HR Form I9!

As a business owner; form I-9 and the dread that comes with completing this document is real! From an HR perspective, form I-9 has always been a pain to complete. When a company uses the paper version of the form, it is important to know that for each error on the form, that it comes with a potential violation amount. In other words, each place that you have a field to complete is a potential fine if it is incorrect.

What is the I-9?

Let's spend some time discussing the form. Remember, all employees hired on or after Nov. 6, 1986, must have an I-9 filled out. From the USCIS website "Form I-9 is used for verifying the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States. All U.S. employers must ensure proper completion of Form I-9 for each individual they hire for employment in the United States. This includes citizens and noncitizens. Both employees and employers (or authorized representatives of the employer) must complete the form." To validate if information on the I-9 is valid, you would conduct an audit of the form. Further, it is important to know that while you may also use E-verify that E-verify does not take the place of the form I-9. Confused yet? From SHRM "The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can examine your organization's records at will." Setting up best-practices is key to ensuring that your organization is doing what it can to correct and get ahead of any potential problems. Also, keep in mind that the form is updated from time-to-time. Because the form is updated, organizations are required to use the most up-to-date form available. For instance, the form I-9 was updated on September 18, 2017. When you hire a new employee, post the 18th, you are required to use the newest form available.

Ack! I need to act now, but what do I do?

You’re asking yourself, what needs to be done to ensure compliance with the form I-9! Lucky for you, there is a solution, and it is relatively painless. Setting up a no-cost HR Audit with Better Call HR will give you peace of mind that you are taking proactive steps in working through any compliance related problems that you may have. There are several items that we search for during the audit that will give us the opportunity to build a customized “best practices” solution for your organization.

We recommend that you bring in an outside HR Consulting firm, such as Better Call HR to ensure that you have a professional, and neutral set of eyes to conduct an audit. To date with all of the organizations that we have worked with; not a single one had a successful I-9 audit. I share this because our client companies are amazing at what they produce and create but they need help with understanding the human element of the business.

About Damon Hayes-Milligan and Better Call HR:

Mr. Hayes-Milligan has worked in the field of Human Resources since graduating with his Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resources Management from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2004. He has worked in several different areas of Human Resources but always returns to his passion of helping leaders create real and lasting development plans. He also holds a Bachelor's of Business Administration in Management Information Systems, also from the University of Central Oklahoma as well as a Master's of Science in Organizational Leadership from Quinnipiac University. Currently, he is working on his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Change.

Damon has been a speaker for the Oklahoma State HR Council as well as a presenter for various SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) chapters around the state. His topics have ranged from Generational Diversity to Discrimination in the Workplace. Most recently, he served as the Co-Chair of the 2017 Oklahoma State HR Conference in Norman.

Better Call HR is a boutique organization with a passion and eye for small business. Our years of professional experience in the field of Human Resources Management will help ensure our strategy is aligned with yours. Our approach consists of creating a customized human capital strategy and aligning it with your strategic plan. We do this by growing your organization from an organic standpoint that combines proven business results, HR acumen, and strategy with your desire to rule the world. Our approach may not be for everyone, but it is for those with a desire to understand the human element in your personal success stories.