Jul 31, 2024

What Are the Legal Requirements to Start Work?

What do employees have to do to start a new job? Read through to learn the basics of verification.

The question of who can legally work in the United States can be very complicated. Fortunately, the employer can make it relatively easy by having each new staff member fill out the i-9 form, from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. (There may also be state and local reporting requirements.) The I-9 lists the kinds of documents that you, as an employer, can accept as either proof of identification or proof of the right to work in the United States.

Your reporting responsibilities as an employer are generally quite straightforward. Whenever you hire a new employee, you will have to report a series of data to the appropriate state agency. This will include the employee's name, social security number, valid address, as well as your business identification number, business name and legal business address. You will also have to include the date when the employee first starts working for you (the official date of hire).

Reports have to be submitted within 20 calendar days from the date of the hire, and they can be sent either through first class mail or by electronic means. The information provided through the report serves mainly to help the Department of Health and Human Resources prevent unemployment compensation fraud and track parents who have to pay child support.

Another key task is requesting the W-4 form from each new hire. It shows the filing status for the employee and tells the employer's payroll supervisor how much tax should be withheld from each paycheck.

Finally, as of January 1, 2014, an Insurance Exchange Notice also has to be provided both to full time and part time employees. The notice has to be given to each new employee within 14 days of the start date.

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