Additional Resources

Listed below are some human resource-related Web sites that Members may find helpful. LGC provides this list as a resource and endeavors to keep this list current, however, Web sites and links to them may change over time.

Required Forms and Posters

• I-9 Form, Employment Eligibility Verification
  www.uscis.gov
  The Immigration Reform and Control Act of November 1986 requires all employers to have all new hires complete an I-9 form and provide specific documents verifying that the employee is eligible to work in the United States. A list of the acceptable verification documents is located on the reverse side of the I-9 form. Employers must keep completed I-9’s for three years after the employee’s date of hire or one year after the employee’s employment has ended—whichever is later. Authorized U.S. Government officials are allowed to inspect the I-9 forms maintained by employers; therefore, employers must keep the completed forms readily available for inspection.

• W-4 Form, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate
  www.irs.gov
  The Internal Revenue Service requires employers to have each new employee complete a Form W-4 in order to know how much federal income tax to withhold from the employee’s pay.* Because employees’ tax situations may change, employers are encouraged to have employees refigure their withholding each year and complete new W-4 forms each year. Additionally, employees may request to submit a new W-4 at any time they so desire. However, a W-4 remains in effect until the employee submits a new one. W-4 forms are subject to inspection by the IRS; therefore, employers must be able to readily provide their employees’ original I-9 forms for inspection. The IRS suggests that individuals retain their tax documents for a minimum of three years; therefore, besides maintaining all current W-4 forms, employers may want to retain past W-4 forms for the same period of time: three years.

(*Note: If an employee does not submit a W-4, employers are required to withhold income tax from his/her wages as if the employee is single with zero allowances.)

• New Hire Reporting
  www.nhes.state.nh.us
  As of October 1, 1997, all employers providing employment in the State of New Hampshire are required to report certain information on each newly hired or rehired employees, as well as certain independent contractors, to the New Hampshire Employment Security (NHES). New hire reporting was created as a means of locating non-custodial parents who owe child support.

  New Hire Reporting Form:
  www.nhes.state.nh.us
  New Hire Reports must be filed with NHES within 20 days of the date of hire of an employee. Reports may be filed by mail or fax; they may also be filed through specific magnetic media.

• Labor Law Postings-New Hampshire and Federal
  www.labor.state.nh.us
  The New Hampshire State Legislature mandated that in every work place, employers must post certain notices concerning employees’ rights and remedies that are available to workers in the State. These notices include New Hampshire’s Minimum Wage Law, Employment Discrimination, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and USERRA Rights. A current listing of required postings and free posters may be obtained from the New Hampshire Department of Labor’s Web site.

  Free Federal Labor Law Posters may be obtained from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Web site.

Other Web Sites of Interest

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
  www.usdoj.gov
  Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which took effect July 26, 1992, prohibits local governments from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions and privileges of employment. This site, which has guides and information particular to local governments, provides information and technical assistance on the ADA.

• Consumer Price Index (CPI) aka Cost-of-Living Index*,
  New Hampshire Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau
  www.nhes.state.nh.us
  The CPI is constructed monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It provides a statistical measure of the average change in prices in a fixed market basket of goods and services. This CPI is particular to the Northeast Region of the country.

*Note: Although the CPI is frequently called a cost-of-living index, it is not a complete cost-of-living measure.

• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Wage & Hour Division,
  U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment Standards Administration
  www.dol.gov
  All employers must comply with the FLSA, which outlines the federal minimum wage and overtime pay. The FLSA law and regulations can be found at the web site noted above.

  Basic information about compliance with the Act can be found at www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/whd_fs.pdf

  A fact sheet to determine whether or not an employee is exempt from the FLSA can be found at www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/fairpay/fs17a_overview.htm

The New Hampshire Wage & Hour District Office at 866.487.9243 or the New Hampshire Department of Labor at 603.271.6294 or 603.271.1492 (www.labor.state.nh.us/worker.asp) may also be contacted for FLSA information.

• Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA),
  U.S. Department of Labor
  www.dol.gov
  Under the FMLA, a city or town is considered a single employer and is covered by FMLA regardless of its number of employees. Public as well as private elementary and secondary schools are also covered employers without regard to the number of employees employed. Eligible employees (i.e., those who have been employed for at least 1250 hours during the previous 12-month period by the employer with respect to whom leave is requested) is entitled to a total of 12 workweeks of leave during any 12-month period for one or more of the following: (a) The birth of a child of the employee and in order to care for child; (b) The placement of a son or daughter with the employee for adoption or foster care; (c) In order to care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition; or (d) A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of his/her position. Any eligible employee who takes family or medical leave shall be entitled, on his/her return to work to be restored by the employer to the position of employment held by the employee when the leave commenced or to an equivalent position with equivalent employment benefits, pay, and other terms and conditions of employment. Also, the taking of family or medical leave shall not result in the loss of any employment benefit accrued prior to the date on which the leave commenced. The complete FMLA law and regulations can be found at the link noted above. Also see the following related links:

  For FMLA Compliance Assistance:
  www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/

  For Employer Response to Employee Request for Family or Medical Leave Form: www.dol.gov/esa/forms/whd/WH-381.pdf

  For Certification of Health Care Provider (Family and Medical leave Act of 1993) Form: www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/fmla/wh380.pdf

• New Hampshire Human Rights Commission
  www.nh.gov
  The New Hampshire Human Rights Commission is a state agency for the purpose of eliminating discrimination in employment, public accommodations and the sale or rental of housing or commercial property, because of age, sex, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, marital status, familial status, physical or mental disability or national origin. The commission has the power to receive, investigate and pass upon complaints of illegal discrimination and to engage in research and education designed to promote good will and prevent discrimination.

• New Hampshire Public Employee Labor Relations Board (PELRB)
  www.nh.gov
  The PELRB's administrative and adjudicatory functions include certifying bargaining units of employees as agreed upon by the public employer and a representative of its employees; hearing and adjudicating charges of unfair labor practices as brought by one side against the other; assisting the parties in the course of collective negotiations particularly with grievance proceedings and providing access to mediators and fact finders and arbitrators; and serving as a central repository for collective bargaining agreements between public employers and their employees and other data related to negotiations. The largest category of cases handled by the PELRB is a complaint that one or another party has committed an unfair labor practice.

• Unemployment Rate, New Hampshire Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau
  www.nhes.state.nh.us