WTS Energy provides Professional Employer Organization (PEO) services in the United States. We support payroll administration, HR compliance, employee onboarding, benefits coordination and workforce management, allowing clients to focus on their operations and project delivery.

The United States is a key market for energy, LNG, offshore wind, infrastructure and industrial construction. With a presence in Houston, supported by Americas leadership and a global delivery network, WTS Energy helps clients navigate workforce requirements across a complex employment landscape shaped by federal, state and local regulations.

More than a traditional PEO, WTS Energy provides workforce solutions for project-driven industries. We combine payroll administration and HR support with practical expertise in recruitment, workforce mobilization and energy-sector operations.

Why choose WTS Energy for PEO in the United States

WTS Energy combines US workforce support with deep energy-sector experience.

• US presence in Houston, one of the world’s most important energy and infrastructure hubs.

• Americas leadership that understands cross-border deployment between the US, Mexico, Latin America and global project locations.

• Energy-sector specialization across oil and gas, LNG, renewables, engineering, infrastructure, and HSE.

• Payroll administration covering federal income tax withholding, Social Security, Medicare, FUTA and applicable state registrations.

• HR support for onboarding, policies, leave administration, benefits coordination and compliant offboarding.

• Immigration and work authorization controls for foreign nationals, including I-9, visa-status review and coordination with immigration counsel where needed.

• Contractor-to-employee conversion support where worker classification creates payroll tax, wage-hour or client-control risk.

• Practical guidance on state-by-state differences in minimum wage, sick leave, final pay, non-competes, expense reimbursement and payroll tax.

When to use a PEO in the United States

PEO services can help companies simplify workforce administration, improve compliance and support workforce growth across multiple states and project locations.

• Employing engineers, project controls specialists, recruiters, commercial staff or HSE personnel for a US project.

• Converting long-term independent contractors into employees to reduce worker classification risk.

• Providing compliant payroll administration for remote employees in states with different wage, leave and tax rules.

• Supporting workforce growth across multiple states while managing payroll, tax and employment compliance requirements.

• Accessing competitive employee benefits through a structured employment program.

• Reducing HR administration while maintaining direct control of employees, operations and project delivery.

United States employment and immigration essentials (2026)

Federal, state and local employment framework

US employment law is layered. Federal rules set important baselines for minimum wage, overtime, payroll tax, anti-discrimination, employment eligibility verification and protected leave. States and cities can add higher minimum wages, paid sick leave, pay transparency, final-pay timing, non-compete restrictions, expense reimbursement rules and industry-specific requirements.

Effective workforce administration in the United States requires the employee’s work state to be identified before payroll and onboarding are finalized. A Houston employee, a California remote employee and a New York project employee can create different registration, leave, payroll and policy obligations.

Employment contracts and at-will employment

Most US private-sector employment is at will unless a contract, collective bargaining agreement, policy or state rule changes that baseline. At-will employment does not remove the need for compliant wage payment, anti-discrimination controls, protected leave handling, immigration verification and final pay procedures.

Offer letters and employment agreements should define the employer, role, work location, pay basis, exempt or non-exempt classification, benefits, confidentiality, intellectual property and termination expectations. For energy-sector roles, WTS Energy also reviews site, safety, drug-testing, travel, rotation and client-access requirements during onboarding.

Working hours, overtime and wage classification

The Fair Labor Standards Act sets the federal wage-hour baseline. Covered non-exempt employees must receive at least the federal minimum wage and overtime pay at not less than one and one-half times the regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. The FLSA does not set a general maximum number of weekly working hours for employees aged 16 or older. Employers must still manage overtime costs and workplace safety carefully.

Correct exempt or non-exempt classification is a major US compliance issue. Engineers, project managers and supervisors cannot be treated as exempt simply because they are salaried or senior. Duties, salary basis, state law and actual work performed all matter.

Minimum wage

The federal minimum wage remains USD 7.25 per hour in 2026. Many states and cities require higher minimum wages, and the higher applicable standard must be followed. Energy and engineering roles usually exceed federal minimum wage, but minimum wage remains relevant for interns, administrative support, field support, travel time, standby time and wage-hour audits.

Paid leave, holidays and family leave

There is no general federal requirement for private employers to provide paid vacation or paid holidays. However, many employers offer paid time off as a market benefit, and several states and cities require paid sick leave or paid family and medical leave.

At federal level, the Family and Medical Leave Act provides eligible employees of covered employers with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year and continuation of group health benefits. Eligibility depends on employer coverage, length of service, hours worked and worksite headcount rules.

