E-Verify and I-9: Reducing Human Error
According to the Wall Street Journal, the national unemployment rate is at 9%. With that being said, no one really wants to make a mistake at their job, especially one that can jeopardize your employment. For those of you who have been recently hired, you may recall filling out an I-9 form. This special form verifies a future hire’s eligibility to work in the United States. The problem with it is that the documents, which include; social security cards, passports and birth certificates, can be doctored and manipulated for people that are not authorized to work in the US. A 15 year old program has been combating identity theft and false employment documentation.
E-Verify your employment
E-Verify is a special software that is offered to companies to help prevent human error on important employment information. It’s an electronic system that allows users to input information in a form format. According to the I-9 Employment Eligibility Web site, a fee between $110 to $1,000 is enacted in each violation, which also adds incentive for employers to carefully review employment information, which the Mexican restaurant chain, Chipotle, is learning the hard way.
Chipotle Busted Over Illegal Hires
In late April, a US probe was released on the Denver-based food chain. 40 employees from just two Chipotle locations were fired. The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency indicated that I-9 forms had been compromised and falsified. They were unsure if Chipotle had knowingly employed illegal immigrants. Chipotle has already begun the firing of hundreds of illegal employees around the country and has asked ICE to properly train Chipotle’s employees on I-9 review tactics for the future.
So, what’s the problem?
According to the American Civil Liberties Union blog, people are having issues with trusting the software. It seems as though the government’s regulation and maintenance of the E-verify software is not so frequent, causing people who have undergone name changes or account issues to have to wait for a representative to repair their employment status. The Social Security Administration revealed that nearly 17.8 million of their files contain incorrect data.
Connecting full circle, what exactly is the best route for companies to take? It almost seems that the more employers who utilize the E-verify software, the more implementation and maintenance the government will devote to it. In any case, to prevent an error that is either human or technological is too vital to overlook.
Learn how G&A Partners can help you protect your business and employees through our HR Labor Laws and HR Compliance services. Also, feel free to fill out our contact form or call us at 800-253-8562.