As a part of a new Florida law, all Florida employers will now be required to verify identity and employment eligibility for all new hires via E-Verify — the online eligibility verification tool operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The new law applies to private employers with more than 25 employees. Prior to this law, E-Verify was only mandatory for public employers while private employers received state incentive dollars to verify new employees.
Florida is not the first to enact this law, nor will it be the last. Regardless of what state you operate in, it’s important to understand what E-Verify laws entail and how you can incorporate E-Verify into your onboarding process seamlessly.
E-Verify compliance details
The Florida law applies to new employees hired on or after July 1, 2023. If the employee information submitted does not match E-Verify social security records, the system will flag a mismatch. As an employer, you must give the notice to the employee, who then has 10 days to notify you whether they will resolve the mismatch. If the employee cannot resolve the mismatch, they are no longer eligible to continue employment.
Penalties for noncompliance will go into effect on July 1, 2024. If you are found to have violated the law, you’ll be notified by the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) prior to receiving any penalties. You’ll have 30 days to resolve noncompliance after receiving notice.
If you fail to use the E-Verify system as required three times in any 24-month period, you will receive a fine of $1,000 per day until you provide sufficient proof that the noncompliance is cured. Your first violation will result in a one-year probationary period with reporting requirements prior to any licenses being revoked.
Note: The law also requires you to retain a copy of all documentation related to E-Verify filings.
E-Verify made easier with Hireology
Simply put, if you’re a Florida employer this will affect you. But with the right tools, it doesn’t have to impact your time-to-hire. Hireology’s digital onboarding functionality allows you to gather I-9 documents digitally and submit E-Verify filings with the click of a button.
Here’s a closer look at how it works:
- Employees complete an I-9 form digitally, which is then reviewed and approved by your team
- The employee is then automatically moved to the E-Verify step in the platform
- Your team simply hits a button to submit the case to E-Verify — no need to log into any other platform or re-enter social security numbers
- The information on file is securely submitted to the US Citizenship and Immigration services for review
- Results are transmitted back to your account along with a case number and any further instructions
Completing the E-Verify step directly from the platform you’re already using to recruit and onboard new employees allows you to remain compliant with laws like these while also continuing to hire great candidates fast. Regardless of the industry your business operates in, the faster you can get new hires in-seat, the faster you can start driving bottom line impact.
Learn more about how Hireology’s all-in-one hiring and HR software can help you hire faster and remain compliant by taking a virtual platform tour today.
