Feds issue final I-9 rules: What you need to know

Looking to free up some filing cabinet space in Finance? Then you’ll want to look at final rules just released by the feds on critical new hire paperwork.

Way back in 2006, the Department of Homeland Security issued rules for employers looking to store their Forms I-9 electronically. Now, four years later, final rules were just issued.

They include some key clarifications from the old version. Check out the new guidance, effective Aug. 23:

• I-9s must be completed within three business – not calendar – days.
• You may use paper, electronic systems or a combination of paper and electronic systems to story the records.
• It’s OK to change electronic storage systems as long as the systems meet the performance requirements of the regulations.
• There’s no need to retain audit trails for each time a Form I-9 is viewed electronically, but only when the I-9 is created, completed, updated, modified, altered or corrected.
• Your company may provide or transmit a confirmation of a Form I-9 transaction, but you aren’t required to, unless the employee requests a copy.

Whether you have 20 employees or 20,000 employees, any paper you can cut is worthwhile. Of course, you want your paper trail to be audit-ready and in compliance, even if it’s a virtual one. So it’s well worth taking a gander at the new rules, no matter how “electrified” this task is at the present.

Info: To read the final rule, click.