How does an AtWork franchise operate after opening?
An AtWork Staffing Business wins employer accounts, screens workers, matches them to approved job orders, records assignment time and maintains the client relationship. AtWork Franchise, Inc. controls the Franchise System, staffing software, customer and contract approval, invoicing and monthly settlement; the franchisee controls local execution, internal employment decisions and day-to-day service.
What does the franchisee sell, and who buys it?
The buyer is an employer with a temporary, contract, project-based or permanent hiring need. The franchisee does not sell a generic menu: the Personnel Addendum and Professional Addendum define different worker categories, office structures and geographic rights, while AtWork Franchise, Inc. may change the authorized services and must approve customers and contracts.
The contractual format determines candidate pool, employer-of-record structure, location and sales boundary.
Personnel Business
- Offering
- Temporary clerical and light industrial personnel, plus a non-exclusive right to make Full-Time Placements within the Protected Territory.
- Buyer
- Local employers needing temporary clerical, management or light industrial personnel.
- Unit
- An approved physical Office; at least two full-time internal staff are required before operation.
- Worker status
- The franchisee is normally employer of record for Assigned Temporary Workers, although AtWork may elect otherwise by written notice.
Sources: 2026 FDD, Items 1, 12, 15 and 16; Personnel Addendum §§5–12; official Personnel Business description.
Professional Business
- Offering
- Contract and project-based professional workers and executive direct hires in employment verticals designated by AtWork Franchise, Inc.
- Buyer
- Employers seeking professional talent in approved sectors such as information technology, engineering, finance or non-clinical healthcare.
- Unit
- A residence-based Office is expected; a separate commercial location requires approval.
- Worker status
- AtWork Franchise, Inc. is employer of record for Assigned Temporary Workers; the franchisee employs any internal staff.
Sources: 2026 FDD, Items 1, 12 and 16; Professional Addendum §§5–9; official Professional Business description.
Employers enter through sales and approved advertising; applicants enter through sourcing and AtWork’s job-seeker channel. The franchisee must spend at least $2,500 quarterly on approved local advertising and report it quarterly.
How does work move from employer demand to monthly settlement?
AtWork’s workflow links local sales and recruiting to a centralized back office. The franchisee creates and services the account, but customer approval, payroll data, invoicing, customer payment and the Balance Payment run through systems and procedures controlled by AtWork Franchise, Inc.
Generate employer demand
- Actor
- Operating Partner, Manager and local sales personnel.
- Action
- Conduct sales calls, customer visits, networking and approved local or digital marketing.
- System/asset
- Approved materials, Office or home workspace, Computer System.
- Output
- An employer need and qualified sales opportunity.
Define and approve the order
- Actor
- Franchisee and AtWork Franchise, Inc.
- Action
- Clarify role, assignment terms, pricing and contract; submit the customer or contract when required.
- System/asset
- Approved forms, TempServ and Franchise System procedures.
- Output
- An approved customer and job order.
Recruit and screen candidates
- Actor
- Local recruiters and other trained internal staff.
- Action
- Source, interview, test and screen candidates; use designated pre-employment vendors where required.
- System/asset
- Staffing software, applicant-testing equipment and approved screening services.
- Output
- A documented pool of qualified candidates.
Assign or place the worker
- Actor
- Franchisee; employer-of-record party depends on format.
- Action
- Match the candidate, complete onboarding, communicate assignment requirements and provide follow-up support.
- System/asset
- Job-order records, timekeeping and AtWork Safety Management System procedures.
- Output
- An Assigned Temporary Worker begins work, or a Full-Time Placement closes.
Capture time and run payroll
- Actor
- Franchisee submits data; AtWork processes Assigned Temporary Worker payroll.
- Action
- Record hours, pay rate, workers’ compensation code and deductions, typically every week.
- System/asset
- Specified timekeeping, TempServ and central computer connection.
- Output
- Payroll Data, Worker Expenses and invoice-ready service records.
Invoice, collect and settle
- Actor
- AtWork Franchise, Inc. invoices and receives payment; franchisee services the account.
- Action
- AtWork issues customer invoices, applies Applicable Deductions and provides the monthly Statement.
- System/asset
- Central billing, Accounts ownership and Risk Management Reserve.
- Output
- Balance Payment by the 25th, account follow-up and repeat demand.
Workflow basis: 2026 FDD, Items 1, 8, 11 and 16; Franchise Agreement §§3.D, 4.H–4.I and 7.J–7.K; Operations Manual table of contents. The official employer pages describe staffing service categories and the brand’s screening and ongoing-support approach.
Can the business be manager-run?
Yes, but the contract requires full-time, day-to-day supervision. A natural-person owner with at least 51% ownership and voting power must serve as Operating Partner. If that Operating Partner does not supervise full time, a trained, qualified Manager must do so; the arrangement is not contractually passive.
If a Manager leaves, the Operating Partner must supervise the Staffing Business until a replacement completes the Training Programs and meets AtWork’s current qualifications. The Manager need not own equity, but the Operating Partner remains the authorized decision-maker in dealings with AtWork Franchise, Inc.
Operating Partner
Holds controlling ownership and voting power, communicates binding decisions to the franchisor, ensures System Standards are implemented and either supervises the unit or appoints the Manager.
