Spilman News Alert: N.C.
Adopts E-Verify Program
Are
you already using E-Verify for all of your new
hires? If not, you will soon be required to. The
North Carolina legislature passed "An Act to
Require Counties, Cities and Employers to Use the
Federal E-Verify Program to Verify the Work
Authorization of Newly Hired Employees" (the
"Act"), which was signed into law by Governor
Beverly Perdue on June 23, 2011.
The
Act requires all cities, counties and
private
employers with more than 25 employees to
use the E-Verify program.
The
E-Verify mandate will be phased in on the
following schedule:
- October 1, 2011:
Municipalities and Counties in NC
- October 1, 2012:
Employers that employ 500+ employees
- January 1, 2013:
Employers that employ 100+ employees
- July 1, 2013:
Employers that employ 25+ employees
The Act requires North
Carolina employers to verify the legal status of
all new employees by entering a new hire's I-9
information into the federal E-Verify program to
determine the eligibility of that employee to work
in the United States. An employer must retain
E-Verify documentation on each employee for at
least one year after the employment relationship
ends.
North Carolina
businesses that fail to comply with the Act's
requirements face civil penalties ranging from
$1,000 - $10,000. If you have not had recent I-9
training that included E-Verify obligations, then
we encourage you to begin training today for these
upcoming requirements.
