Employment forms and requirements?

December 19, 2006 1:44 PM

I work for a small company with less than a dozen employees. We currently have no formal hiring process, forms or other documentation. Scary? I think so, and I need some help to remedy the situation.

I filled out zero paperwork when I was hired awhile back, no tax forms, application, NDA ... you get the idea. Not even a copy of my driver's license, which I know is required by the federal government. I assume the feds and locals would appreciate my company complying with their rules of what needs to be documented, posted, and gathered.

Can you point me in the right direction? State labor department site, and the federal as well, left something to be desired.

posted by suchatreat to law & government (4 comments total)

Depends on the state.

See if there's a book from Nolo Press that might help you.

http://www.nolo.com

They have a section for Human Resources.

A copy of your license is not required. I do not submit my license for employment purposes. There are other documents that you can use with the I-9 form, such as a passport.
posted by drstein at 1:47 PM on December 19, 2006

This book, Snakes in Suits has some great questions for the hiring process and definitely answers the scary question, but it's probably not really what you're looking for for a small company -- but it's such a good book with such thought-provoking hiring questions I had to throw it in.
posted by Listener at 1:55 PM on December 19, 2006

Actually, a copy of your driver's license is not required. You and your employer do need to fill out an I-9 which documents you are a legal hire, and you show 1 or 2 forms of ID (depending on the ID) which are noted on the form. Your employer may want to copy them , but it is not a requirement.

This is but one example of the many laws you may not be aware of. Do you have all the required federal and state postings, in all languages native to your employees? You can buy all-in-one posters from many companies, or get them individually from the appropriate gov't agencies if you want to save $$.

Much of the employment law is state-specific, so I would recommend a book that cover's your state's labor laws. Here the California Chamber publishes an excellent reference, your state chamber may do the same.

They also have a program for quickly creating an employee manual, another good idea.

I have no known business relationship with Cal Chamber other than as a customer.
posted by jpmack at 2:21 PM on December 19, 2006

Are they taking out taxes? Failing to do that is a major no no.

I agree that the local or state chamber of commerce is a great resource for such things. You will probably want to hire a lawyer for a brief consult to help get you up to speed.
posted by caddis at 3:12 PM on December 19, 2006