Dive Brief:

• HR management firm Zenefits announced Tuesday the launch of HR One, a company initiative aimed at expanding the company's existing Z2 software offerings.
• Highlights of the launch include a new dedicated compliance app, which can track completion of federal deadlines in sync with calendar apps like iCal and Google Calendar, as well as an upgraded HR documents app. Additionally, Zenefits said its payroll app will be made available in five more states, with nationwide availability planned by the end of 2017.
• Zenefits CEO David Sacks said in a statement that Z2 received positive reaction from users, adding that its compliance app would guide small businesses "through what what may be a year of uncertainty and change on the HR front."

Dive Insight:

Zenefits had been one of the top HR storylines in 2016; its status as a high-value, innovative HR solution for small businesses was threatened by a flurry of broker licensing violations. In October, the company launched Z2 with the hope of integrating third-party apps like Office 365 and Slack.

Those partnerships continue with HR One, and the company took a step further by including Box, Jazz and Lyft, among others. With the platform, small businesses have the option to provide employees trending perks like commuter benefits.

Employers should always be careful when introducing new tech solutions. It's especially important to reinforce benefits education, since most employees overestimate their knowledge of company offerings.