Effective on the first of the year, employers in Florida will be required to use the E-Verify system before hiring any new employees, possibly forcing significant changes within hiring practices. Florida employers should be aware of the varying obligations that are dependent on whether they are public or private and whether they contract with the state or receive certain state incentives. First, every Florida public employer, along with their private contractors and subcontractors, must enroll in and use the E-Verify system to confirm the eligibility of all employees hired after Jan. 1, among other requirements for contractors who hire subs and those who receive taxpayer-funded incentives through the state Department of Economic Opportunity. Private employers who do not contract with the state or receive state incentives will now be required to use E-Verify or alternatively the I-9 form and maintain copies of the documents used to complete the Form for three years.
