How Can I be Sure that my Housekeeper or Nanny is Legal to work?
By Marta Perrone
There are many ways out there to obtain false papers – kids are able to buy Identification cards and Licenses on the street just so they can get into clubs for recreation. People who come to this country and are desperate to work but cannot get into the system may also seek ways to get the necessary documentation to find a job. Social Security Cards, Work Permits and even Resident Cards can all be fabricated. One with a good eye telling the difference between what is real and what is false is not something everyone is trained to do.
Here are the steps that a household employer should take to ensure the employee is legal?
· Take copies of a perspective employee’s identification
· Have the employee fill out an I-9 Employment Verification Form
· Call Social Security Services or go online to verify the number is real and belongs to the person as indicated
· Call Immigration Services or go online to verify the Work Permit or Resident Card is real and belongs to the person as indicated.
· Go to Department of Motor Vehicles or go on line to verify the license number and get a driving report/history on the individual
There really is no excuse for NOT knowing whether a person you are about to hire is legal to work in this country. It is the employer’s responsibility to check these items carefully and do the proper verification. Even if you hire an applicant through a domestic agency, you must as for copies of the verification forms and it is preferable that you do the checking on your own as well.
If you want to hire this individual in spite of the illegal status, then seek an immigration attorney to discuss sponsorship.
Another step to take once you have hired an employee would be to put this person on payroll in the event that he/she is working the number of hours to qualify for payroll deduction.
Don’t be the employer getting caught for hiring an illegal – do the necessary due diligence, know how to verify information that is provided to you and be sure to do the right thing for yourself, your employee and your family.
Here are the steps that a household employer should take to ensure the employee is legal?
· Take copies of a perspective employee’s identification
· Have the employee fill out an I-9 Employment Verification Form
· Call Social Security Services or go online to verify the number is real and belongs to the person as indicated
· Call Immigration Services or go online to verify the Work Permit or Resident Card is real and belongs to the person as indicated.
· Go to Department of Motor Vehicles or go on line to verify the license number and get a driving report/history on the individual
There really is no excuse for NOT knowing whether a person you are about to hire is legal to work in this country. It is the employer’s responsibility to check these items carefully and do the proper verification. Even if you hire an applicant through a domestic agency, you must as for copies of the verification forms and it is preferable that you do the checking on your own as well.
If you want to hire this individual in spite of the illegal status, then seek an immigration attorney to discuss sponsorship.
Another step to take once you have hired an employee would be to put this person on payroll in the event that he/she is working the number of hours to qualify for payroll deduction.
Don’t be the employer getting caught for hiring an illegal – do the necessary due diligence, know how to verify information that is provided to you and be sure to do the right thing for yourself, your employee and your family.
