Worklio HCM vs. Lumber
Worklio HCM allocates wages, taxes, benefits, and comp to each job as burdened labor cost, holds its own ISO 27001, 27018, and 9001 certification, and pays crews without bank accounts on pay cards. Lumber describes itself as an all-in-one construction workforce management platform for building contractors, covering payroll, time tracking, safety and compliance.
- Prevailing wage, union fringes and WH‑347 certified payroll in the same run, as an add‑on to any plan
- Payroll, tax, HR, time, and benefits administration on one 50‑state engine
- Comp class codes per job and employee, and pay‑as‑you‑go comp via Worklio Insurance
Worklio HCM: 11 stated, 0 partly, of 11. Lumber: 9 stated, 2 partly, of 11.
- Proven payroll since 2017
- All 50 states + PR, plus localities
- $35+ billion in payroll and taxes paid
- ISO 27001, 27018, and 9001
- SOC 2 Type II
What sets Worklio HCM apart from Lumber?
Lumber covers payroll, time tracking, safety, compliance and field productivity for building contractors on one platform. Worklio HCM covers payroll, tax, HR, time, and benefits administration on one 50-state engine, with burdened job costing, its own ISO certifications and pay cards for crews without bank accounts.
| Worklio HCM | Lumber | |
|---|---|---|
| Certified payroll (WH‑347) | StatedWH‑347 ready; add‑on | StatedWH‑347; exports for LCP, DIR, eMars |
| Prevailing wage and fringe | StatedBy project and classification; add‑on | StatedFederal and state determinations loaded |
| Union payroll and fringe | StatedDues and fringes by local; add‑on | StatedMultiple CBAs, fund deductions |
| Burdened job costing | StatedWages, taxes, benefits, comp; Complete HCM | PartlyLabor cost by cost code |
| GPS field clock‑in | StatedGeofenced by site; Complete HCM | StatedGeofencing, kiosk, photo check |
| Comp class codes in payroll | StatedPer job and employee; add‑on | StatedBy project state |
| Workers' comp policy inside the product | StatedBuilt into payroll, via Worklio Insurance | StatedThrough Coverdash |
| Benefits administration | StatedEnrollment, EDI to carriers, COBRA | StatedEnrollment, weekly EDI, ACA |
| Federal, state and local tax filing | StatedEvery state and locality | StatedFederal, state, local; filings automated |
| Security audits | StatedSOC 2 Type II; ISO 27001, 27018, 9001 | StatedSOC 2 Type II |
| Pay cards and earned wage access | StatedPay cards; optional earned wage access | PartlyEarned wage access through Branch |
- Stated
- Partly
- Not published: public pages do not describe whether Lumber offers it.
Union, prevailing wage, and certified payroll is available as an add-on to any plan. Burdened job costing, time and attendance, and scheduling are in Complete HCM only.
Proven payroll since 2017
- PAYROLL AND TAXES PAID
- $35+ Billion
- ACH TRANSACTIONS
- 23+ Million
- W-2S / 1099S PROCESSED
- 4.3+ Million
- EMPLOYEES PAID
- 2.8+ Million
What you get with Worklio HCM
Burdened labor cost on every job
Worklio HCMWorklio HCM allocates wages, taxes, benefits, and comp to job, phase, cost code, department, and location as burdened labor cost, and hours coded at clock‑in flow to costing. Job segments feed WH‑347 reports, and journal entries post to QuickBooks after every run. Burdened job costing, time and attendance, and scheduling are in Complete HCM only.
Explore job costingLumberLumber feeds time and payroll data into job costing reports that allocate labor cost by employee cost codes.
Pay every crew, bank account or not
Worklio HCMWorklio HCM pays by direct deposit, pay cards, and checks: pay cards for employees without bank accounts, direct deposit split across multiple accounts, and optional earned wage access, where employees request a portion of wages already earned before payday from the mobile app.
Explore payments and bankingLumberLumber pays by direct deposit or manual payment, with earned wage access through its partner Branch; pay cards are not described publicly.
Three questions to ask before you choose
- 01
Who places your workers' comp
Who places the policy, and how do the class codes in payroll reach the carrier's audit?
