.00
Next charge
Jun 1, 2025
Autopay
On — stops Mar 15
Recent payments
May 1, 2025
LOA benefit payment — May 2025
$179.00
Autopay
Apr 1, 2025
LOA benefit payment — April 2025
$179.00
Autopay
Mar 1, 2025
LOA benefit payment — March 2025
$179.00
Autopay
Documents on file
FMLA-Certification-Johnson-Sarah.pdf
2.4 MB · Jan 12 FMLA
Doctor-Note-Recovery-Update.pdf
880 KB · Feb 3 Medical
Return-to-Work-Clearance.pdf
1.2 MB · Mar 8 Return-to-work

Reports

Choose a report
Select a report to preview it with your current roster data. You can then download it as Excel or PDF.
Active LOA Roster
Everyone on leave, with type, dates & pay schedule.
Benefits Cost Summary
Monthly premium per employee, by benefit type.
Outstanding Balances
Who owes what, and their current status.
Return Date Timeline
Expected return dates and days remaining.
Employer Liability
Total monthly premium exposure across leaves.
Payment Status
Total collected, balance & autopay per person.
Payroll reconciliation export
One-click export of LOA payments formatted for your payroll system.
ADP
Paychex
Gusto
QuickBooks
SJ
Sarah M. Johnson
EMP-001 · FMLA · Jan 15 – Mar 15, 2025
Days remaining
15
15
Days left
$179
Due Jun 1
$537
Total paid
On
Autopay
Your alerts
Return date in 15 days (Mar 15)
Confirm return or request extension
Autopay Jun 1 · stops Mar 15
$179.00 to •••• 4291
Coverage
Medical
$162.50/pp
Dental
$12.00/pp
Vision
$4.50/pp
Total/period
$179.00
Coverage verification
Need proof of coverage for a doctor or pharmacy? Download a verification letter or email it directly.

Payments

Due Jun 1, 2025 — $179.00
Autopay is scheduled · or pay now manually below
Ways to pay
Pay now — instant
Pay by credit/debit card or bank transfer (ACH). Card posts instantly; ACH clears in 1–3 business days.
Set up a payment plan
Split into two or three installments. Plan must finish within your 30-day grace period.
Installment 1
$89.50
Charged Jun 1
Installment 2
$89.50
Charged Jun 15
Pay by mail (check)
Prefer to send a physical check? Here's exactly what to write and where to send it.
What to write on your check
Make check payable to
Piñon Benefits, Inc.
Amount
$179.00
Write in the memo line
EMP-001 · June 2025
Mail your check to
Piñon Benefits, Inc.
Attn: LOA Payments
P.O. Box 4820
San Diego, CA 92101
Mail your check at least 7 business days before your due date so it arrives and clears before your grace period ends. Always include your Employee ID and the coverage month in the memo line so we can match your payment correctly.

Autopay & cards

Autopay settings
Automatic payments — Active
Charges your default method each month · stops on your return date
Which day of the month should autopay run?
Pick the day your payment is charged each month. We recommend a date shortly after your payday.
Autopay stop date: March 15, 2025
Matches your expected return date. No payment will be charged on or after this date.
Payment methods

Documents

SJ
Sarah M. Johnson
EMP-001 · Finance · FMLA · Jan 15 – Mar 15, 2025
Shared with employee
Visible to both HR and Sarah Johnson. Includes anything Sarah has uploaded herself.
FMLA-Certification-Johnson-Sarah.pdf
2.4 MB · Uploaded Jan 12 by HR Admin
FMLA
Doctor-Note-Recovery-Update.pdf
880 KB · Uploaded Feb 3 by Sarah Johnson
Medical
Return-to-Work-Clearance.pdf
1.2 MB · Uploaded Mar 8 by Sarah Johnson
Return-to-work
Internal — not visible to employee
Confidential to HR. Sarah Johnson cannot see these documents in her portal.
Internal-Memo-Manager-Discussion-Feb20.pdf
540 KB · Uploaded Feb 20 by HR Admin · HR-only
Internal memo
Carrier-Communication-BCBS-Coverage-Confirm.pdf
320 KB · Uploaded Jan 18 by HR Admin · HR-only
Carrier comm.

Email automation

Active email automations
Piñon automatically sends emails to employees for late payments and payment confirmations. Click any email below to preview the exact message your employees receive.
Past-due reminders
Sent automatically on a schedule when an employee misses a benefit payment. Four reminders are sent at escalating intervals.
Active · 4 rules
Payment confirmation
Sent immediately after an employee makes a manual payment. Includes receipt, period covered, and next due date.
Active
Autopay confirmation
Sent when an automatic payment is successfully processed. Slightly different copy since the employee didn't actively pay.
Active
Past-due reminder schedule
Each reminder uses a different tone — friendly at first, more urgent as coverage risk grows. Toggle any rule on or off, or click "Preview" to see the email.
Day 1 late
Friendly reminder: your benefit payment is due
A gentle nudge in case the payment was overlooked. No alarm — just a heads-up with a payment link.
Day 7 late
Your benefit payment is now a week overdue
Clearer ask, mentions grace period explicitly, and offers a payment plan option if the full amount is difficult.
Day 14 late
Important: action needed to keep your coverage active
Direct and warm. Explains what happens if payment isn't made before grace period ends. HR is CC'd.
Day 21 late
Final notice — your coverage may lapse soon
Final warning before grace period ends. Outlines exact lapse date and consequences. HR is CC'd. Phone number provided for hardship cases.
Payment confirmations
Sent every time an employee pays — whether they paid manually or autopay handled it. Confirmations build trust and reduce "did my payment go through?" support emails.
Manual
Payment received — thank you, [first name]
Sent immediately after a manual payment. Confirms coverage stays active and shows the period covered.
Autopay
Your autopay went through — no action needed
Sent when autopay successfully processes. Confirms the charge so the employee isn't surprised by a card statement.
How Piñon decides who gets a reminder
Piñon checks every morning at 7:00 AM (in the employer's timezone) for any unpaid balances past their due date. If a payment is more than X days late, the matching reminder is queued and sent. Reminders pause automatically the moment payment is received. HR receives a daily summary email at 8:00 AM listing all reminders sent the previous day, so nothing happens in the background without HR knowing about it.

Email preferences

Choose which emails you want to receive from Piñon. Some emails are required to keep your coverage active.
Past-due payment reminders Required
Reminders if a benefit payment is overdue. These cannot be turned off — they protect your coverage.
Payment confirmations
Confirmation email each time you make a payment, with receipt and next due date.
Autopay confirmations
Confirmation when your automatic payment processes successfully.
Return-date reminders
Notifications 30, 14, 7, and 3 days before your return-to-work date.
Document updates
Notification when HR shares a new document with you.