Payroll tax and employer withholding

US payroll requires federal income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes, federal unemployment tax and state payroll registrations where applicable. For 2026, the IRS confirms:

• Social Security tax is 6.2 percent for the employer and 6.2 percent for the employee, up to the USD 184,500 wage base.

• Medicare tax is 1.45 percent for the employer and 1.45 percent for the employee, with no wage base limit.

• Additional Medicare Tax is withheld from employees above statutory thresholds, but there is no employer match.

• FUTA applies at the federal level, generally on the first USD 7,000 of wages, subject to credit and state unemployment rules.

• Federal income tax withholding is calculated using Form W-4 and IRS Publication 15-T methods.

State income tax withholding, state unemployment insurance, local taxes, paid family leave contributions and workers’ compensation requirements depend on the employee’s work location.

Pension and benefits obligations

The United States does not have a universal federal employer pension contribution equivalent to mandatory employer pension schemes in many other countries. Employers may offer a 401(k) or other retirement plan, and those plans must follow IRS and ERISA rules. For 2026, the IRS lists a USD 24,500 elective deferral limit for traditional and safe harbor 401(k) plans, with catch-up limits for eligible older participants.

Some states require employers without their own retirement plan to participate in a state auto-IRA or similar program. Health insurance, life insurance, disability, PTO and retirement benefits are also important market expectations for skilled energy professionals, even where not universally mandated by federal law.

Immigration and work authorization

All US employers must complete Form I-9 for each person hired for employment in the United States, regardless of citizenship. The employee must attest to work authorization, and the employer must review acceptable identity and employment authorization documents.

Foreign national hiring depends on visa category and work authorization. H-1B specialty occupation roles require a petitioning employer, a certified Labor Condition Application and wage compliance tied to the higher of the actual wage or prevailing wage for the role and work location. The FY 2026 H-1B cap has already been reached, so new cap-subject H-1B hiring generally needs planning for future cap cycles unless an exemption applies. Other routes may include L-1, O-1, TN, E-2, H-2B or employment authorization incident to another status, depending on nationality, employer structure and role.

How WTS Energy’s US PEO Service Works

Before employment

WTS Energy confirms the role, work state, pay basis, exempt or non-exempt classification, benefits package, immigration status and onboarding requirements. We review workforce, payroll and compliance requirements to determine the most appropriate employment solution and identify any licensing, regulatory, immigration or corporate-structure considerations that may affect onboarding.

During employment

WTS Energy supports US payroll administration, tax withholding, benefits coordination, employment records management and HR administration. We coordinate I-9 completion, policy acknowledgements, payroll changes, leave tracking and employment documentation for remote, office-based and project-site workers, while clients maintain day-to-day management of employees and operations.

End of employment

At offboarding, WTS Energy supports final payroll processing, accrued benefits administration where applicable, state final-pay requirements, benefits notifications, equipment return and separation documentation. We also help maintain confidentiality, data protection and intellectual property assignment controls throughout the employment lifecycle.

Compliance and risk management in the United States

The main US workforce compliance risks are often created by state variation, employee classification and workforce administration practices.

• Permanent establishment risk: US employees with authority to negotiate or conclude contracts for a foreign company may create US tax exposure.

• Worker classification risk: Independent contractors can be reclassified when the company controls the work like an employer.

• Exempt classification risk: Salaried technical staff may still be non-exempt if duties and salary requirements are not met.

• Multi-state payroll risk: Remote work can create state withholding, unemployment, workers’ compensation and leave obligations.

• Immigration risk: Workers must have valid work authorization for the relevant employment arrangement.

• Wage-hour risk: Travel time, standby time, offshore or rotational work and bonuses can affect overtime calculations.

• Benefits and leave risk: Federal, state and local leave requirements must be administered consistently.

• Final pay risk: States differ on when final wages and accrued vacation must be paid.

WTS Energy helps manage these risks through structured onboarding, payroll administration, state-specific compliance checks and hands-on HR support.

Upcoming legislative changes and watchlist (United States, 2026)

Employers hiring in the United States should monitor several 2026 items:

• IRS 2026 payroll reporting changes for qualified overtime compensation and updated withholding procedures.

• The 2026 Social Security wage base of USD 184,500 and annual updates to payroll thresholds.

• State minimum wage increases, paid leave expansions, pay transparency rules and non-compete restrictions.

• USCIS and Department of Labor changes affecting H-1B, prevailing wage methodology, filing fees and petition documentation.

• State retirement savings mandates for employers that do not sponsor a qualified retirement plan.

• Continued enforcement focus on worker classification, wage-hour compliance and I-9 documentation.

WTS Energy monitors federal and state developments so payroll, onboarding and workforce management processes remain aligned with changing requirements.

FAQ: PEO Services in the United States