Text File Layout
We use the format that resembles the Federal W-4 form in order to offer uniformity in reporting new hires. Use the table below as a guide to create a file for upload. Download this text file to see an example. (This file layout should not be used for sFTP reporting, Please call (888)-245-1938 for the sFTP file layout.)
| ASCII Text File Format | |||||
| Field | Location | Length | R = Required or O = Optional |
Format | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record Identifier | 1-2 | 2 | R | Space fill | Constant value always "W4" |
| Employee's SSN | 3-11 | 9 | R | Digits | No hyphens |
| Employee's First Name | 12-27 | 16 | R | Space fill | |
| Employee's Middle Name | 28-43 | 16 | O | Space fill | |
| Employee's Last Name | 44-73 | 30 | R | Space fill | |
| Employee's Address Line 1 | 74-113 | 40 | R | Space fill | |
| Employee's Address Line 2 | 114-153 | 40 | O | Space fill | |
| Employee's Address Line 3 | 154-193 | 40 | O | Space fill | |
| Employee's City | 194-218 | 25 | R | Space fill | |
| Employee's State | 219-220 | 2 | R | Two char | State's 2 character abbreviation |
| Employee's ZIP | 221-225 | 5 | R | Digits | |
| Employee's ZIP+4 | 226-229 | 4 | O | Digits, Space fill | |
| Blank | 230-270 | 41 | N/A | Space fill | Not used in Illinos |
| Employment Status | 271-271 | 1 | O | Digits, Space fill | 1 = Full-time, 2 = Part-time, 3 = Seasonal, 4 = Contractual, 6 = Self-employed |
| Employee's Date of Birth | 272-279 | 8 | O | YYYYMMDD | Accepted age: 12-120 |
| Employee's Hire Date | 280-287 | 8 | R | YYYYMMDD | Accepted: Within 6 months of current date |
| Employee's Work State | 288-289 | 2 | O | Two char | State's 2 character abbreviation |
| Employer's FEIN | 290-298 | 9 | R | Digits | No hyphen |
| Blank | 299-310 | 12 | N/A | Space fill | Not used in Illinos |
| Blank | 311-511 | 201 | N/A | Space fill | Not used by HFS' New Hire system |
| Blank | 512-553 | 42 | N/A | Space fill | Not used in Illinois |
| Blank | 554-709 |
156 | N/A | Space fill | Not used by HFS' New Hire system |
| Blank | 710-751 | 42 | N/A | Space fill | Not used in Illinois |
| Filler | 752-801 | 50 | N/A | Space fill | |