Manager and internal staff
Run local sales, recruiting, candidate processing, customer service, timekeeping and records. The franchisee selects, pays, schedules, disciplines and terminates its internal employees.
Assigned Temporary Workers
Perform services at customer worksites. The franchisee recruits, screens, tests, interviews, hires and assigns them, while employer-of-record and insurance mechanics differ by format.
Which technology, suppliers and controls are mandatory?
The Computer System is a required operating dependency, not an optional local toolset. AtWork Franchise, Inc. supplies the staffing-software connection and central processing, can access operating data without contractual limitation, may change specifications and can require designated suppliers for insurance, screening, hardware, software or other inputs.
Sources: 2026 FDD, Items 8 and 11; Franchise Agreement §§2.B, 4.J–4.K, 7.G, 12 and 13; Operations Manual table of contents. The official franchise-support page identifies continuing learning, field support, marketing and operational resources.
Supplier freedom is conditional. Designated vendors currently apply to insurance and required pre-employment services. Unapproved suppliers need written approval; no response within 60 days is denial, and AtWork may later revoke approval. Optional negotiated vendors remain distinct from mandatory sources.
AtWork may revise the Operations Manual and System Standards, approve or reject customers and contracts, set minimum prices, regulate sales calls and recruiting campaigns, control Online Presences, require upgrades, inspect worksites and Computer Systems, and audit books. The franchisee still bears the operational responsibility and cost of implementing those standards.
Where may each format sell and serve?
The Personnel Business receives a defined Protected Territory for temporary clerical and light industrial staffing, but the franchise is expressly non-exclusive and several reserved channels remain. The Professional Business may solicit nationally through approved channels, yet receives no contractual territorial protection.
| Operating issue | Personnel Business | Professional Business | Franchisor reservation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary boundary | Protected Territory, generally about 200,000 people. | No protected territory. | AtWork sets and may adjust territorial rules under the agreements. |
| Sales channels | Outside-territory solicitation through internet or direct channels requires consent. | May solicit anywhere in the United States through approved channels. | Every customer and contract remains subject to approval. |
| Alternative distribution | The franchisor and affiliates retain internet and other distribution rights, including potentially competing services. | No compensation is required when reserved rights are exercised. | |
| Large accounts | National/Regional/Onsite Account Customers may be allocated under a system program. | May be required to serve designated multi-location accounts under program rules. | AtWork defines qualification, procedures and account allocation. |
The official Professional page uses national-model language. Contractually, nationwide solicitation permission is not an exclusive or protected national territory. For Personnel Businesses, “Protected Territory” also does not prevent all competition: professional placements, alternative channels, approved national accounts and other reserved activities may operate within the same geography.
What does Item 20 show about the operating network?
At December 31, 2025, the operating network consisted of 90 Personnel Business offices: 83 franchised offices operated by 47 franchisees and seven company-owned offices operated by affiliate GC Hall. The Professional Business was newly offered in the 2026 FDD and had no operating outlets at that reporting date.
U.S. office count at December 31, 2025.
Source: 2026 FDD, Item 20, Tables 1, 3 and 4, pp. 52–56. Percentages are 83 ÷ 90 and 7 ÷ 90; they reconcile to 100.0%. Item 19 separately identified six satellite offices providing limited in-person recruiting within the franchised population.
What does the franchisor control, and what remains local?
AtWork Franchise, Inc. controls the licensed service boundary, brand methods, core technology, data access, customer acceptance, billing architecture and audit rights. The franchisee remains responsible for building local demand, executing recruiting and service, managing internal people, maintaining the Office and systems, complying with law and funding local operations.
Franchisee decisions
- Manage internal employees, compensation, schedules and discipline.
- Conduct local sales, recruiting, matching and account service.
- Set pricing above imposed minimums within approved contract terms.
- Maintain equipment, connectivity, records, licenses and insurance.
AtWork controls
- Authorized services, employment verticals, System Standards and Operations Manual revisions.
- Customer approval, contract approval, minimum pricing, Marketing Fund and local marketing standards.
- Staffing software, Customer Information ownership, data access, invoicing and Accounts settlement.
- Supplier designations, inspections, audits, training and Online Presences.
Shared dependencies
- Accurate weekly Payroll Data links local timekeeping to centralized payroll and billing.
- Candidate screening depends on trained staff, approved procedures and designated vendors.
- National/Regional/Onsite Account Customers depend on qualification and program allocation.
- Customer retention depends on local service within brand and legal requirements.
Which operating details still require deal-specific verification?
The FDD defines the architecture, but several current operating specifications sit in the confidential Operations Manual, supplier lists and approval processes. A buyer should verify the exact format-specific requirements in the agreement package rather than extending Personnel Business practices to the newer Professional Business.
Operating-model synthesis
AtWork converts employer hiring demand into temporary assignments, contract work and approved permanent placements. The franchisee’s central responsibility is local account development plus accurate recruiting, matching, timekeeping and service. The strongest dependency is AtWork Franchise, Inc.’s control of customer approval, Computer System data, invoicing and Balance Payment settlement.
A Personnel Business uses a staffed physical Office and a limited Protected Territory; a Professional Business is expected to operate remotely and may solicit nationally without territorial protection. The largest undisclosed question is how current Operations Manual standards and supplier requirements apply to the newly offered Professional Business, which had no operating outlets at year-end 2025.