Laws and Forms Needed When Hiring a New Employee
Last week we discussed if you should hire an employee or an independent contractor. This week we will discuss the laws and forms you will need when hiring a new employee.
Federal and Wisconsin agencies have rules you must abide by. The main laws for hiring an employee to keep in mind are:
- Minimum wage laws
- Time off and required leaves
- Child labor laws and permits
- Overtime rules
- Break and lunch period rules
- Any OSHA workplace safety rules regulating your industry
Labor law posters outline some of these laws and should be posted in a prominent place where every employee can review them. Some of the Wisconsin labor law posters can be downloaded from the DWD website:
There are also certain items you need to have when hiring your first employee:
- Worker compensation insurance needs to be in place the day you hire an employee
- You will need a federal EIN#
- Register for a WI ID# and an ID# from the WI Dept of Workforce Development-Unemployment division
Upon hiring an employee you will need them to fill out the following new employee hire forms:
- W-4 (federal income tax)
- WT-4 (WI new hire form) This form needs to be faxed or mailed to the WI Dept of Revenue
- I-9 (federal employment verification) This form requires you to physically see and notate forms of id a listed and sign
Other paper work you may need to have the employee review and sign either for compliance or permission purposes:
- Benefit policies such as: sick/vacation/paid time off, pay periods, holidays
- Work duties and other expectations such as: work hours, dress code, internet/phone use, security issues
- Forms needed to make deductions from pay checks such as: uniforms, cell phone usage, or tools