E-Verify Required for Federal Contracts

Starting Sept. 8, only those firms that E-Verify, which electronically checks whether employees are  authorized to work in the U.S will be eligible for federal contracts.

The administration announced Wednesday that federal contractors and subcontractors would soon be required to verify that their employees are eligible to work in the U.S using the E-Verify system.

Beginning Sept. 8, the government will award contracts only to companies that enroll in E-Verify, an online program that uses federal databases to check whether employees are in the country legally and authorized to work. Businesses receiving money under the federal stimulus program also will be subjected to the rule.

I-9 Compliance. Are you at Risk?

Are you prepared?  Employers wishing to protect their businesses from huge civil fines and possible criminal prosecution in the event of an ICE audit should be certain that they are completing each Form I-9 correctly and completely. It is also important to know the rules about how long to retain those documents. Anyone involved in the hiring process should be trained on the correct way to complete I-9 forms, maintain I-9 compliance, and federal the recordkeeping requirements.   Many states have also adopted additional requirements for complying with I-9 regulations.

Employers should adhere to Form I-9 “best practices” including:

• Properly complete I-9 forms at the time a new employee is hired.
• Accept only approved documents as proof of identification and work eligibility.
• Properly store Forms I-9.
• Review Form I-9 regurlarly to identify employees who need updates in status.
• Retain the I-9 forms of terminated employees for the appropriate lenght of time as required by the law.

A designated E-Verify agent, I-9Okay  helps employers attain Form I-9 compliance, reduce risks and liabilityof fines and penalties, and eliminate costly errors For more information,  visit www.I-9okay.com, email info@I-9okay.com, or call 1-719-287-9197.