There have always been complexities in hiring. Ever-changing federal, state, and local regulations have kept HR teams on their toes for years. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a new layer of complexity centering on our remote workforce. With 42% of the labor force now remote, the state boundaries that once confined us are gone. Remote work is not expected to go away, which means employers have an opportunity to go after diverse talent from around the country. But what if your workplace wants the best talent from a state you aren’t registered in currently? Here’s how an employer of record (EOR) can help you comply with regional hiring rules no matter your state.
How Can EOR Help with Remote Hires?
The stigma of working from home is gone. Employers are shocked, but their employees are even more productive when they don’t have the stressors of commuting or the distractions of co-worker interruptions. Research backs this data up, but it took a pandemic for many employers to recognize the productivity benefits of working from home.
This makes the entire country your oyster if you’re a hiring manager seeking top-level talent in fields that are hard to fill even with record unemployment. When teams are remote, you can search for talent anywhere. But companies that are not registered in all 50-states will quickly run afoul of compliance rules. The legal hiring requirements can vary widely as soon as you cross state lines. Any remote workers living in those states fall under those rules, and consequently, so do you. Are you confident you can remain compliant?
Some of the legal ramifications of hiring across state lines include:
- Payroll—Different states have varying income tax requirements.
- Wage and Hour Requirements—FSLA requirements include working remotely, and local and state wage and hour laws differ for overtime, minimum wage, exemptions, and more.
- Employee Rights Posters—Since you won’t have a breakroom to post these notices in, how will you handle it? Different states have different rules for this, too.
- Immigration—Filing I-9 paperwork has gotten trickier, and some states have E-Verify requirements. Employers must comply with state laws related to employee signatures and immigration verification.
- Worker’s Compensation—Always a can of worms, worker’s comp grows more complex by state and by the status of the workers. Your employees may be eligible to receive worker’s compensation for occupational illnesses or injuries when working from home.
An EOR can help in all of these, and other areas. From a legal perspective, EOR does the heavy lifting on hiring compliance, payroll, or other HR issues. Companies like FoxHire can handle everything from new hire paperwork and onboarding to drug screening, I-9s, background checks, and even immunizations for healthcare placements.
For companies worried about compliance as they begin staffing additional remote workers across state lines, the EOR keeps them legal and frees up HR teams to find the right people while keeping remote teams engaged in the organization’s success.
Talk with FoxHire.
We can keep you legal and free up your time to focus on engaging your remote workforce.
