Thank you to those who were able to attend the HireNow webinar yesterday morning. We hope the demo of employer and employee registration helped answer your questions about the submission process. Below we have collected a series of resources for your benefit!
Watch the Recording
Please join us in learning the steps needed to complete your employer registration for the HireNow program to ensure your organization can receive funding for new hires. HireNow Employer Registration Webinar Start Time: May 31, 2022 10:30 AM Recording Duration: 01:02:00 Meeting Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/sNFe1UXx3LGm4AdaC6Wk0-WFAqccusvAPgPAK31hnB-P1FeeCJmYTnqmPuf4RAo1.qf4jxfOV3wsjkMOq Access Passcode: HireNow@22
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Q&A From the Webinar
Timeline and Process
I applied during the initial timeframe but did not receive the confirmation email.
To confirm your successful pre-registration for HireNow, please email hirenow@commcorp.org with your organization's name and information you originally provided, you may be asked to provide your organization's FEIN and/or the primary contact's information. If we are unable to confirm your registration in the system and you cannot provide a copy of your initial confirmation email, we may be unable to confirm your pre-registration at this time.
How long does it take to be approved? How long after we complete the Employer Registration should we expect an approval?
We have had a very large response in applications and our team is making their way through. You should see a response or an email asking for additional information soon. For questions regarding your application, you can email us at hirenow@commcorp.org.
Do I submit an employee application after the 1st paystub and ID are entered? Or do I wait until I have the 60-day paystub?
You can submit your employee application as soon as they are hired! You will be asked to provide the 1st paystub and an ID. The 60-day paystub will be a secondary submission and is not required to submit the initial application.
Is the program going to reopen for new companies?
Please note that the HireNow program has received very high demand from employers and no new employer pre-registrations are being accepted at this time. If additional funding is made available for the program, pre-registrations for new employers will reopen at a date to be determined.
How many employees can we create applications for? Is there a limit?
Each organization is eligible for up to 100 employees. If there is a mistake or some of those employees will no longer be eligible, you are able to submit more than 100 employee applications, but only 100 may be approved.
If a new hire has a Massachusetts address and is a resident, but they still have an out of state ID, is that okay to use as the required Govt ID? What if they just moved to Massachusetts and are in the process of changing their information over to their new address and license?
For guidance on alternative documents for registration, in this case an out of state ID, please contact the HireNow Customer Support Team at hirenow@commcorp.org or call 617 789-8573.
Changing information in submitted applications / Deleting applications
If an employee is terminated prior to 60 days, do we delete the application? If so, how do we do that?
You don't need to delete the application; however, you can email the team at hirenow@commcorp.org or by phone at (617) 789-8573 who can help 'deny' the application at your request.
If we estimated number of hires during registration, can we hire above that amount?
Yes, all eligible employees can be submitted, even if it exceeds your originally anticipated hiring needs.
Paystubs
Is there a way we can upload other documentation other than a paystub to verify that an employee started and has been employer for 60 days? We are paid bi-weekly and depending on when they start, we may not have a paystub for 3 weeks. Would a timecard be acceptable?
Paystubs are required for your application to be APPROVED but are not required when employee applications are first submitted. You can reserve your spot in line by completing the employee application and uploading the government ID; you may then return to the application to upload the first paystub.
As a home care agency, an employee could be hired 5/31 and two weeks later her schedule is at 30 hours (some schedules need to be built). What paystub do we submit?
We are looking for the first paystub to confirm the hire date, so the first paystub is requested even if it will not show the accurate number of hours at the start.
If there is a gap between the hiring date and the date of first day worked, does the 60 days and calculation of 30 hours per week on average start as of the hiring or date of first day worked?
We use the dates and information on the first paystub you provide, so typically this is the first day worked.
EFT
How soon after we provide the 60-day paystub can we expect to receive the EFT?
You will soon be able to input your banking information and receive funds. Additional information will be shared shortly about providing banking information through the portal. Please watch your inbox for emails from the portal for more information.
I input my staff and there is a dollar amount next to the employees’ names; what do we do with this dollar amount?
You will soon be able to receive funds. Additional information will be shared soon about providing banking information through the portal. Please watch your inbox for emails from the portal for more information
Use of Funds
The program outlines acceptable usage for the funds, some of that is for bonuses or wage increases, do those need to be specifically for new hires?
Yes, the benefit of this program is solely new hires.
What happens if you do not need the entire $4000 per employee.
Funds are awarded as a flat rate $4000 per eligible and approved employee.
Taxes
What are tax ramifications of the grant? State taxable income? Federal taxable income?
The receipt of a government grant by a business generally is not excluded from the business’s gross income under Internal Revenue Code and therefore is taxable. However, grant recipients should consult with their tax advisors to determine tax liability for their organization.
If the grant is used as a retention bonus and paid to employees through payroll are these funds taxable to the employee? Is it also taxable to the employer?
Consult your tax professionals for tax implications.