Federal law calls for a Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) to be filled out before any new member of staff can start work. This form confirms that the employee has approval to work in the United States. Correct completion of I-9 forms is one of the best ways to avoid legal consequences for employing illegal personnel, particularly in this era of increased immigration enforcement.
Several federal agencies have gotten together to run the free website E-Verify, which lets employers ensure that their employees have work authorization. This Internet-based system compares data from a worker’s Form I-9 to information from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to verify whether or not that worker is eligible to be employed. The system is quick and user-friendly, and it’s the best way for companies to ensure an officially authorized labor force.
The use of E-Verify is voluntary for most employers, and limited only to determining whether a new hire is eligible for employment. Businesses with federal contracts or subcontracts that have the Federal Acquisition Regulation E-Verify clause and employers in certain states are mandated to use the system. More than 238,000 employers are enrolled in the program.
The current administration has made its priorities on enforcing immigration policies clear: it will move the spotlight from raiding businesses and arresting and deporting undocumented personnel to an approach “using all tools available” to locate and penalize employers who are not following official procedure. The administration has declared that as a consequence of its new focus on employer compliance, it will now use E-Verify as one of these “tools” to assist in its new worksite enforcement system.
The DHS’s Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is aggressively checking that companies are totally compliant. Non-compliance can bring about fines anywhere from $110 to $11,000 per infringement, and forfeiture of the company’s assets. Using an I-9 employment eligibility authentication service can help your business in a number of ways: it decreases time and work spent confirming whether individual staff members can work or not and maintaining their files, reduces your exposure during government audits, decreases the odds of legal penalties, and avoids negative publicity.
Are you in search of a low-cost solution to help your business handle the intricate and varying requirements of Form I-9 compliance? Look no further. Jumpstart:HR delivers a solution that standardizes the procedure across your locations and helps you navigate the E-Verify system with confidence.
It’s sound business practice to make Jumpstart:HR a fundamental part of your I-9 compliance program, especially taking into consideration current stepped-up workplace enforcement by ICE and stiffer employer penalties. Jumpstart:HR is the safest and easiest way to complete error-free I-9’s and simplify your compliance process.
Question: Are you confident that your HR Department is in 100% compliance with current I-9 and E-Verify regulations? (Engage below and/or click link to take an industry poll).
