E-Verify Self-Check Now Active in Selected States

As an employer, Pinnacol uses the E-Verify System  to assist in verifying the work authorization of new employees joining our company. We have been using E-Verify since July 2006 and overall our experience has been very positive. The system slowly continues to expand its functionality. For example, in recent years the system was updated that when someone presents a U.S. passport or some other types of documention the photo from the document appears on-line to verify against the individual we are actually hiring. One can envision the day sometime in the future that all documents provided as proof that someone is eligible to work in the U.S. will have such a photo-matching tool. I'm well aware of the national debate that is swirling around E-Verify but from an employer's perspective any tool that makes it easier rather than harder for us to be in compliance with the law is welcome news.

This morning I received an e-mail notification of a new service from E-Verify meant not for the employer but for the perspective employee. Rolled out initially only to residents of 5 states (Colorado, Arizona, Idaho, Mississippi, and Virginia) and the District of Columbia the new E-Verify Self Check program allows anyone residing in those areas to self-check their employment authorization, even if they are not necessarily applying for a job with a new employer.

Why bother, you might ask? The old adage of 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure' applies - finding out that something is possibly amiss with your documents is probably easier, and less stress-inducing, to know about and fix than under the time constraints imposed if an Employer discovers the problem with your documents for you. The most common thing we see with E-Verify (though our experience may not be the same as other employers) occurs with women who have recently been married but have not updated their social security card with the name change. Trying to fix this during the first couple of days as a new employee can be nerve-wracking when added to the stress of starting a new job.

I tested the E-Verify Self-Check for myself this morning and as happens with new systems it wasn't 100% glitch free to start. At first it didn't recognize that I was a resident of Colorado but after a quick call to their support line I was able to enter my information. It took all of about a minute to get the result. If you'd like to give it a try here is the link:
E-Verify Self Check.