Labor Dept. Wants New Hires Reported

The Idaho Department of Labor is asking the state legislature to impose a fine on employers who fail to report new hires.

The law currently requires employers to report a new hire within 20 days.

The proposed law would impose a $25 penalty fee if they do not file a report.

The Idaho Department of Labor has already launched a website to help employers understand the law, comply and make reporting new hires easier.

Reporting new hires will allow the state to crack down on unemployment benefit fraud as well as garnish wages from new hires who owe child support.

Idaho Department of Labor Manager Bob Fick said only 30 percent of employers currently comply.

?We don’t want the money. We want the information,? Fick said. ?The balance of the trust fund determines the taxes employers pay to maintain the system and keep taxes lower.”

The Department of Labor plans to hold seminars to help small businesses learn how and why they need to report their new hires.

If the bill passes the penalty will take effect July 1.