What is a regular employee?
A regular employee is someone hired by a business on a permanent, ongoing basis—typically working a consistent schedule and receiving benefits such as health insurance, paid time off, and job protections under labor laws. Regular employees may be full-time or part-time, but unlike temporary or contract workers, they are considered a stable part of the workforce.
For small business owners, classifying someone as a regular employee affects how you handle payroll, taxes, benefits, and compliance. If you're using a platform like Homebase, it's easy to manage hiring, onboarding, and scheduling for regular employees all in one place.
Characteristics of a regular employee
A regular employee is generally:
- Hired directly by the employer (not through an agency or contract)
- Scheduled to work consistently each week (full-time or part-time)
- Eligible for employee benefits like PTO, insurance, or retirement plans
- Covered by labor protections such as minimum wage, overtime, and anti-discrimination laws
- Paid through payroll with regular tax withholding and reporting
Regular employees have a defined role within the business and are expected to stay employed indefinitely unless terminated.
Regular employee vs. other worker types
Understanding the difference between a regular employee and other types of workers is important for compliance and proper classification:
Incorrectly classifying a regular employee as a contractor or temporary worker can lead to back taxes, penalties, and lawsuits.
Legal obligations for regular employees
When you hire someone as a regular employee, you’re required to meet several legal responsibilities:
- Withhold and remit taxes (federal, state, Social Security, Medicare)
- Follow wage and hour laws including minimum wage, overtime, and meal/rest breaks
- Comply with anti-discrimination laws under the EEOC
- Provide required documentation (like pay stubs, W-2s, and labor law postings)
- Maintain employee records for hours worked, wages paid, and benefits offered
If your business offers benefits like health insurance or retirement plans, regular employees are typically the first group eligible to participate.
How to onboard regular employees effectively
Bringing a regular employee onto your team means setting them up for long-term success. Best practices include:
- Issuing a clear offer letter outlining job duties, compensation, and employment status
- Completing required forms like the I-9 and W-4
- Providing employee handbooks or policy documents
- Enrolling them in payroll and tax withholding
- Assigning onboarding tasks such as training or shadowing
- Setting up time tracking and scheduling access
Digitally managing these steps through software can save hours and reduce compliance risk.
Advantages of hiring regular employees
Hiring regular employees can help your business grow more consistently and reliably. Benefits include:
- Stronger team culture and loyalty
- Improved accountability and performance
- Lower turnover compared to temporary or gig workers
- Better continuity in customer service and operations
- Eligibility for group benefits and retirement savings
Many employers find that investing in regular employees pays off in reduced training costs and increased team cohesion over time.
How Homebase simplifies hiring and managing regular employees
Homebase makes it easy to recruit, hire, and onboard regular employees without spreadsheets or back-and-forth emails. With Homebase, you can:
- Post jobs and manage applicants from one dashboard
- Send offer letters and onboard employees digitally
- Collect and store tax and employment forms
- Track hours, schedules, and overtime
- Keep records for payroll, compliance, and audits
- Communicate with your team in real-time
Explore Homebase Hiring & Onboarding to streamline your hiring process, reduce paperwork, and set your regular employees up for long-term success.