What to Do If an Employee’s Social Security Number Fails to Match

For the most part, many employers will never have a problem with non-match during a social security number verification of an employee.  Due to its relative scarcity, many companies are not unsure of the appropriate steps to take if a social security number fails to match with a given name.  In order to be prepared for the possibility of a no match letter, here are the recommended steps to take should you receive one from the Social Security Administration:

1. Don’t Panic: While not an actually procedure to be done after a no match, it is important to stay calm and to not jump to conclusions. With that said, a no match letter does not necessarily mean an employee is an illegal immigrant or lied on their application and it is important to maintain an open mind and continue the verification process in an unbiased and organized fashion.
2. Check Your Records: The first step to verifying the cause of the no match is for a company to check its own records.  Often times, a no match letter can be generated due to a typographical or transcription error on behalf of the employer.  If an error is found, simply correct it and send the corrected name and number back to the Social Security Administration for another screening.
3. Ask Employee to Check Records: If no discrepancy is found with your own records as an employer, then the next step is to ask the employee to check and verify their own records in case of an error on their part.
4. Request Employee to Solve Discrepancy: If no error is found in the employee’s record, then you as the employer must request that they resolve the discrepancy within 90 days of the no match notice. If an employee fails to solve the discrepancy within the 90 days, then there are grounds for termination due to non-compliance.

In most cases, no match letters are the result of an innocent error by the employer or employee rather than an attempt to intentionally mislead.  Based on that, it is imperative that employees maintain a nonbiased position and proceed through the proper steps without any preconceived notions.  A non-match letter is by no means grounds for any type of suspension or termination of an employee and any premature steps should be avoided by an employer as proper procedure must be followed.  The four steps mentioned here are a good guide for employers to follow in order to make sure that the employee is treated fairly and that the process goes as smoothly as possible.

PeopleCheck is a pre-employment screening company offering comprehensive background checks and verification services nationwide.

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