First…take a step back. While you might have someone already picked out for an open position in your practice, you need some lead time before you can hire someone in Washington State.
Do you already have a payroll system set up? If you’re an S-Corp, you should. If payroll is already established, the hiring process can often be a little quicker.
File a New Business License Application
If not, then you will need to file a NEW business license application. When you apply, the purpose will be “hire employees.”
We recommend that you file for a new business license online since it is the quickest way to apply.
Now the wait begins. This is why I mentioned that there will be some wait time. You will need confirmation letters for workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance from the Department of Labor and Industries and the Employment Security Department.
Once you get the confirmation letters, you will need to setup your payroll. We recommend using Gusto (our affiliate link) for payroll. We can either help you set this up or you can purchase Gusto (or use another method) on your own. We do not recommend QBO Payroll, we have seen to many mistakes happen.
From here, you’ll need to get your new employee set up and on payroll. You will also need to make sure that you are following the various Minimum Wage Requirements and Labor Standards Act.
If you are an S-Corporation with a retirement plan, hiring employees can be a little more difficult if you have a retirement plan in place for yourself. We will discuss some of these topics in future blog posts.
TL;DR: Make sure you are set up for payroll before you hire someone. We recommend discussing this with a professional as messing payroll up is very easy. As always, we can help!
