The Department of Justice (DOJ) and its Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Discrimination announced that the University of California San Diego Medical Center has reached a "six-figure" settlement over its practice of requiring excessive documentation from noncitizen employees during the Form I-9 work authorization process.

Specifically, the DOJ says UCSD committed "document abuse"  by requiring Legal Permanent Residents to provide copies of their green cards even though they had already met I-9 documentation requirements by presentation of a List B (driver's license) and List C (unrestricted social security card) document.

Under the settlement, the hospital has agreed to pay  $115,000 in civil penalties, one of the highest penalties ever assessed. The hospital has also agreed to train its personnel in the proper I-9 documentation procedures.

Employers, for a better understanding of how to avoid these types of mistakes, get yourself a copy of Personnel Concepts' I-9 Compliance Kit today.