Name change forms and other status update forms ensure businesses always have correct employee information. These forms make it easy for employees to request a change, and they help keep HR departments factual, organized, and efficient.
Keeping track of employee details can be an HR nightmare if you don’t have protocols in place to update and manage employee information. An employee’s status can change for a number of reasons, and it’s important your business maintains up-to-date records for each of your employees.
Reasons for a status update could include:
- Last name change
- Home address change
- Job title revision
- Emergency contact update
- Prefered pronoun update
Make it as simple and as seamless as possible for your team to update their status. As an employer, you want to have the most current information for all of your employees to properly manage files, avoid confusion, and maintain an organized office.
What is a Name Change Form?
A name change form provides an update from an employee to their employer of a name change. Generally, a name change form is submitted for last names, but it is possible an employee could request a different type of name change. The most common reason for a name change request is either due to a recent marriage or divorce.
An employee's name change form might be a separate form specifically for name changes, or it could be a general form that allows employees to request any type of status update, including a change in address or job title.
Why You Need Employee Change Forms
Relieve HR Headaches
The lives of your employees will change and evolve, and it’s up to your company to keep track of these changes. You need to be aware of critical updates, such as a name or address change, so you can properly pay employees and maintain accurate tax documents.
Employee change forms make life easier for HR professionals, and they reduce the risk of confusion around the office. Headaches are eliminated when your office has accurate employee data and a smooth system for managing those details.
Critical Medical Information
Employers should be aware of relevant physical or mental medical conditions that could affect an employee’s wellbeing or ability to work. Ensure you have up-to-date medical information for all of your employees so that you can cater to their needs and be prepared for an emergency. Your business should know about any allergies your employees have and how serious they are. This information is crucial for meeting health and safety requirements, and it will help ensure company lunches run smoothly.
It’s also important to maintain up-to-date emergency contact information for each employee. No one wants to think about needing this kind of information, but you’ll be thankful to have it if the need arises.
Simplify the Process
Make the process as easy as possible so that your employees can focus on what they do best. Ensure all of the necessary employee update forms are readily available to everyone in your company, and that employees new and old know where to find these forms.
Some employee updates are of a very personal nature. Going through a divorce or officially updating your preferred pronoun is difficult enough as it is. Make it effortless for your employees to request a status update no matter what the reason.
Your employees—and especially your HR team—will appreciate a simple, clear process. Having up-to-date information is a win-win for everyone.
Company-Wide Employee Status Change Forms
A business may periodically decide to request a company-wide status update. This form will go to every employee and can comprise a wide range of details. An update like this can be time-consuming, but it will ensure all of your records are up-to-date and accurate.
There may be changes that have occurred over the past few years that your employees have not thought to update or you could have inaccurate information that has been overlooked for years. A company-wide status change form will gather any changes that haven’t yet been submitted, and they’ll catch any mistakes that might have slipped through your systems.
A company-wide status form might include:
- Name
- Job title
- Birthdate
- Address
- Phone number
- Relevant medical conditions
- Allergies
- Emergency contact
- Preferred pronoun
- Date employment began
Simple information such as when an employee first started working for you can help you appreciate milestones in their employment. Don’t let an employment anniversary go by unnoticed.
Recognize employee milestones and acknowledge your team with a certificate of appreciation. Download our Free Printable Certificates for a simple and effective way to congratulate your employees.
Employee Name Change Checklist
Receiving a name change request is only the first step. Once an employee submits a request, your business needs to make all of the proper updates. To simplify the process, it helps to have an ongoing list of steps and places you need to make a name change. A name change protocol document will help your HR team navigate changes, and it will ensure a seamless process even as your HR team changes or grows.
Request Proof of Social Security Card
As an employer, you need to find out if the name change is to be reflected on an employee’s payroll. This is dependent on whether or not the employee is officially changing their name with the Social Security Administration (SSA).
If an employee wants to request a name change on payroll, the employer needs proof of an updated Social Security card to ensure the information on file matches the government’s. After you receive this request, you will need to have the employee fill out another Form W-4 since the IRS requires that the name on W-4s and W-2s match exactly what’s on an employee's Social Security card.
Name Change Checklist
Use our printable name change checklist to help you keep track of all of the places you’ll need to update a name change once a request is received.
- Request proof of Social Security card
- Request updated Form W-4
- Update payroll systems
- Confirm direct deposit account will remain the same
- Update tax forms
- Update insurance (401k, health insurance, employee benefits, etc.)
- Update employee email (if requested)
- Update website team page
- Update office nameplate
- Order replacement business cards
- Update all internal documents
Scroll down to download a printable version of the checklist!
Printable Name Change Forms
Employee Name Change Form
Download our free name change form so that your employees can request changes to their name on file. Remember to request proof of an employee's Social Security card if they are requesting a name change on payroll and tax documents.
Employee Address Change Form
Download our free address change form to help your employees and your HR department manage accurate employee data.
Employee Information Change Form
Download our general employee information form to collect a number of different employee updates, including name changes, address changes, preferred pronoun updates, medical updates, and more.
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Click here to download our Employee name change templates! |
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