Improving Data Updates and Onboarding to Reduce Penalties

Overview

Trinet’s Admin users missing critical employee data updates, causing tax penalties when state changes went unreported. I redesigned the dashboard and key entry points to prompt timely updates and help teams avoid costly fines.

New clients also faced friction setting up PTO policies during onboarding. I collaborated with a Lead UX Designer, Developers, and a UX Writer to simplify the flow, clarify legal terms, and reduce drop-off.

The Challenge

Outdated employee info triggered penalties, and Admins didn’t have clear visibility or guidance to make updates. We needed to:

• Highlight urgent actions in the dashboard
• Make updates faster and easier across entry points
• Educate Admins on the implications of missing data

For onboarding, users often misunderstood legal language or steps, leading to frustration. We aimed to: Reduce onboarding time; Clarify PTO setup without adding friction; add support cues without changing the full UI

Before and After

Click to zoom in

Before

Click to zoom in

After

Process and Solution

My approach involved a comprehensive design process:

1

Research and Discovery

Interviewed Admin users and support staff to understand recurring pain points. Ran two walk-throughs: Reviewing outdated employee info and Completing the PTO onboarding flow. Key insights:

• Users didn’t realize which data needed updates or why it mattered
• Lack of urgency or awareness led to missed changes
• Legal language in PTO setup was unclear and intimidating

Click to zoom in

Click to zoom in

Click to zoom in

2

Information Architecture

Mapped flows for employee data updates. Introduced clearer paths to the same action:

• Dashboard CTA
• Employee list (highlighting those needing updates)
• Inbox alert and notifications

For PTO onboarding, restructured form steps and separated legal concepts into digestible chunks.

3

Wireframing and Prototyping

Iterated on:

• Dashboard section layout with stronger CTA hierarchy
• PTO setup flow with inline help and simplified text

Worked closely with UX Writer to align tone with legal approval.

Click to zoom in

Click to zoom in

Click to zoom in

4

Visual Design

Designed layouts that emphasized urgency (color, labels, alerts) without overwhelming users. Used subtle visual cues (highlighted rows, badges, icons) to direct attention.

In onboarding, added tooltips and microcopy to support new users without needing extra help.

Results and Impact

The redesign helped Trinet reduce penalties, speed up onboarding, and improve Admin confidence in managing sensitive employee data.

Learnings and Takeaways

• Small, well-placed prompts can shift user behavior without redesigning the full system.
• Supporting users through complex legal concepts requires thoughtful UX writing, not just UI changes.
• Aligning frequently with legal and product leads helped accelerate approval without losing UX quality.