HR Expert Group Calls for Stronger Employment Verification Provisions

Contact:  Eric Thomas,  202/822-9491

SHRM’s Susan Meisinger Cites Need for Enhanced Security Against Identity Theft

Washington, D.C. – The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Human Resource Initiative for a Legal Workforce (HR Initiative) today called on Congress to include enhanced employment verification measures as part of the comprehensive immigration reform legislation now under consideration.

In testimony submitted to the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Susan R. Meisinger, SHRM President and CEO stated, “The most critical element for true immigration reform is establishing a foolproof system for certifying that an applicant is authorized to work in the United States.  Unfortunately, the electronic verification system in place today is inadequate to meet the demand, and current proposals before Congress fall far short of what is needed.”

Currently, employees are permitted to submit up to 29 different legally-acceptable documents as proof of eligibility to hold a job in the United States.  This document-based system is prone to fraud, forgeries and identity theft, making it difficult, if not impossible, for an employer to differentiate between the legal and illegal worker.  Adding to the problem, the federal government’s voluntary electronic verification program, the “Basic Pilot,” is inadequate to meet the needs of all U.S. employers because it cannot stop identity fraud.

“Employers need the right tools to verify a legal workforce.  However, HR cannot – and should not – be America’s surrogate border patrol agents,” Meisinger continued. “Congress must transform the current paper-based verification process into a state-of-the-art electronic system that is accurate, reliable, cost-efficient, easy-to-use, and shares responsibility among government, employers and employees.”

The HR Initiative – whose members, in addition to SHRM, include American Council on International Personnel, College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, HR Policy Association and International Public Management Association for Human Resources – is advocating a new electronic employment verification system that would verify identity through the use of state-of-the-art technology, additional background checks and the potential use of biometric enrollment conducted by government certified private vendors.

Visit www.legal-workforce.org for an expanded description of the HR Initiative principles and to learn more about the importance of employment verification issues.