Food For Thought - HR - New Hire Documentation

Food for Thought – HR

New Hire Documentation

As we all know, when hiring new personnel; there are forms to be filled out, and copies of different forms of valid identification are required.

Enter the I-9 Form, which is easy enough to understand and fill out; it tells you what forms of identification you can use.  There is even a small box warning against discrimination; even against the forms that are being presented for identification by the worker.

BUT…what if the forms being given to you aren’t real?  We are all too familiar with the forms we see on a daily basis, and if we’re paying attention, deviations from what is considered to be the “norm” can raise an eyebrow.

Photo Courtesy SMU

It’s when we have the unique or seldom seen item that makes us take a moment to really take a look at it.  Different states have different driver’s license and identification cards that have information in different places.  There are Alien Residence cards, work visas, and “Green” cards that haven’t been green in years.  As I rarely see many of these, unless it was obviously made and sold in the Magic Kingdom, I’m going to have a hard time being able to accurately discern whether or not the document is real.

Here is the dilemma that business owners and hiring managers face.  It is not only wrong to discriminate against a qualifying candidate for a job; it’s illegal, and it can cost a business not only huge amounts of what would have been profit, it also can hurt the company “socially”, as well.

So, you don’t want to turn someone away who is legitimately and legally qualified to work in the US, but you don’t want to hire an illegal worker, either.

Fortunately, there is some help in what is called “Due Diligence”, or “Good Faith”, as stated in an article from NOLO.com by Nicole Kersey, she specifically addresses what employers need to do to help protect themselves and what to do if the documents being provided look suspicious.  What to do if the I-9 Documents Look Suspicious

More on this subject to come in future posts.

D.Conley