Important Paperwork for New Employees

An employee's first day at work can be both an exciting and apprehension-inducing event. The quicker a new employee becomes acclimated with the job and the expectations and operations of the company, the better. As an employer you can accelerate this process by providing the new employee with all pertinent company paperwork upfront.

New employees are required by federal and state law to fill out forms that must be filed when the individual begins employment. These government forms include:

• I-9 Form: This is the United States Department of Justice Immigration and Naturalization Service employment eligibility verification form. It verifies that an employee is eligible to work legally in the U.S. This form must be filled out immediately after the employee is hired.
• W-4 Form: This is the employee's withholding allowance certificate. It specifies how many deductions the employee is claiming in terms of his or her salary. The form must be completed by the time of the employee's first paycheck. Employees must also have a social security number.

Besides the aforementioned government forms, new employees should be given all the paperwork that relates to their employment at the company. Standard company paperwork normally includes:

• Personal information: This encompasses employee information such as name, address, phone number, and the person to contact in case of an emergency.
• Medical plan information: How it works and how to sign up.
• Retirement plan information: This paperwork should outline all the particulars of the company's retirement plan.
• Confidentiality agreement: A form that basically says employees won't reveal your business secrets to your competitors.
• Company handbook: This should cover everything regarding the operations of the business and the performance of its employees.