Messner Reeves LLP Colorado Springs Partner Amber Blasingame recently published a blog for the Colorado Restaurant Association on the importance of I-9 auditing and how to avoid the most common mistakes and clerical errors.
In “The Importance of Being Ernest with I-9 Auditing,” Amber explains how important the I-9 Employment Verification Form is for restaurant record-keeping and for successfully passing government audits. Failure to properly document and archive these forms can result in penalties and fines, as each individual error could cost an employer up to $2,292.00 per mistake (as of data compiled in 2019).
Fortunately, there are easy ways to avoid those fines, particularly by establishing a habit of self-auditing.
“Regular auditing, especially with the help of outside counsel, may not only mitigate fines but may help to decrease the risk of future investigations,” she says. “Maintaining documentation on audits, along with regular training of staff, good faith compliance efforts, and vigilance, may not only save money in a government audit but also mitigate the risk of further government audits and investigations.”
Amber has worked in immigration law since 1995, and focuses on immigration matters related to business, family, and humanitarian concerns. She has successfully represented clients before the U.S. Departments of Labor, State, Justice, and Homeland Security, including the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the Executive Office for Immigration Review, Board of Immigration Appeals, and Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals, and is admitted to practice in the US District Court, District of Colorado.
Learn more about Amber Blasingame.
