Navigating Contractor Hiring: Understanding the Legality of Application Fees in Massachusetts

Finding the right IT contractors can be a difficult process, filled with an overwhelming number of applicants vying for the position. For those businesses seeking the services of these contractors, it’s important to find the one that will fit your organization and help you flourish as a result. Understanding the law surrounding fees for that position helps you locate the best applicant and avoid unnecessary challenges.

For the purposes of the following, and in conjunction with your need to hire IT contractors through Bench Direct, we will focus specifically on the requirements of hiring IT contractors in the state of Massachusetts. are application fees legal in massachusetts, while not uncommon in many states, could prevent you from making the best choice for your business. If you are forced to pay an application fee, it may also dissuade qualified candidates from applying for the position, narrowing your options even further.

The legality of application fees, while considered a standard requirement for many businesses, is not applicable for all businesses, and is specifically disallowed for a few select categories. To that end, the following categories are prohibited from charging application fees: There are a few exceptions to the above, as you would expect, and we detail them below.

In addition to the categories we discussed above, which are prohibited from collecting application or other fees, there are many different state regulations that dictate both how much can be charged in application fees, and the potential consequences if you do not comply.

There are many potential consequences for your organization if you attempt to charge an application fee and do not follow it up with a compliant hiring process. The following are just a few of the issues you may face, should you choose to bypass the law in this area:

If your business is in need of highly-skilled IT contractors, look no further than Bench Direct. The professionals at Bench Direct are here to help businesses source qualified candidates, and ensure, through our rigorous vetting process, that you only get the highest-quality contractors available. Our process is fee-transparent, so you never have to worry when you partner with us at Bench Direct to hire IT contractors for your business.

To ensure you are compliant with local laws and regulations before you charge an application fee, the following are a few sample compliant practices for IT contractor hiring that will keep you safe from the law:

There are many potential consequences if a business chooses to charge an application fee, when that is not compliant with the various local, state and federal laws and regulations. The following are just a few examples of the problems you may run into if you do not follow the guidelines surrounding the legality of application fees:

Laws and regulations surrounding application fees differ from state to state, so you’ll want to ensure that you research the laws for your business before you knowingly ask your applicants for these fees. For more information on the legality of application fees in your state, or how you can best avoid problems in the hiring process for IT contractors, turn to the professionals at Bench Direct to support your hiring needs.

For further details on employment laws, you can visit the U.S. Department of Labor.