New Hire Reporting

What is it?

Rhode Island Law requires employers to report all new hires or rehires within 14 days of employment to the Rhode Island New Hire Registry. If you are reporting electronically or magnetically, you must report by two monthly transmissions (if necessary) not less than 12 or more than 16 days apart.

Who Must Report?

If you are an employer doing business in the State of Rhode Island and you hire or rehire an employee, you must report those employees to the Rhode Island State Directory of New Hires.

How Can I report?

Employers can report by:

• Faxing in the W-4 form
• Submitting the information magnetically by downloading the information from your system onto a magnetic tape or cartridge and mail
  
• Submitting the information on a diskette and mail the diskette,
  
• You may register on line at http://rinewhire.com/
  
• What Must Be Reported?

The following information must be reported:

• Employee's name, address, and social security number
  
• Employer's name, address, and federal identification number
  
• Information regarding whether the employee has dependent health care coverage available and the date the employee may qualify for the coverage

Why Is the Information Needed?

New Hire information will be used for the following reasons:

• To match employers against the child support records to locate parents, establish an order, or enforce an order
  
• Allow the Office of Child Support Services to immediately send out a wage withholding order to the employer for consistent child support payments
  
• Prevent erroneous benefit payments such as public assistance payments
  
• To locate parents by matching RI new hires against the national new hire data base

A benefit to the employer is that it will reduce fraudulent payment of unemployment and workers compensation payments by matching new hires against the unemployment and workers compensation file.

Common Questions and Answers:

1. What is the date of hire?

The date of hire means the date of commencement of employment, but no later than the first day for which the employee is eligible for compensation.

2. How is an employee defined in the law?

An employee is defined as a natural person who performs labor in this state and is employed by a RI employer for compensation for whom the employer withholds federal or state income tax.

3. How is an employer defined in the law?

An employer means a person or entity doing business in this state who engages an employee for compensation and for whom the employer withholds federal or state income tax returns from the employees compensation.

4. Must I report an independent contractor?

As the employer, you must decide whether there is an existing employer/employee relationship. Basically if the work is being performed based upon a specific contract you are not required to report.

5. Are labor organizations required to report members?

Labor organizations must report their own employees not those employees simply referred for employment.

6. Where do I report?

Rhode Island State Directory of New Hires
PO Box 540220
Omaha, NE 68154-0220
Fax: 1-888-430-6907

7. What are the penalties for failure to report?

Under RI law, an employer who fails to report a new hire as required may be liable for a penalty of $20.00 for each violation. If it is demonstrated that the employee conspired with the employer the fine is $500.00. Both the employee and employer are responsible.

8. What if I am a multi-state employer, where do I report?

If you are a multi state employer you have two reporting options:

• Report newly hired employees or rehires to each state in which you do business and your employees are hired, or
  
• Select one state where you have employees working and report all new hires from every state that you do business in to that one state wither electronically or magnetically

If you have any questions you may contact customer service at 1-888-870-6461