E-Verify

What is E-Verify and why should an employer use it?

Recently I received a call from a client with what she told me would be an abbreviated version of a long story... related to why she had social security number changes for two of their employees.  This was a tale I wanted to share since it is something that is pretty common in today's workplace and should be a great concern to employers. 

 

The two employees in question (who happened to be brother and sister) requested a meeting with the office manager of the company.  At the meeting they explained to her that their parent's had brought them to the country when they were just babies and they had recently discovered that they were not legal citizens and that the social security numbers they had been using were not theirs.  Just as I have heard in other cases the office manager could not tell the difference between their false social security cards and a true social security card.  And as we all know U.S. law requires companies to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States – either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization.  Since the office manager had taken the steps she was required to collecting identification and filling out I-9's she was not quite sure how she would have correctly verified their eligibility to work in the US. 

 

Right here I will say that for many companies that would have been the end of the discussion.  In this case the management of the company stepped up to sponsor these two employees who had exemplary work records.  The company contacted their own attorneys to help them navigate the process and in the end it was a happy ending with new social security numbers issued to them in their own names.

 

How could the office manager avoid this in the future since she processed all of the new hires internally herself?  I asked her if she knew about E-Verify which she didn't.  Although the program was announced publicly in 2007 it has only been since 2012 when they expanded the program nationwide that it began gaining more press and popularity so many people have yet to learn about it.  Let me share some information about this program with you.   

 

Some employers may say that they use the Social Security Number Verification Service... this is good because at least they were attempting to correctly verify the eligibility of their employee.  But...

 

How is E-Verify different from the Social Security Number Verification Service?

E-Verify confirms the employment eligibility of newly hired employees. The Social Security Administration’s program verifies that a name matches a Social Security number (SSN). A person in the United States may have a valid SSN but not be authorized to work in the United States.  Further checking for employment eligibility can sometimes reveal that there are issues with the name and social security number. 

 

What you should know about E-Verify

E-Verify is an Internet-based system that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. E-Verify is fast, free and easy to use – and it’s the best way employers can ensure a legal workforce.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been hard at work on E-Verify and is constantly improving the system to better serve users. 

As part of our CBS payroll services we offer new hire processing as part of the service which includes processing new hires through the E-Verify system... in this case this particular company had waived those services because they had always taken care of this internally and saw no reason to outsource these services.  When you are wearing many hats in your job it is difficult to stay on top of all of the changes in workplace laws and tools available to help you do your job effectively.  It is our priority to provide our clients with solutions that make running their business easier. 

If you would like more information about our payroll services or our other services visit our website.  But if you know you will continue to process your new hires internally visit the following E-Verify links to learn more. 

To learn more click here to see WHAT'S NEW.

Do you have questions about E-Verify?  

E-Verify Q & A