If you haven’t started using the new Form I-9, better get on the stick. Deadline: Dec. 26, 2007. The Feds have made the first major changes to the form in 20 years. The biggest mistake that most employers make with I-9s – they ask new hires for too much documentation.
Outside its original purpose to control illegal immigration, Form I-9 is now clearly also being used as a security tool to identify which workers are on what work sites and to weed out people with potential ties to terrorist organizations. That creates a host of new liability issues for employers.
However, it’s also illegal to demand a host of documentation from prospective employees who speak with an accent or have foreign-sounding names if Mr. Jones and Miss Smith aren’t subjected to exactly the same process. That would be illegal employment discrimination.
As a result, employers today find themselves in a balancing act. Not only do they have to set their own standards for hiring and determine what could be “constructive knowledge” of the presence of illegal aliens among its workforce, but also how to avoid discrimination situations based on national origin.
ADDITIONAL HELP
You absolutely have to start using the new form, but making sure you’re in compliance can be the hardest part. To help, check out the Executive Report: Complete Guide to the New Form I-9: Everything You Need to Know to Ensure Compliance.
Filed under: Finance, accounting, human resources | Tagged: compliance, Form I-9, I-9, immigration
