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Disgruntled employee complaints and Homeland Security concerns are the top reasons companies receive Immigration Reform and Control Act audits. These I-9 audits have grown from just three in 2005 to 3,004 in 2012, according to HR magazine.
Companies should take note as fines for substantive and procedural I-9 violations can add up quickly:
• $375 to $3,200 for each unauthorized employee for a first offense.
• $110 to $1,100 for each paperwork violation.
The rare audit picked at random is now a thing of the past. Companies most often targeted today are those connected with the nation’s critical infrastructure:
• Power, water and/or energy
• Food services
• Air / commercial travel
• Any company deemed important to Homeland Security
Employees unhappy with a company’s adherence to the Immigration Reform and Control Act can lodge a complaint and the complaints often trigger an audit. Additionally, with inter-agency communication and cooperation more common now than ever, a concern or issue in one area, such as the Wage & Hour division of the Department of Labor or State unemployment, often leads to audits from other agencies.
So, while the likelihood of an audit may still be low, the stakes are incredibly high. The time to prepare is now!
EctoHR, Inc. is here for your company
Is your company prepared for a possible I-9 audit? EctoHR, Inc. is here to help! Contact a team member at EctoHR by calling 810.534.0170, or by email to hr@ectohr.com.