Abrams Media

"TriNet has given our company the peace of mind that our payroll will be taken care of properly and helps us to comply with relevant employment regulations and laws, both federally and on the state level, which allows us to focus on other parts of our company."

Trusted sources on the intersection of politics, pop culture, media and law

As an esteemed legal correspondent, broadcast journalist, television host and best-selling author, Dan Abrams has a brimming resume, but few things are more important to him than addressing a major gap in the digital media market. In 2009, he jumped on the opportunity and launched Abrams Media with a vision to serve original content with a unique voice to niche, underserved audiences. His first website, Mediaite, is a highly visited, trusted source that covers the intersection of cable news and politics. Also among his suite of properties is the Law & Crime website and accompanying TV channel, which provides easy-to-understand analysis of legal stories and courtroom trials. Most recently, they launched the Whiskey Raiders site which is a one stop shop for whiskey reviews and coverage on the internet.

“No matter what we do, we always try to pick an area where our coverage will be unique, so it's not just the same as all the other political and entertainment news sites that are out there,” described Andrew Eisbrouch, COO and General Counsel at Abrams Media. “Although our sites are different in many ways in terms of their verticals, they have that same thread of looking at things in a unique way that makes them stand out.”

"Knowing that there's a company whose responsibility is to help make sure that we are complying with employment-related requirements gives me and our company a sense of comfort. It's very helpful to have a company like TriNet who can spearhead that aspect."

An HR ally for proactive payroll and employment compliance

When the Law & Crime entities began bubbling with interest and engagement, Abrams Media nearly doubled the size of their team in the span of a year and a half to ramp up production. But by working with TriNet, an HR solution that could flex with them, their growth didn’t complicate crucial business functions of payroll and compliance with employment requirements. “I'd say there are two main aspects to TriNet that I find to be extremely helpful and necessary for a business like ours,” acknowledged Andrew. “One is obviously the payroll and employment tax withholdings. The most important thing is that we take care of our employees and that everybody is paid on time. If they have questions with payroll, we get back to them quickly. Having a company that has our back gives me some peace of mind; TriNet is taking care of it.” TriNet’s simple and accurate payroll services include direct deposit of wages, processing of payroll and employment tax withholdings, electronic Form W-2 delivery, PTO and leave administration, and payroll submittal—all through TriNet’s secure platform.

With Andrew’s legal background, he recognizes that what you don’t know can hurt you—it’s easy to get tripped up on the innumerable employment requirements at the federal, state and local levels. “I also find it very helpful to have a company that's constantly updated on those changes, because it can be difficult to stay up-to-date,” said Andrew. “Knowing that there's a company whose responsibility is to help make sure that we are complying with employment-related requirements gives me and our company a sense of comfort. For a company like us, it’s very helpful to have a company like TriNet who can spearhead that aspect. We're able to consult with HR experts on how we are compliant with certain requirements and help make sure that we're doing everything properly.”

Instead of scouring the internet for requirements governing everything from payroll and benefits administration to onboarding new employees, Andrew turns to TriNet experts and technology to help with compliance. TriNet HR professionals have the tools and experience to keep their company abreast of employment-related laws in addition to providing best practices and strategic guidance. The TriNet platform is designed to automatically put certain applicable processes in place to help with a particular state’s or locality’s employment and tax requirements, which proved beneficial when Abrams Media employees relocated during the pandemic.

"We want to be generous in the benefits that we offer. We think it's very important for a company, especially of our size, as we've grown over the years.

A comprehensive platform to assemble and administer attractive benefits

“We want to be generous in the benefits that we offer. We think it's very important for a company, especially of our size, as we've grown over the years. We want to make sure people have peace of mind in terms of their health,” said Andrew. "The technology platform makes it very easy for them to go through the options because there are a lot of plans that TriNet offers.” Offering access to a range of premium benefits is a priority for Abrams Media, but ensuring that they’re administered correctly involves many moving parts. This includes enrollment, technology, payroll deductions, open enrollment and Affordable Care Act compliance—functions that are supported by TriNet. As an administrator in the TriNet platform, Andrew and other Abrams Media leaders can build custom funding strategies that are right for the company. Their employees also experience a smooth benefits enrollment process in the same platform with features that allow them to compare plan designs, calculate costs and participate in a guided navigation of the election process to help them make informed decisions.

"If you're a company that wants to grow quickly, you need to focus your time on growth. You need to have a company like TriNet that can take care of the other parts that are necessary to make the company run on a day-to-day basis."

Expanding a suite of media properties with a scalable HR solution

Abrams Media has experienced significant, organic growth year over year and has plans to further identify new niche audiences in need of content tailored to them, as well as expand upon their current properties. “TriNet allows us to scale more easily,” said Andrew. “If you were doing all the payroll and everything manually, it would be much harder to scale. So if you're a company that wants to grow quickly, you need to focus your time on growth. You need to have a company like TriNet that can take care of the other parts that are necessary to make the company run on a day-to-day basis.”

“TriNet has given our company the peace of mind that our payroll will be taken care of properly and helps us to comply with relevant employment regulations and laws, both federally and on the state level, which allows us to focus on other parts of our company.”