Starting a new job is an exciting time for your employees, and it’s essential to ensure the process runs as smoothly as possible. A key part of welcoming new employees involves providing them with the necessary documents that satisfy legal requirements and establish clear expectations for their roles. Use Comply DIY to guide you through all the new hire documents.
Required by Law
These documents are legally required for all new hires. Failure to collect and retain them correctly can result in penalties.
When hiring a new employee, properly classifying them as W-2 or 1099 is critical. Misclassification can lead to substantial penalties.
This form verifies that the new employee is eligible to work in the United States.
Every W-2 employee needs to complete this form so you know how much federal income tax to withhold from their pay.
Depending on your state, there may be an additional form similar to the W-4 for state income tax withholding.
Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), employers are required to provide this notice to all new hires.
Setting Clear Expectations
These documents help establish clear expectations for the employment relationship from day one.
A clear job description helps set expectations for the employee’s role and responsibilities.
This provides an overview of your company’s policies, procedures, and culture.
If employees will have access to sensitive company information, they should sign an NDA.
Optional but Recommended
These documents are not legally required but are strongly recommended to protect both the employer and employee.
It’s always a good idea to have emergency contact information on file for your employees.
Having employees acknowledge that they’ve received and understand the employee handbook can be beneficial for legal purposes.
Employers have a lot of notices to provide to new hires, especially those eligible for employee benefits. This is a good time to obtain the employee’s consent to receive necessary employment and benefits documents in an electronic format.
For employers with a Premium Only Plan (POP) or FSA. This agreement lets an employer deduct a specified amount of pre-tax dollars from an employee’s wages.
Employee Benefits
If you offer health insurance or retirement benefits, make sure employees receive all required enrollment materials before their waiting period ends.
If you offer health insurance and/or other insurance coverage to your employees, be sure to provide them with the Employee Benefits Packet and other Essential Benefits Documentation before the end of their new hire waiting period.
Most group life insurance carriers don’t collect beneficiary designation forms directly — that’s the employer’s job. Learn how to collect, retain, and track designations for every covered employee.
If you offer a 401(k) or other retirement benefits, be sure to provide employees with the Summary Plan Description and any other required documents.