New Hampshire is known as the “Granite State” due to its extensive granite formations and quarries.
Payroll and Benefits Guide - United States - New Hampshire
Fun Facts
The state motto of New Hampshire is “Live Free or Die.”
New Hampshire is famous for its beautiful fall foliage, attracting visitors from around the world.
New Hampshire has no state sales tax or state income tax.
The state is home to the famous motorcycle rally, Laconia Motorcycle Week.
The state’s official sport is skiing.
Contributions
Employee Payroll Tax
| Contribution Type | Rate |
| FICA Social Security | 6.20% |
| FICA Medicare | 1.45% |
| Additional tax | 0.90% |
Employer Payroll Tax
| Contribution Type | Rate |
| Unemployment Insurance | 0.05%- 8.5% |
| Unemployment- New Employer | 2.70% |
| FICA Social Security | 6.20% |
| FICA Medicare | 1.45% |
| FUTA | 0.60% -6.00% |
Payroll
Payroll Cycle
The payroll cycles are monthly or semi-monthly.
13th Salary
There are no provisions in the law regarding 13th salaries.
Work Hours and Week
The workweek is a maximum of 40 hours per week or 8 hours per day.
Overtime
The Wage Regulation Order (WRO), which specifies various overtime standards per industry, governs overtime. The worker must give their written approval, which is revocable at any moment. Overtime is computed at 150% of the usual pay rate for work exceeding 40 hours per week and averaged over four weeks if the WRO does not cover the employee.
Instead of a limit of 100 hours of overtime, the income tax rate that applies to qualifying overtime is 15% up to a maximum amount of emoluments of 10,000 EUR. Any overtime compensation in excess of this is taxed at the regular relevant rates of income tax.
Leave
Paid Time Off
New Hampshire does not have any state statute governing the amount and payment of vacation time; however, it is common for employers to decide whether to offer paid or unpaid vacation leave. This must comply with employment law and must be stipulated in the collective bargaining agreements.
Public Holidays
There are 11 official holidays.
Sick Days
Eligible employees have the right to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for specific family and medical reasons.
Maternity Leave
12 working weeks of leave in any one year for a child’s birth and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth.
In addition to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (See Sick Leave above) and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, New Hampshire has additional laws regarding Maternity and Paternity Leave (Pregnancy Disability Leave).
Paternity Leave
Paternity leave falls under the FMLA (see Sick Leave).
Parental Leave
Paternity leave falls under the FMLA (see Sick Leave).
Termination
Termination Process
In the United States, unless there are mass dismissals or specific provisions in an employment contract or collective bargaining agreement, there is no mandated formal notice period for terminating an individual employment relationship.
Notice Period
Most employees are employed “at-will,” and either party can terminate the employment relationship without notice.
Severance Pay
Employers are not legally obligated to provide severance payments to terminated employees. The decision to offer severance pay is at the discretion of the employer and may depend on factors such as the employee’s length of service or specific contractual agreements
Probation Period
Probation Period
There are no provisions in the law regarding probation or trial periods. It is common practice for employers to set a performance evaluation after an initially stated period of employment of 90 days.
Immigration
Foreign nationals without permanent resident status or a work visa are not permitted to work in the United States. An employer seeking to hire a foreign national may file a petition with the United States Department of Homeland Security/ United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) for an employment visa on behalf of the prospective employee.
If the petition is approved, the prospective employee must obtain a “visa stamp” from a United States embassy or consulate (Canadian citizens are exempt from this requirement).
To get a temporary U.S. work visa, an employer must file a petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
For Work Permits
H-1B – for applicants with a college degree hired to do specialized work.
H-1B1 – for applicants with a college degree from Chile and Singapore.
H-2A – for temporary or seasonal agriculture work.
H-2B – for temporary non-agricultural work.
L – for intercompany transfers (people transferred from a foreign company to a US branch of the company.)
0 – for people with extraordinary ability in science, arts, education, business, or athletics.
VAT
New Hampshire has a 0.00% Sales Tax Rate.