Worklio HCMWorklio HCM keeps workers' comp class codes per job and employee. Union, prevailing wage, and certified payroll is available as an add‑on to any plan. Optional pay‑as‑you‑go workers' comp comes through Worklio Insurance, built into payroll and billed per payroll. Not in states where a state fund is the only insurer. The carrier still audits the policy after each policy period ends; billing on actual payroll makes the true‑up smaller, not unnecessary.
Workers' comp on Worklio InsuranceLumberLumber assigns the comp code by project state, with comp calculated in payroll, and offers business insurance, workers' comp included, inside Lumber through its partner Coverdash.
- 02
Who signs and submits certified payroll
Which formats and agency portals are live for your states, and who signs and submits each report?
Worklio HCMWorklio HCM prepares the WH‑347 for your signature, with job costing segments from the same run. You review and sign each one. Union, prevailing wage, and certified payroll is available as an add‑on to any plan.
LumberLumber generates WH‑347 reports with a signed compliance statement and exports PDF, XML or CSV for LCP, DIR, eMars and Elation.
- 03
Who answers a tax notice
Which taxes do you file in each state and locality, and who answers an agency notice?
Worklio HCMWorklio HCM calculates, deposits, and files payroll taxes in every state and locality, with 941, 940, and state equivalents filed for you. Upload an agency notice and our tax team resolves it.
LumberLumber calculates federal, state and local taxes each payroll run and states automated filings and year‑end forms; who answers an agency notice is not described publicly.
Why choose Worklio HCM over Lumber?
- 01 Certified payroll
Certified payroll from the same run that pays the crew
Lumber generates WH‑347 reports and exports files for LCP, DIR, eMars and Elation.
Worklio HCM prepares WH‑347 certified payroll reports with job costing segments, applies prevailing wage rates by project, location, and classification, and carries union dues and benefit packages with remittance reports by local.
Union and certified payrollWorklio HCM- WH‑347 ready for your signature
- Fringe as cash or plan contributions
- Available as an add‑on to any plan
- 02 Workers' comp
Comp codes in payroll, and a policy built into it
Lumber offers business insurance, workers' comp included, through its partner Coverdash, and states it is not the insurance provider.
Worklio HCM keeps workers' comp class codes per job and employee, and Worklio Insurance offers optional pay‑as‑you‑go workers' comp built into payroll.
Workers' comp on Worklio InsuranceWorklio HCM- Class codes per job and employee
- Quoted from your real census and wages
- Comp billed per payroll
- 03 One platform
Payroll, HR, time and benefits on one employee record
Lumber onboards from offer to first clock‑in and offers guided benefits enrollment with weekly EDI to carriers.
Worklio HCM runs payroll, tax, HR, time, and benefits administration on one 50‑state engine, with one employee record shared by payroll, time, and benefits.
HR and onboardingWorklio HCM- Offer letters e‑signed; W‑4, state forms and I‑9 online before day one
- Clock‑in geofenced by job site, in Complete HCM
- Enrollment, EDI to major carriers, COBRA tracked
- 04 Paying crews
Pay every crew, bank account or not
Lumber pays by direct deposit or manual payment, with earned wage access through its partner Branch.
Worklio HCM pays by direct deposit, pay cards, and checks, with pay cards for employees without bank accounts and optional earned wage access.
Payments and bankingWorklio HCM- Direct deposit split across multiple accounts
- Unlimited regular and off‑cycle runs
- Earned wage access from the mobile app
- 05 Security and support
Audited controls and a named team
Lumber states SOC 2 Type II audits, and hosting environments that meet SOC 2, ISO 27001 and PCI DSS.
Worklio HCM is ISO 27001, 27018, and 9001 certified, and SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, and PCI DSS compliant. A named implementation lead runs parallel payrolls beside your current provider, matched to the cent, before you go live.
Why WorklioWorklio HCM- Layered access rights and a full audit trail
- Parallel payrolls matched to the cent
- A dedicated account manager after go‑live
Your next payroll could be your first one on Worklio.
Lumber alternative: common questions
Information about Lumber is based on Lumber's publicly available pages, documentation and press releases as of October 7, 2026, and may have changed since. Worklio makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Trademarks belong to their owners; Worklio is not affiliated with any other company named here.