Zendesk, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Zendesk, Inc. 401(k) Plan
San Francisco, CAInformation2,118 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$3,943Employer $ per active participant
$18,897Employee $ saved per active participant
0.01%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$352.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$105,102Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity34.5 / 5069th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost24.2 / 2597th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving14.4 / 1596th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score70 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Information plans with 500–2,499 active participants (310 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 69th |
| Lower admin cost | 97th |
| Employee saving | 96th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($159,576 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $43,788 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Zendesk put in about $3,943 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,829). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- The plan reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $8,350,824 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $40,023,084 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $6,921,713 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $45,167 |
| Contract administrator fees | $900 |
| Benefits paid out | $37,580,883 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $287.9M / $352.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,183 / 2,053 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,351 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Armanino LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $45,277 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015213449NAL0011316962001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 26-4411091, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.