Top 10 Mistakes When Handling I-9 Documents

Important documentation that allows a business to grow safer practices and prevent unwanted situations from happening is essential for development. A business requires different checks, guidelines, and practices to ensure the safety and well-being of employees, staff, and customers.

Developing best practices in a workplace to keep everything organized is the best way to grow a business. The right preparation, knowledge, and experience will keep essential data safe and secure.

Knowing the top 10 mistakes when handling I-9 documents will give you important information on what your business should focus on to avoid these problems. Ensuring that your company meets the necessary rules and regulations will save you and your team from dealing with issues that could affect performance.

Bad Organization

Organization is key for every business to succeed and maintain effective and reliable practices. Bad organization is one of the main problems with handling important documents; misplacing and moving without keeping track could create chaos and problems.

Creating a routine process when handling certain documentation will prevent losses and bad organization from affecting your business. For every new application, the best solution is to have organization bins with people in charge of specific tasks and deadlines.

Not Verifying Documentation

When applicants fill out important forms like I-9s, it’s vital to have a professional company review and approve the details provided. Otherwise, your business runs the risk of hiring people who may not have proper permits or documentation, which could damage your reputation.

Hiring a company that provides I-9 verification services will tell you if the information is accurate to know if you can hire that person. Complying with legal and safety guidelines protects your business and everyone involved while enhancing your development.

Untrained Staff

For every process in your business, it’s essential to prepare your staff to manage and handle important documentation that could benefit or damage your business. Whether you put a group of employees or only one in charge of records and special processes, it’s essential to teach them how to do it to deliver the best results possible.

You can determine how to hire the right people for the job by evaluating how well they can manage certain situations in the hiring process. Your employees had to go through the same process, which means they have a basic understanding of what it’s like; expand on this and give them clear instructions and guidance on how to do it.

Not Double-Checking Forms

To ensure that a candidate fills out the form correctly with the necessary information, you have to double-check the form and see that they filled out all the required sections. It’s common for candidates to leave some spaces blank in the hopes that the information is unnecessary, but this will only slow down the process.

Double-checking every form that provides important eligibility information to work is essential to quickly move the process along. Every section has information boxes containing information about the candidate; it takes only a quick glimpse to ensure that the form is correct and ready.

Not Dating Corrections

Businesses constantly change, whether it’s staff, processes, customers, or more. And similarly, employees could have changes in their statuses and developments. An e-verifying system for different types of documentation, like I-9 forms, will allow you to make updates to an employee’s status.

These can keep a business updated on its best practices, as the system helps keep track of dates and changes with minimal errors. Some companies use paper documentation and forget to date changes or updates, making information unreliable and accurate. Ensure you don’t make this simple mistake.

Lack of Proper Documentation

With an I-9 form, candidates will often need specific documents to back up the information on the form. Sometimes they will use fraudulent documents or false information to get through the first steps of the process. It’s essential to verify these first to keep these problems from affecting your business and regulations compliance.

This is a common mistake when handling I-9 documents because you should never assume that someone is providing truthful information. Some people might use an SSN that isn’t theirs or provide a fake but accurate copy of a non-existing one; stay aware and always check the documentation.

Internal Audits

Before having an external audit company come and check that everything is working the right way, it’s crucial to perform internal audits that go over every aspect of the business. Not performing internal audits could jeopardize some of your licenses to work and damage your reputation and the employees involved. You must perform this type of audit at least once a year to ensure everything is correct.

Certification Not Completed

To ensure that the candidate provides the proper documentation and information, the employer must do a verification within three days of receiving the documents. This step involving I-9s is essential to keep track of the process with accurate results and guidelines. An employer must complete the certification within three business days of the person turning in a full application.

Fixed Errors

Fixing errors in official documentation might seem like manipulating relevant information to make something more believable. However, it’s important to spot a mistake or data that a candidate changed because they will need to rewrite and go through the document again. Official documents that affect or involve different parties will have repercussions during audits, checks, and compliance from authorities.

The best way to avoid these situations is to fill out the forms correctly the first time, fill out every box with the right information, verify documentation, and also e verify each process.

Expired Authorization

For security reasons, checking that the proper documentation is still current is essential to any job. Some permits are only temporary, and there are various reasons for that; candidates who won’t have permits to work after a certain time can’t apply for a job correctly.

During the process of e-verification, the system will notice if the required dates for the job are insufficient. Doing every process properly and following guidelines is the best way to grow your business, keep it safe, and expand its lifespan.