Keep Your Office I 9 Compliant
n the time that I have error that I have encountered in
worked as an HR Consultant, my many years of HR Consulting.
I have stumbled upon a Simply put, companies are not
large amount of employers who do checking the appropriate forms of
not know how to properly fill out identification that verify both
their I-9 (Employment Eligibility the employee’s identity and their
Verification) documents. This right to work in the United
poses a rather large problem in States. Without verification of
the event that an Immigration and these two characteristics,
Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent individuals are legally
would come through the doors for ineligible to work within the
a file audit, because each U.S.
incorrectly filled out I-9 will
cost an organization between The I-9 document provides two
$100-1000 in fines and penalties. options when it comes to
Therefore, a company with only 50 documenting an employee’s
employees could be looking at identity and right to work. The
fine amounts in excess of first option is to document a
$50,000. piece of identification that
verifies both characteristics.
Avoiding fines of this nature can Examples of documents that
actually be very easy. However, fulfill this requirement are U.S.
it does necessitate that you Passports, Certificates of U.S.
follow a few simple rules about Citizenship, and Permanent
I-9 compliance. Resident Cards.
Document Appropriate Forms of The second option is to verify
Identification each requirement through separate
forms of identification. To
This is easily the most common implement this option, you must
first document a form of ID that
establishes the employee’s Another problem that I often find
identity. These documents would with my client’s I-9s is that
include a Driver’s license, State they have failed to fill in one
ID card, or a Voter’s or two of the major components of
registration card. Next, you must the document. The most common of
record a form of identification these errors occur in two
that verifies employment distinct places.
eligibility. These documents
include U.S. social security The first common mistake is that
cards, Birth certificates, and employers forget to fill in the
Native American tribal documents. employee’s start date with the
company. This field where this
After having checked the proper date is to be inserted is in the
forms of identification, be sure middle of the paragraph labeled
to transcribe the information “CERTIFICATION”.
into the appropriate fields.
While this sounds a little The second most common mistake I
elementary, most professionals find is that employees forget to
would be shocked by the amount of check the box which declares
employers who have taken the time their citizenship status. Thus,
to verify the correct employers need to make sure that
documentation only to fill out they are not only doing their
the form incorrectly. Though this part to complete the document,
might be little more than a but that the employee has also
mental error, I assure you that filled in their portions of the
the fines are no less stiff. document correctly as well.
Fill in Form Completely and Keep I-9s Together
Correctly
Keeping your I-9s compiled in one that identity theft has become
location can prove to be very such a pressing issue in our
convenient if you happened to be society, destroying all copied
visited by the government. One forms of identification is an
suggestion that I make to all of easy way to limit your liability
my PEO clients is to compile your in regards to employee identity
employees’ I-9s in a three-ring theft. Since you do not need to
binder. This way, if an auditor have your employees’
would happen to stop in for a identification documents on file
visit, you will have all of the to be federally compliant, there
documents ready and on-hand for a is no reason to keep them around.
quick and painless audit.
If you follow these rather easy
Destroy All Copied Forms of steps and suggestions, you will
Identification keep your organization out of
court and in the green – a
This last suggestion is more of a winning combination by even
“best practice” than a federal highest of standards.
compliance issue. Due to the fact
About the Author:
By Aarik Ames, http://www.nationalpeo.com/ - National PEO, Arizona Human Resources Consultants: http://www.nationalpeo.com/ provides HR services to hundreds of companies including PEO services. Please link to this site when using this article.
Read more articles by: Aarik Ames
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