By AP
Nashville, TN – A growing number of Tennessee employers are using a federal database to try to determine whether their employees can legally work in the U.S. The Nashville Tennessean reports both word-of-mouth and state law are driving an increase in the number of businesses signing up for E-Verify. Over about four years, the number of Tennessee companies using the program has grown from 380 to 2,717.
The growth is due in part to a September 2006 executive order from Governor Phil Bredesen giving the state the authority to audit the personnel files of companies with state contracts. Employers caught knowingly employing people not authorized to work in the U.S. can temporarily lose their business licenses. But if they consistently use E-Verify they are protected from the sanctions.