New Hire Report

A new hire report is a process where an employer reports information on new employees shortly after the hire date. For new hire reporting purposes, employers, labor organizations, and governmental entities who file a W-4 for an employee must also file a new hire report.

With the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996, commonly known as welfare reform, the federal government made it a requirement for employers to file new hire reports on all new employees to designated state agencies. The primary reason for the new hire reporting system is for the enforcement of court- or state-mandated child support payments from non-custodial parents. 

A new hire report submitted to the requisite state agency must have these seven data elements:  

• Employee name
• Address of employee
• Employee’s Social Security number
• Date of hire or rehire
• Name of employer
• Employer address
• Employer’s federal employer identification number (FEIN)

Example:

When an employer hires a new worker, the employer sends a new hire report to the required state agency. The state agency subsequently matches new hire reports against the state’s child support records to locate parents owing child support. The state then deducts the parent’s child support payments from their paycheck automatically, which reduces the burden on society if the parent fails to meet their financial obligations.