Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) Compliance

The purpose of this notice is to increase awareness of an essential federal compliance issue and to ask your assistance in ensuring that Ohio University is 100% compliant. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Form I-9 is used to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States. One of our responsibilities as an employer is to correctly complete and retain a Form I-9, verifying identity and eligibility to work in the United States, for every employee. Due to the large number of people we employ in a variety of ways, collecting this information can be a challenge. 

To be fully compliant with federal regulations:

1. the employee section (Section 1.) of the form must be completed on or before the first day of employment, but after an offer has been made and
2. the employer section (Section 2.) must be completed correctly, including verification of work authorization documents, within three business days. 

Ohio University utilizes the electronic Equifax online I-9 completion system for completion of all I-9s. Deans, directors, and department heads are asked to remind all hiring managers of the I-9 requirements detailed above.  Employees will not be permitted to work if these deadlines are not met. 

University Human Resources (UHR) has coordinated a variety of ways in which I-9s can be completed remotely to accommodate remote and hybrid work arrangements: 

• When UHR receives a hiring proposal for the hire of a new Faculty or Staff member, the Employee Service Center (ESC) will work with hiring managers and new employees to facilitate the timely completion of the I-9 remotely or at UHR’s office.  Therefore, it is imperative that UHR is notified of new hires, via a hiring proposal in PeopleAdmin, before the employee begins work (a minimum 3 business day lead time is recommended). 
• The following website provides information regarding the hire of student employees: https://www.ohio.edu/hr/hire-manage/student-employment-procedures. 

If you have questions regarding I-9 completion, please contact the Employee Service Desk at 740-593-1636. If you have additional questions, you may call University Human Resources at 740-593-1636. When in doubt, please contact UHR. Non-compliance can result in penalties of up to $2,292 per violation; unlawful employment penalties can be up to $16,000 per alien plus criminal penalties.