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W-2 employment · state-specific

Hire an employee without missing state labor law. At-will, IP-assigned, defensible.

Employment agreements are different from contractor agreements: W-2 employees get tax withholding, benefits eligibility, and state labor-law protections. The right agreement covers at-will status, IP assignment, confidentiality, severance, and a long list of state-specific clauses (PTO carryover in CA, paid family leave in WA, prevailing wage in MA). We generate agreements that fit your state and the role.

All 50 states + DC 60-day money-back SOC 2 Type II
How it works

How we handle Employment Agreement, end-to-end.

Employment agreements are different from contractor agreements: W-2 employees get tax withholding, benefits eligibility, and state labor-law protections.

1

Pick the state

Each state has its own employment-law requirements: wage notices (CA, NY), paid family leave (WA, NY, MA), non-compete bans (CA, ND, OK), at-will exceptions. We start with the right template for the work-performed state.

2

Configure the role

Exempt or non-exempt under FLSA, salary or hourly, full-time or part-time, expected work location, benefits eligibility, severance terms, equity grants if applicable.

3

Bundle I-9 + W-4

Optional bundle adds I-9 employment eligibility verification and W-4 tax withholding to the e-sign workflow. New hire completes everything in one session.

4

Store and integrate

Signed agreement, I-9, W-4 go to your document vault. If you use Gusto, ADP, QuickBooks Payroll, or Rippling, we push the data to your payroll system.

What we'll set up for you

A clean handoff, in four steps.

You give us the basics. We handle the state, the IRS, and the compliance clock so you can focus on the business.

01 · Name + Brand

A name that's actually available.

Real-time check against the state register, USPTO trademark database, and matching domains.

02 · State filing

Filed with the Secretary of State.

We submit your Articles, pay the state fee on your behalf, and return the stamped certificate.

03 · Federal IDs

EIN + the right tax setup.

Federal Employer ID with the IRS, plus state tax accounts when your business needs them.

04 · Stay compliant

Registered Agent + deadline tracking.

Your agent on file in every state, with every renewal and annual report tracked in one calendar.

Pricing

Transparent employment agreement pricing.

Government fees pass through at cost. No upsells.

Generate

$0
Unlimited agreements.

Generate state-specific employment agreements in any volume. Free forever.

Get started

Volume

$29
$29 per hire at 25+ per year.

For growing companies hiring at volume. Drops to $29 per hire above 25 per year. Includes branded onboarding portal and direct payroll integration.

Get started
FAQ

About the Employment Agreement Generator.

Do I need an employment agreement for at-will employees?
Not legally required in most states (an offer letter is enough), but recommended for IP assignment, confidentiality, and non-solicit. Most companies use an employment agreement for engineers, salespeople, executives, and anyone with access to confidential information.
What is exempt vs. non-exempt?
Under FLSA: exempt employees (typically salaried at $35,568+ per year, in specific job categories) are not entitled to overtime. Non-exempt employees (hourly or below the threshold) are entitled to time-and-a-half for hours over 40 per week. Misclassification (calling someone exempt when they should be non-exempt) is a major source of wage-and-hour litigation.
What is at-will employment?
Either party can terminate at any time, for any legal reason, with or without notice. The default in 49 states (Montana is the exception). Cannot be used to terminate for protected reasons (discrimination, retaliation for protected activity). The at-will clause must be conspicuous.
Who owns inventions the employee creates?
Default: inventions made during employment using company time, resources, or related to company business belong to the company. CA Labor Code 2870 carves out inventions made entirely on personal time without using any company resources and unrelated to company business. Other states are similar.
Are non-competes enforceable?
Restricted in many states. CA, ND, OK ban entirely. Many states limit duration (1-2 years) and geography. The 2024 FTC ban was blocked. We default to non-solicit (enforceable almost everywhere) and only include non-compete where state law allows.
What is severance?
Payment to a terminated employee beyond the final paycheck. Not legally required (with limited exceptions). Common for executives and reductions in force. Typical formula: 2 weeks per year of service, capped at 26 weeks. Often paired with a release of claims (employee releases the company from future lawsuits in exchange for severance).
Why File.Business

Premium compliance, no service-fee markup.

Trust you can verify

SOC 2 Type II audited platform. 220,000+ businesses served. 60-day money-back on service fees. State fees passed through at cost with no hidden markup. Explicit AUP on restricted industries.

A compliance partner, not a transaction

Most providers go quiet after checkout. We auto-track every annual report, registered agent renewal, and license deadline across your entities. The Business OS dashboard keeps your compliance score visible year-round.

Premium experience competitors cannot match

Premium positioning, transparent pricing, no service-fee markup on state or federal filings. Premium positioning, transparent pricing, no service-fee markup on state filings.

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No state-fee markup. Pay only the state fee. 60-day money-back guarantee.

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