Are you sure that you are completing the I-9 form correctly? There are a few common mistakes made on this required form that could end up being very costly.  Fines on this form start at $110 per error and can climb to tens of thousands of dollars per mistake.

There are several common mistakes that employers make during the completion of the I9 form. One of the most common mistake is not knowing that this form must be completed in the first 3 days of employment. Other common I-9 documentation mistakes include, but are not limited to, incorrect dates, missing signatures, transposed information and incomplete check boxes. It is also possible for an employer to fail to complete an I-9 form altogether or misplace a completed form during filing.

Now that this form is 2 pages long it can be a bit confusing as to whom completes what on each page. The employer will not do anything with the first page of the I9, that page is completed by the employee unless you will need to translate the form for the employee. The only time that the employer would sign the first page is in the case of the employer providing translation services to the employee. After the employee has completed page 1 it is up to the employer to complete the rest. 

The second page of the I -9 form is another common area for mistakes. There are 3 lists in which the employee can provide proper documentation to prove authorization for this form.  If an employee can provide a document from the first list “List A” then that is all they have to provide, however if they don’t have anything from that list they must provide something from “List B” AND List C”. The document most common for List A is the Passport. The most common documentation from List B is a Driver License or State Identification card and the most common List C document is a Social Security Card or Certificate of Birth. Once you have seen these actual Identifications you will then complete the appropriate columns of which they were provided from. Once that is completed the person that witness the original ID’s will be the person that will sign and or certify that they were indeed legitimate and not expired and then sign the portion under the certification.

StaffScapes provides HR, risk management, payroll and employee benefit services to our clients, allowing them to focus on their core business. Let us help alleviate any of your employee documentation issues.